NEWS

The Calcutta high court on Friday requested the chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to set up a committee to examine all allegations of post-poll violence in Bengal, observing that the state hadn't taken "concrete steps" to address the 3,243 complaints lodged till June 3.

A five-judge bench, led by acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal, put it on record that the state, from the very beginning, had been denying everything, adding, "But the facts placed on record by the member secretary of the West Bengal State Legal Services Authority on June 3, are different."

"In a case where the allegation is life and property in danger on account of post-poll violence, the state can't be allowed to proceed in the manner it likes," the court observed, taking nature of the complaints. "It is the duty of the state to inspire confidence among residents."

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has cancelled the auctions held by the state government in February for creation of 6,400 mega-watt (MW) solar power capacity, denting the coastal state’s ambition to reduce power tariffs by building low-cost renewable energy units. Ruling on a petition filed by Tata Power Renewable Energy, the court stated the whole tendering and auction process ‘substantially deviated’ from the provisions of the Electricity Act, 2003, and the guidelines for competitive bidding.

The court allowed the state to invite fresh bids to build the capacity, after aligning the bidding conditions with the Act and the relevant terms. Analysts feel that the new auctions, if any, will likely discover higher tariffs due to rise in price of solar modules and upcoming import restrictions which will drive up equipment costs.

Amidst speculations about party leaders leaving Bharatiya Janata Party to join Trinamool Congress, a team of central BJP leaders, led by its national general secretary BL Santosh, arrived in Agartala on Wednesday on a two-day trip to hold organisational meetings with the party's state leadership. According to an Indian Express report, BJP leaders are holding discussions with the 'rebel' MLAs and resolve the impending crisis within the party's ranks in the State.

In the team are BJP's organisational secretary for Assam and Tripura Phanindranath Sharma, Northeast general secretary (organisation) Ajay Jamwal and state observer Vinod Sonkar. During the day, they met state BJP chief Manik Saha and party presidents of all the districts. The team will also meet Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, his cabinet colleagues and the two MPs from the state, Pratima Bhowmick and Rebati Tripura.

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar on Thursday called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah and is believed to have briefed him about the law and order situation in the state. This is their first meeting after the Bengal Assembly polls, and comes days after a delegation of BJP MLAs sent Dhankhar a petition on the deteriorating law and order situation in Bengal.

Dhankar also released a letter he had written to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on post-poll violence in the state.

Dhankar, who accused Bengal government of turning a blind eye to these incidents of violence, also held a series of meetings on Wednesday, including with Union minister Prahlad Singh Joshi, Prahlad Patel, NHRC chairperson Justice Arun Mishra and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.