Mamata Banerjee shifts venue
KOLKATA: Three more days remain for the verdict to be delivered but Trinamool Congress supremoMamata Banerjee seems to be confident that her party, along with the Congress, will win sufficient constituencies in the state to form a government. In anticipation, she has shifted the venue of the central function for the 56 {+t} {+h} Railway Week fromMumbai to Kolkata. According to insiders, Mamata wants to attend this programme as chief guest in her capacity as the chief minister of West Bengal.
"Railway Week is celebrated by the Indian Railways between April 10 and 16 every year. Smaller functions are organised at the divisional and zonal levels that culminate in a central programme that is attended by the railway minister. In this programme, awards are given away to officers, employees and zones for good performance. In 2009, this programme was held at the Science City Auditorium in Kolkata. In 2010, the awards ceremony was held in Delhi. This year, it was to be held in Mumbai on April 16. This event was cancelled at the last moment. It was then believed that the programme would be postponed as Mamata was busy with the elections in West Bengal. Later, it emerged that the venue had been shifted to Kolkata," an official said.
The programme will now be held at the Science City Auditorium on May 31. The responsibility of organising the event has been vested with South Eastern Railway. Going by Mamata`s decision, officials are more or less certain that a new railway minister will be giving away the awards at this programme. They believe that the function will turn into an occasion for thanksgiving.
"In 2009, several leading lights from Kolkata, including singers, thespians, poets and actors had shared the dais with Mamata. They had been felicitated by the railway minister. It paid dividends later as these people stood by her in the last couple of years. This year, she may ask the railways to invite the same breed of people to the programme again as a thanksgiving gesture. She may not remain the railway minister then but it is more or less certain that whoever succeeds her will be from the Trinamool and would do as she says," the official said.
Had the programme been held in Mumbai, Mamata — should she become the chief minister of West Bengal — wouldn`t have been able to attend it. Once it is held in Kolkata, she can attend as chief guest.
KOLKATA: Three more days remain for the verdict to be delivered but Trinamool Congress supremoMamata Banerjee seems to be confident that her party, along with the Congress, will win sufficient constituencies in the state to form a government. In anticipation, she has shifted the venue of the central function for the 56 {+t} {+h} Railway Week fromMumbai to Kolkata. According to insiders, Mamata wants to attend this programme as chief guest in her capacity as the chief minister of West Bengal.
"Railway Week is celebrated by the Indian Railways between April 10 and 16 every year. Smaller functions are organised at the divisional and zonal levels that culminate in a central programme that is attended by the railway minister. In this programme, awards are given away to officers, employees and zones for good performance. In 2009, this programme was held at the Science City Auditorium in Kolkata. In 2010, the awards ceremony was held in Delhi. This year, it was to be held in Mumbai on April 16. This event was cancelled at the last moment. It was then believed that the programme would be postponed as Mamata was busy with the elections in West Bengal. Later, it emerged that the venue had been shifted to Kolkata," an official said.
The programme will now be held at the Science City Auditorium on May 31. The responsibility of organising the event has been vested with South Eastern Railway. Going by Mamata`s decision, officials are more or less certain that a new railway minister will be giving away the awards at this programme. They believe that the function will turn into an occasion for thanksgiving.
"In 2009, several leading lights from Kolkata, including singers, thespians, poets and actors had shared the dais with Mamata. They had been felicitated by the railway minister. It paid dividends later as these people stood by her in the last couple of years. This year, she may ask the railways to invite the same breed of people to the programme again as a thanksgiving gesture. She may not remain the railway minister then but it is more or less certain that whoever succeeds her will be from the Trinamool and would do as she says," the official said.
Had the programme been held in Mumbai, Mamata — should she become the chief minister of West Bengal — wouldn`t have been able to attend it. Once it is held in Kolkata, she can attend as chief guest.
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