Left will have key role after LS poll: Nirupam Sen

KOCHI(Kerala),8th January, 2009: The ball is yet to roll. But, all parties have started preparations for the coming general elections to the Lok Sabha. The three-day central committee meeting of the CPI(M) here will chalk out the party’s strategy for fighting the elections.

The party politburo member and West Bengal Industries Minister Nirupam Sen, who is in Kochi to attend the meeting, in an interview said that the party would have to fight hard to retain its poll share in West Bengal in the coming general elections.

"The extreme right and the extreme left have decided to join hands against the Left, especially against the CPI(M). A formal alliance has not been shaped yet, but once such an alliance materialises, it will be difficult for the party,’’ he said.

But in the last panchayat elections, the party could manage to get more than 50 percent of votes even after having some differences among the Left parties over the issues like the land acquisition, industrial projects etc, he said.

But, in the Lok Sabha elections, the Left parties will sort out the issues and remain united. Nandigram will hardly be a poll issue in Bengal, he said. The poll outcome will give birth to a hung Lok Sabha and the third front led by the Left will then have an important role. Parties like the BSP will fare better in North Indian states. The Left parties will have a say in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Tripura, he said.

"The general conviction that the policies of the Left could help cushion the shock of global economic recession will be a positive factor for us,’’ he said. "We had warned the UPA Government. But our advice fell on deaf ears,’’said Sen. "Defeat the BJP and Reject the Congress", will be our stand, he said. The Left has its own alternative for beating the meltdown. More money should be pumped into the infrastructure and agriculture sector.

The government should ask the banks to lend more loans to farmers, especially to the marginalised. The PSUs should be vitalised. Issues of the deprived and marginalised classes like dalits and minorities should get more attention, Sen said.

Opposition in West Bengal obstructing progress: WB CM

Alappuzha(Kerala), Jan 08: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee today accused the opposition Trinamool Congress, BJP and Maoists of joining hands to obstruct the development of the state. Addressing a public meeting organised in connection with the Central Committee meeting of the party at Kochi, he said CPI(M) led Left Front government was trying to resist the challenge posed by these forces. With Tata shifting its car project from Singur, the state had lost 6,000 direct job opportunities and the Opposition owed an explanation for the "harm" they had caused to the state, he said.

These forces were trying to create problem in West Bengal by raking up the issue of Singur and Nandigram, Buddhadeb added. Charging the UPA Government with following a pro-American foreign policy, Bhattacharjee claimed the United States was trying to make India its junior partner. "UPA government was co-operating with USA on political, economical and military spheres," he claimed.

Tourism fair gives a taste of India

KOLKATA, 8 January, 2009 : The sixth Tourism and Food Festival organized by West Bengal tourism department in association with The Times of India was inaugurated on Wednesday at Nalban Ecopark. The five-day festival will present some of the best folk performers from different states for the audience.

On the first day, the performance by Manipuri danseuse Priti Patel and her troupe proved to be a perfect beginning as the audience was left mesmerized with the graceful moves. Amidst prayers and chants, the Sun God was invoked. Performers trained in martial arts then demonstrated a fierce sword fight that left the audience awe-struck. When they demonstrated the intricate art of sword fighting blindfolded, the admiration of the audience knew no bounds. The men also performed acrobatics like jumping through a ring of fire and balancing on spearheads with ease. Delegates from many states, including the tourism minister of Andhra Pradesh, were present for the programme.

State tourism minister Manab Mukherjee lit the hawan kund. "I think the festival will be an immense success. We have inaugurated the festival with a Manipuri dance since the state and its culture finds mention in Tagore's work time and again," he said. Ankita Lahiri, a college student from Sodepur, was in the audience. "This is one of the best performances I have seen," she gushed. In the coming days, one of the primary attractions will be a colourful ballet by a Chinese troupe from Kunming. Among the other performances is a group dance by Tanushree Shankar on Thursday.

The Times of India will present a gala musical evening with latest singing sensation, Anik Dhar, on Saturday. There will also be performances by the Vyas Brothers on Sunday, army and BSF bands, a fashion show and tribal dances from Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Move us up on Naxal-hit list, says Bengal

Kolkata, Jan 08, 2009: A recent bid on the life of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee by Maoists in Salboni notwithstanding, West Bengal doesn’t figure in grade two on the list of Maoist-affected states in the country — something that has not gone down well with the state Government.

On the second day of the chief ministers’ conference in New Delhi, Bhattacharjee requested the Centre to place the state in the grade two of the list. Bengal is included in grade three at present. “As we were put in grade three (in the list of Maoist-affected states), it will not be possible for the Centre to pay attention to the Maoist menace in our state. We have, therefore, asked the Centre to include Bengal in grade two,” Bhattacharjee told the mediapersons.

Earlier, former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil had struck off Bengal from the list of grade two Maoist-affected states but Home Minister P Chidambaram had put the state back on the list. The state, however, is again missing from the list.

According to the police, Maoist activities in Bengal are confined to the forests of three districts — West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia — bordering Jharkhand. The state Government had claimed that Maoists hailed from Jharkhand and formed an alliance with organised groups in Bengal for operations. “We want to conduct joint raids with bordering states against such armed groups and need Centre’s approval for the same,” the chief minister said.

NHPC to construct mini tidal power project in Sundarbans

DELHI: Project monitor reported that NHPC Ltd has invited global tenders for the implementation of the 3x1.25 MW Durgaduani mini tidal power project in the Sundarbans in 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.The scope of work for this turnkey project includes planning, design, engineering and execution of civil structures such as dyke, inlet sluice, powerhouse and switchyard, 3x1.25 MW bulb turbine generator units and associated auxiliaries, ancillary equipment and hydro mechanical works such as vertical lift gates and stoplogs, hoists and gantry cranes.As per report, the 3 units of the project are to be commissioned within 27 months from the date of issue of letter of acceptance. The RFP document is priced at INR 5,000 and will be available till February 12th. The last of submission of bids is February 13th 2009.

Mamata’s acts are childish: Biman Basu

Kolkata, Jan 7: Terming Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee’s acts as “childish”, West Bengal’s ruling Left Front chairman Biman Basu Wednesday said that state’s main opposition party lacked any political ideology, after Banerjee led an agitation against the alleged anhandling of a taxi driver by a policeman here.”Mamata Banerjee often acts childishly which is not desirable in Indian politics. They’ve no principle and political ideology. People do not like this type of activity in politics,” Basu told reporters here.

“I heard that Banerjee has turned 54 but unfortunately she does not have any mental stability at this age,” he said, while commenting on Trinamool supremo’s role in leading an agitation Tuesday evening over an alleged manhandling of a taxi-driver by a policeman in Kolkata.

Hundreds of Trinamool Congress activists, led by Banerjee, laid siege to the central business district. They blockaded important arterial roads around the Calcutta High Court area, inconveniencing thousands of commuters. Later a large police contingent arrived at the spot and resorted baton charged the mob.

As the situation worsened, Banerjee arrived at the scene with her party’s senior leaders and demanded that the constable be punished.“She (Banerjee) should not act in such a childish manner,” Basu said.

WBGEDC offers zero-pollution auto

KOLKATA, 7 January, 2009: Auto owners flustered with the EMI on new LPG autos have an alternative at hand. The West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation, along with automobile manufacturer Tara International, is offering them a package that will turn out cheaper than an LPG switch and be even more environment friendly. What's better, they don't need to dump their old vehicles. All they have to do is pay Rs 65,000 and have a battery-driven engine mounted in their old auto.

WBGEDC managing director SP Ganchouhuri said Tara International had approached them to manufacture battery autos in the city. "They have already started manufacturing such autos at their Barasatunit ," he said, adding that WBGEDC has run "10 to 15 battery autos on an experimental basis". The company's battery-operated two-wheelers have been a success, Ganchoudhuri said. "So far, more than 10,000 green two-wheelers have been sold. We now plan to introduce battery-run autos in the city that would drastically cut down auto emission," he said. It would cost about Rs 1.25 lakh to convert an old auto into a battery-driven one, Ganchoudhuri. "The Centre will give a subsidy of Rs 50,000 and another Rs 10,000 subsidy would be given by the state. An auto driver will only have to shell out about Rs 65,000, that too in phases," Ganchoudhuri said.

According to a scheme that is being worked out, a driver would be able to repay the entire amount simply by paying Rs 200 daily to get the batteries recharged. Ganchoudhuri said: "The old fuel-based engine would be replaced by a motor that would have rechargeable batteries. These autos can run up to 80 km per charge and can have a maximum speed of 60 km per hour, carrying six passengers. WBGEDC is designing small solar panels that would tap solar energy to recharge the batteries. So, the auto owner doesn't even run up an electricity bill. The battery auto is not only a zero-emission vehicle, it is also soundless."

Congress to ask two West Bengal legislators for explanation

Kolkata, Jan 7: The West Bengal Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Wednesday decided to send a show-cause notice to its two senior legislators - Somen Mitra who floated his own party, and Sudip Bandhopadhyay who joined Trinamool Congress - after leaving the party recently.“We’ve unanimously decided to send a show-cause notice to both Congress legislators who broke from the party. We asked them to reply to the CLP within the next seven days clarifying their official stand,” state CLP leader Manas Bhuniya told mediapersons.

He said according to their reply the Congress would inform the West Bengal Assembly Speaker Hasim Abdul Halim and would appeal for the necessary steps to be taken against the two legislators.

“Somen Mitra has formed his own political platform - Pragatishil Indira Congress (PIC) and Sudip Bandhopadhyay has joined Trinamool Congress. If they are no longer with the Congress, they should have resigned on moral grounds. But they’ve done nothing, explaining their political stand so far,” Bhuniya said.“Once they reply to us, we’ll submit their official statement to the state assembly speaker here,” he said.

Nandigram by-poll held under Trinamool terror: BIMAN BASU

Kolkata, 6th January, 2009: West Bengal's ruling Left Front chairman Biman Basu on Tuesday said the by-election in troubled Nandigram constituency was marred by opposition Trinamool Congress threats to voters.

"Apparently everything was very peaceful in Nandigram during the assembly by-poll Monday. But the Trinamool Congress activists threatened innocent villagers of dire consequence and asked them not to cast their vote in the by-poll," Basu told a press conference here.

Nandigram, around 150 km from here, saw prolonged blood letting over land acquisition for a proposed chemical hub project in 2007. Basu said: "Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) polling agents could not reach five polling booths - 141, 146, 139, 151 and 170 - as they were threatened by Trinamool Congress activists. Later with the help of the police and district administration they could enter those polling stations."

According to state Election Commission officials, more than 81 percent of votes were cast in East Midnapore's Nandigram assembly by-election. Police said there was no report of violence or untoward incident during the peaceful election process.

"Trinamool Congress activists also beat up villagers at Sonachura and Kalicharanpur locality and tore off their Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC)," Basu claimed. He said more than 1,000 people could not cast their vote in the by-poll in Nandigram. "The election was not conducted in a fairly manner almost in 53 polling booths," he alleged.

Two more hooch deaths in city, toll rises to 28

Kolkata, Jan 6: Two persons died after consuming spurious liquor in New Market area today as the number of hooch deaths in the city rose to 28.Police said two persons died at state-run hospitals after consuming spurious liquor in New market area, three day after the hooch tragedy in West Port area which claimed 26 lives.

Sada Mallick and Rongila Hela, two sweepers of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, consumed the brew at a den on Marquis Street and fell ill.While Sada, admitted to Sambhunath Pandit Hospital today died later, Rongila, who was admitted with vomitting symptoms at another state-run hospital yesterday, succumbed this afternoon.

The deaths took place barely three days after the hooch tragedy in the West Port police station area, just a few kilometres away from New Market, where 26 persons died in past couple of days, with the condition of three more stated to be critical.

In the Port area local people destroyed huge quantities of liquor bottles, cans and bladders and razed to ground hooch dens.West Bengal Finance and Excise Minister Asim Dasgupta has ordered a departmental inquiry to identify lapses which led to the deaths in port area since Saturday night.

Singapore's Changi Airport International buys 26% in Durgapur Aerotrop

KOLKATA, Jan 6, 2009: Changi had already signed a technical services agreement with Durgapur Aerotropolis last year. Singapore's Changi Airport International Pte has acquired a 26% stake in Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd (BAPL), who is developing India's first privately owned greenfield airport project.

The project is being developed in Durgapur, the industrial hub of West Bengal, which is about 160 km away from Kolkata. The other four stakeholders in the firm, who have the remaining 74% in the firm, are Pragati Social Infrastructure, Pragati 47, Lend Lease Ltd and City Star Ltd. The stake has been picked up through Changi Airport India Pte Ltd, reports Economic Times. Changi had already signed a technical services agreement with Durgapur Aerotropolis last year. The airport project will cost about Rs10,000 crore.

Durgapur Aerotropolis is coming up over 950 hectares of land in the Durgapur-Asansol region. While the airport is coming up over a 300 hectare region, the rest will be used for an industrial park, logistics hub, IT park with supporting infrastructure like housing, tourism and healthcare facilities. Changi is also trying to rope in Singapore-based Jurong International to set up an industrial park in the region.

Around 80% voter turnout in Sujapur by-poll

Kolkata, 6th January: Polling for the Sujapur Assembly by-elections ended peacefully on Monday. “The voting was peaceful,” said IG (law and order) Raj Kanojia. District police chief Satyajit Banerjee said initial reports suggest that about 80 per cent of voters had exercised their franchise.

The counting of votes will be held on January 9. The assembly seat fell vacant after the death of Congress MLA Rubi Noor, the sister of veteran Congress leader A B A Ghani Khan Choudhury. The Congress fielded 27-year-old Mousam Benajir Noor, daughter of Rubi Noor.

Benajir had recently obtained a law degree from the Calcutta University. The Trinamool Congress decided not to field any candidate as a tribute to the late Congress leader. Benajir’s contender is CPI(M)’s Haji Ketabuddin who had garnered 65 per cent votes from Sujapur in the May 2008 panchayat polls.

Twelve companies of paramilitary forces were deployed in the constituency and additional police personnel from adjoining districts like Murshidabad, and North and South Dinajpur districts have been called in to maintain law and order.

Trinamool unleashing silent terror, says CPI(M) local leaders

Nandigram, 6th January: The CPI(M) has accused the Trinamool of unleashing ‘silent terror’ among villagers in Nandigram. The party also admitted that they have little chance of winning the by-elections.

“How can we win the election in this situation? More than 3,000 of our supporters were not allowed to come out of their houses. Many were driven out of Nandigram,” said CPI(M) zonal secreatry of Nandigram Ashok Bera.

The CPI candidate for Nandigram, Paramananda Bharati alleged that their supporters were beaten up in Reyapara and Sonachura area and four of them had to be hospitalised. “Armed miscreants, supported by Trinamool, went from door-to-door in many areas and attacked our supporters. They were not allowed to cast their votes. Had they voted, the result would have been in our favour,” Bharati said.

CPI(M) leaders claimed that they have approached the Election Commission and the police with hundreds of such complaints on Monday, but no action has been taken yet. The CPI(M) also failed to post their polling agents at nearly 60 booths. At various booths in Jalpai, Hazrakata, Kendamari, Sonachura, Kalicharanpur, even CPI(M) cadres were absent. Booth camps were also not erected at many places.

“We could not put up the camps nor post our agents. Our cadres are afraid and no one wants to be posted at the booths,” said Harun-al-Rashid, CPI(M) former Gram Panchayet Upo-Pradhan of Jalpai. “At booth numbers 168 to 173, our supporters were not allowed to come out of their homes. At other booths, Trinamnool supporters snatched the voter-identity cards from our supporters,” said Bera. “ We have told the administration regarding this,” he added.

The Trinamool, however, alleged that the CPI(M) attempted to terrorise villagers. “CPM cadres have attacked and injured four of our supporters at Reyapara and assaulted many others at different places,” Trinamool leader and MLA from Contai (South) Suvendu Adhikari said. “They, however, could not muffle the voice of the people and now at the face of defeat they are making absurd allegations,” he added. Trinamool candidate Firoza Bibi said: “The Opposition tried to create disturbance but they could not do it due to the presence of the police. We will surely win the elections.”

WB seeks greater coordination between Centre, state agencies

New Delhi, 6th January: West Bengal on Tuesday sought greater coordination in intelligence sharing between Central and state agencies to fight terror and its Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said the process should essentially be a "two-way process".

Stressing that terrorists should not be linked to any religious group, Bhattacharjee said such attempts were fraught with the danger of widening rift between different religious and linguistic groups in the country, "thus weakening our determination to fight terrorism unitedly."

Addressing the Chief Ministers' conclave on internal security here, Bhattacharjee observed that the present arrangements for collection and dissemination of intelligence in states and the Centre was sometimes done in a disjointed manner and the process was "far from satisfactory".

Responding to Home Minister P Chidambaram's appeal to states to forward intelligence inputs to the Intelligence Bureau and central agencies, he said while he would advise the agencies in West Bengal to do so, "intelligence agencies in the states hardly receive useful inputs on regular basis from the office of the Central IB situated in the state."

Pointing to instances in which the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau in states "could hardly enlighten the state IB and Home Departments" on terror threats in time, Bhattacharjee said the process of information sharing and coordination "should essentially be a two-way process."

While agreeing to "seriously act upon" the suggestions made by Chidambaram, he stressed that besides strengthening the intelligence network and raising professional competence of security forces, "building up of people's awareness on the terrorist menace" was absolutely essential.

Bandh like situation at Kurseong in West Bengal

Siliguri , 5th January, 2009 : A bandh like situation prevails in Kurseong in Darjeeling hills on Friday following a clash at Rohini in which a Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leader was killed and 26 houses including a tourist bungalow were torched.

Shops and business establishments did not open shutters though no bandh was called there, SDO Kurseong Dibyendu Das said. GJM leader Subodh Pradhan was lynched and a few others injured and in retaliation the Rohini Tourist bungalow and 25 houses of the villagers were set ablaze on Thursday.

The trouble started when Pradhan and some men broke into the tourist lodge run by Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), and the caretaker informed the villagers. The villagers attacked them and Pradhan died on the spot. The arson came as a retaliatory attack by GJM activists.

GJM workers were now being assembled in hundreds with the information that five persons arrested in this connection would be produced at Kurseong court during the day. According to Das, huge security arrangements have been made to tackle any untoward situation. Combat commando force and Rapid Action Force were deployed both at Rohini and Kurseong town, he said.

GJM press and publicity secretary Benoy Tamang alleged that police was playing a partisan role by providing shelter to the arrested persons by keeping them at Pradhan Nagar police station here though Rohini falls under Kurseong police station.

Toll in Kolkata liquor tragedy rises to 23, six arrested

Kolkata, 5th January, 2009 : The number of people who died in Kolkata after consuming poisonous country-made liquor has risen to 23, West Bengal minister Asim Dasgupta said on Monday. Six people were arrested and raids conducted on illicit liquor shops in the Khidirpore port area.

"Twenty-three people have died after consuming spurious liquor since Saturday night at Khidirpore port area (south-west Kolkata)," Finance and Excise Department Minister Asim Dasgupta told reporters Monday. Dasgupta said six people have been arrested and three officers of the excise department and city police have been issued show cause notices in the hooch tragedy.

"Six brewers have been arrested and several detained in the hooch tragedy. The Excise Directorate has sent show cause notices to two officers and the city police commissioner has issued a notice to one of his officers. Based on their statement, proper departmental action will be taken," Dasgupta said.

The minister said joint raids are being conducted by the Excise Directorate and Kolkata Police in the area since Sunday night. "A night-long raid was conducted Sunday by Excise officers and the city police. Today illicit liquor shops were raided and demolished in the Khidirpore area. We are also trying to locate the source of this poisonous hooch," Dasgupta said.

"The government will bear the medical expenses of the victims admitted in hospital. We will also see if compensation can be given to the families of the deceased," he said. Dasgupta said raids would be conducted regularly across Kolkata on illicit liquor shops. "The Excise Department and Kolkata Police have decided to keep a watch on illicit liquor dens. Regular raids will be conducted across the city. We are thinking of conducting such raids in the districts too," Dasgupta said.

Many labourers at the Bibi Halt and Hooghly Basti areas of Khidirpore fell ill after a late night drinking session Saturday. They started vomiting blood and writhed in pain after reaching home from the illegally-run liquor shops. Many died before they could be taken to the hospital. An angry mob later damaged several shops.

CPI(M) should take initiative to consolidate Left unity: AIFB

Thiruvananthapuram, 5th January, 2009 : The CPI(M) should take initiative to consolidate Left unity in India to build a 'people's alternative' to the Congress and BJP at the national level, AIFB secretary and West Bengal agriculture minister Naren Dey said here on Monday.

This was necessary to keep both parties away from power since both parties were two sides of the same coin as far as economic policies and the 'subservient' attitude towards US imperialism was concerned, Dey told reporters.

He said the AIFB, part of the Left group in West Bengal and Tripura, wanted to be part of the ruling LDF combine in Kerala and said it was strange that the party has so far not been included in the front, despite working with them. "AIFB works with Left parties in Kerala, but it is strange that the party is not part of LDF", he said.

The party has approached both CPI(M) and CPI with the request and the former had informed its leaders that they would try to include AIFB in the front, Dey said. On Centre-State relations, Dey said schemes and assistance from the union government to a state was not a privilege in a federal system, but a constitutional right of the state.

Considering the political background of the state while allotting the Union sponsored schemes would only hamper the true spirit of the federal system, he said. "The UPA government should stop its step-motherly attitude towards Kerala and West Bengal", Dey added. Dey said he had invited Kerala agriculture minister Mullakara Ratnakaran to West Bengal for a discussion on issues connected with agriculture next month.

5 new multiplexes lined up for Kolkata

Kolkata, January 05, 2009: West Bengal is expected to see at least five new multiplexes in 2009 for an investment of over Rs 200 crore. While 2008 saw inauguration of two multiplexes in Kolkata - Fame at South City mall and Cinemax at the Mani Square mall - multiplex owners have pinned hopes on prompt delivery of shopping malls so that the respective multiplexes could open in time too.

For one, Fun Cinemas, the Essel Group-managed multiplex chain, will foray into eastern India in 2009. According to Vishal Kapur, COO, Fun Multiplex, “We are planning to set up close to 40 screens over the next three years in Eastern India with our brands Fun Cinemas and Talkie Town. Fun Cinemas is positioned as a lifestyle brand and Talkie Town a value brand with ticket prices at 50 per cent cheaper than Fun Cinemas. We will invest around Rs 1 to 1.5 crore per property in this expansion. Areas like Durgapur, Howrah and Asansol have been identified where Talkie Town would be functional in the next one year.”

Fun has signed on two properties in Kolkata, in Axis Mall and Lake Mall. Each property will be a 5-screen, 1200-seater multiplex. Talkie Town will look at acquiring some of the standalone dilapidated theatres and rebrand them into either a 4-screen plex or a standalone theatre.
Currently the company has 10 Talkie Town in the country which are all revamped models of dilapidated standalone theatres.

“We are looking at standalone properties in Kolkata for acquiring and rebranding them as Talkie Town but most properties in the city are rather small. Our smallest Talkie Town is a 200-seater, while the largest is around 1200-seater. We would therefore look at smaller cities for setting up the Talkie Town brand, in places like Durgapur, Howrah, Asansol, Jharkhand, among others,” Kapur explained.

Currently the company operates 63 screens in 20 locations in India.Cinemax is planning two more properties in Kolkata, one in a shopping mall in Salt Lake. “We have also bought over the Hind cinema hall in Central Kolkata where another Cinemax will come up. Depending on how promptly the shopping malls are completed, we expect the new Cinemax multiplexes to start in 2009,” Devang Sampat, VP-marketing and programming of Cinemax, said.

Cinemax inaugurated its first multiplex in Kolkata’s Mani Square mall in 2008 which witnessed 12,000 walk-ins in the first five days. According to Alok Tandon – COO, Inox Leisure, “East India is top-most on Inox’s expansion map and by 2010 we aim to have 19 multiplexes and 71 screens in the East. Apart from properties in Kolkata like Rajarhat (City Centre-2), Jessore Road, Panditya Road, Howrah etc, multiplexes in Siliguri, Kharagpur, Asansol, Haldia, Guwahati are also in the anvil which will strengthen our foothold in Tier-II cities. On an average we spend between Rs 2- 2.5 crore per screen.” Currently Inox has six multiplexes in West Bengal with 22 screens.

According to a spokesperson of Big Cinemas, “We inaugurated one major cinema at RDB Mall in Kolkata, 36 cinemas and 71 screens across India. Our expansion rate has been growing at 300 per cent on a year on year basis. At the moment we have one multiplex in Kolkata with three screens. It would not be possible to reveal details until they are formalised.”

For most multiplex chains, 2009 is expected to see more big-ticket releases, compared to 2008, which was a lack-lustre year for Bollywood till December, when releases like ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ and ‘Ghajini’ set the cash registers ringing again. For 2008, most multiplexes are of the opinion that poor content in the beginning of the year has hit box office earnings for this year, resulting in 10-15 per cent less occupancy levels throughout the year compared to 2007.

However, business did not see a dip as prices of movie tickets, food and beverages were hiked by 10-15 per cent in most multiplexes during the year. According to a report by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Hindi film industry is around Rs 11,000 crore and is projected to reach Rs 17,500 crore by 2012. While domestic box office collections account for Rs 8,250 crore, overseas box office collections is around Rs 1,000 crore. Home video makes up around Rs 750 crore.

Spurious liquor kills 13

KOLKATA, 4th January, 2009: At least 13 people died and 25 fell sick after drinking poisonous country-made liquor here, police said today. “Three persons died late yesterday night. Ten more have died today after consuming poisonous country-made liquor at West Port area near Khidderpore in south-west Kolkata. At least 25 people have been admitted to three hospitals in critical condition,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Jawed Shamim told reporters here.

Four people have been arrested and raids were underway in several parts of Kolkata to catch the culprits, Shamim said. According to police sources, there are over 20 illegal country liquor shops in the area. “We have raided the shops and collected liquor samples to detect the exact nature of poison in them. All bodies will be sent for postmortem examination. An investigation has started and right action will be taken against the culprits,” Shamim said.

Earlier, Special Additional Police Commissioner Debasis Roy said seven people, including three women, were detained for selling poisonous country-made liquor.According to police sources, many slum dwellers in the area are addicted to drinking and they get the liquor from the local shops.But the men who bought and drank the country-made liquor on Saturday night fell sick immediately. While some died after acute stomach ache, many were admitted to hospitals in critical condition. State Minister Manab Mukherjee and Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee visited the area in the evening to console the family members of the victims and the sick.

Unmatched security cover marks Nandigram by-poll

Nandigram, 4 th January, 2009 : An unprecedented security cover has been thrown across politically sensitive Nandigram with 15,000 Central forces deployed to man just 176 polling booths ahead of the assembly by-poll on Monday.

District magistrate (DM) and returning officer Choten Dhudup Lama said seven companies (each company of 1,000) of the Border Security Force and eight of the Central Reserve Police Force have been deployed in Nandigram I and Nandigram II blocks, which translated into 85 Central force personnel per booth.

Besides, 2,000 policemen have also been deployed, she said, adding that all the 176 booths in the area were declared sensitive. Central forces and police were maintaining logs of all vehicles plying in the area and interrogating drivers. Central forces were deployed in all the rural market areas.

“All our arrangements are complete and we expect free and fair polls. We will allow nobody other than polling agents and voters inside the booths,” Lama said. She said as all the booths have been declared sensitive, the polling process in all of them will be recorded on camera. Each booth would have a micro observer and six senior observers would monitor them. The DM would personally supervise the polling process.

The by-poll has been necessitated by the resignation of the Communist Party of India (CPI) member of legislative assembly Muhammad Ilyas following a sting operation exposing his alleged involvement in a corruption case.

The by-poll, scheduled for 30 December but postponed due to security considerations, will decide the fate of six contestants. The main contenders are Parmananda Bharati of the CPI and Firoza Bibi of the Trinamool Congress.