Report on hawker death to minister

Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Tuesday said he would send a report on the death of a hawker during an eviction drive at Bidhannagar Road railway station to railway minister Laloo Prasad Yadav. Citu railway union leader Nepaldeb Bhattacharya met the chief minister on Tuesday with a charter of demands. He sought compensation for the family of the victim, as well as an assurance that state police wouldn?t participate in similar eviction drives at railway stations in future. The memorandum would also be sent to the Union railway minister, the chief minister said.

Road safety meet

Transport minister Subhas Chakraborty on Tuesday chaired a meeting at Writers? Buildings on road safety and traffic control. The meeting was held to address issues of training and publicity for increasing awareness on road safety, dealing with accident victims and better enforcement of traffic rules. It was decided that officials from the youth services departments would undergo traffic training and, in turn, train schoolchildren and NGOs with assistance from traffic police. Transport secretary Sumantra Chowdhury, sports and youth affairs secretary Ashok Patnaik as well as officers of traffic police, school education department and transport department were present.

Education week

The State Council of Education, Research and Training ? along with the state boards of secondary education and madarsa education ? will observe Population Education Week from July 11-17 at all affiliated schools and madarsas.

Run over

Samir Manna, 30, was run over by an unidentified vehicle on Kona Expressway in Howrah around 2 am on Tuesday. Manna, who lived in Kankrapara, was mentally unstable.

I-T help centres

Three help centres set up by the income-tax department in Calcutta have been functioning since July 1. The centres, part of a scheme announced by Union finance minister P. Chidambaram in his budget speech, will bring the department closer to tax-payers, officials said. In Calcutta, the centres are at Bharat Chamber of Commerce (57A, Park Street), Indian Council of Small Industries (19/2, Banamali Naskar Road) and State Bank of India, Ballygunge branch (50A, Gariahat Road). Officials said 24 more help centres have been set up in the districts.

Flood relief

Several organisations in the city are taking part in the relief work in flood-hit Gujarat. Ramakrishna Mission started the relief work on June 30. According to a Mission spokesperson, the Vadodara and Rajkot centres are distributing thousands of food packets among flood victims daily. Bharat Sevashram Sangha has set up centres in Surat, Kalol, Ahmedabad and Vadodara. The Sangha has been distributing cooked food to the affected people.

Attack on wife

A gardener was arrested at Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Salt Lake, on Tuesday for allegedly attacking his wife with a sickle. Officers of Bidhannagar (South) police station said Sadhan Das, 28, and Minu, 23, used to quarrel regularly. Minu has been admitted to NRS Medical College and Hospital, where her condition was stated to be critical.

Civic holiday

Mayor Bikash Bhattacharya on Tuesday turned down municipal commissioner Debashis Som?s proposal to keep the Calcutta Municipal Corporation offices closed on Wednesday, as per a convention. Bhattacharya said he did not believe in adhering to convention. The municipal secretary said the offices traditionally remain closed the day after mayor is sworn in.

Thumbs Up

To Dhanwantary medicare and research for providing financial aid to a rickshaw puller who put his kidney on sale