State govt staff ordered to work on weekends
The Bengal BJP government has issued a notification and asked all its employees belonging to different wings under the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (P&AR) under the home department to attend duties on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays on a rotational basis. The prime aim of the notification issued by the state secretariat Nabanna is to assist senior officials in maintaining the normal flow of administrative work. The notification has been issued, as the senior administrative officers, including bureaucrats in respective departments, often do their work on weekends and public holidays.
Petition against fake lottery ticket rackets
A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Calcutta High Court against alleged rackets of fake lottery tickets across districts in West Bengal. According to the court sources, one lawyer has filed the PIL alleging the rampant practice of selling fake lottery tickets. The racketeers using the name of the branded lottery agency are selling fake tickets in different districts in the state. The racketeers are also active in selling of fake tickets even on online platform, the petitioner alleged. Many people are being trapped by the racketeers and duped. The state government is also incurring loss in generating revenue from the lottery business, he alleged.
GST Council meeting in Kolkata in July
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her counterparts from all states across the country will get together in Kolkata in July. The reason: With the formation of first-ever BJP government in West Bengal the GST Council for the first time in the past 10 years, will hold its 57th meeting in Kolkata. The meeting is expected to be held in the second half of July and could take up the next round of indirect tax policy reforms. The Bengal BJP government felt that the state’s positive moves initiated by the new CM Suvendu Adhikari for its overall development would be showcased in the meet.
SUBHENDU MAITI
Our correspondent in West Bengal
subhendu.maiti@newindianexpress.com