Bengal has cracked down on those who ran reign of terror, extortion raj: Guv

WEst Bengal regulator R.V. Ravi on th said large-scale illegal infiltration had neutered the say’s demographic equilibrise and alleged that vested interest groups had facilitated the influx over the years, as he outlined the newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s priorities during his address to the first session of the new Assembly.“The new government has already cracked down heavily on those who once ran a reign of terror and an extortion raj under the protection and patronage of the earlier ruling party in the state,” the governor said.“Influx of illegal infiltrators along the long porous international border over the last decades has severely affected the demographic balance of the state. The fulfilment of needs of the rightful citizens have been compromised because of the presence of a large number of illegal infiltrators. With the active indulgence of some vested interest groups within the state itself,” he added.The governor said the new government would focus on restoring law and order, curbing illegal immigration, reviving industry and implementing central welfare schemes. “This time the people of the state have given a decisive mandate in favour of a new government for the first time in the last one and a half decades. The people have decisively rejected the atmosphere of fear and frustration prevailing in the state for a long time,” he said without naming the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) government.“The overall atmosphere of threats and intimidation in West Bengal has to be eradicated. People have to be freed from the clutches of unscrupulous and antisocial elements. The government will effectively control and do away with the criminal syndicate system of extortion and take steps for prevention of heinous crimes against women and children and their trafficking,” he said.“The government is taking prompt action for quick detection and deportation of illegal foreigners after they have been identified following due formalities. A substantial number of illegal infiltrators have been identified and deported within a short span,” he added.Unused and underutilised land would be recovered and made available for industrial projects, while a high-level task force and senior bureaucrats led by the chief secretary were working to facilitate land acquisition and industrial expansion, he said.This was the first session of the newly constituted Assembly after the BJP took charge of the government in May this year. Swapan Dasgupta, the newly inducted state finance minister, is expected to table the budget for the financial year 2026–27 on June 22.Meanwhile, separate seating arrangements in two blocs were made in the Legislative Assembly for the TMC legislators led by Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay and the party’s rebel faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee.While 17 of the 22 TMC legislators attended the inaugural session, around 38 of the 58 rebel MLAs attended the session.“The chief minister treated Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay with due respect. On Thursday, Chattopadhyay sat on the chair meant for the LoP,” Kunal Ghosh, TMC MLA and spokesperson, told the media.Ghosh also said that a team of TMC MLAs met the chief minister and requested a separate room and separate time to speak in the Assembly sessions.“A delegation met the chief minister with a request for a separate room and separate time to speak. The chief minister has assured it,” said Ghosh.