Shubhadeep Choudhury

“Mamata Banerjee has a good reputation in Punjab. People like to call her ‘sherni (tigress)’. Trinamool Congress can expand its base in the state”, says Rachpal Singh, IPS officer-turned-politician, who hails from Jalandhar district. Rachpal has made West Bengal his home where he served as an IPS officer. A no-nonsense person, he was given the ticket for Assembly elections by Mamata Banerjee post retirement.

“My constituency is Tarakeswar, a purely Bengali one,” says Rachpal, who served as Tourism Minister during his first stint. He is now Chairman of the West Bengal State Transport Corporation (WBSTC).

The TMC leader acknowledges that Jagmeet Singh Brar’s quitting the party in Punjab is a significant loss. He claims the TMC was keen to put up candidates in the recent local body elections in Punjab, but had to drop the plan owing to Brar’s exit.

The former police officer says the TMC wants to tie up with AAP in Punjab for next year’s Lok Sabha polls. “Given Didi’s (Mamata’s) rapport with Arvind Kejriwal, the proposed alliance is expected to become a reality,” he says. “Had Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal campaigned together in Punjab, it would have made a huge impact,” he claims.

Howrah Bridge

Howrah Bridge, commissioned in February 1943 in the middle of World War II, has completed 75 years of existence. Experts have dug up various facts about it to pay tribute to the iconic structure. Apparently, no other bridge in India has a Bollywood film named after it. “Howrah Bridge” is also the name of a book of poems by James K Baxter (1926-1972). Touched by the people’s struggle, the unorthodox New Zealander (who got a Maori farewell on his death, a rarity for a white man) came up with a collection of poems.

English poet Rudyard Kipling was ecstatic about the cantilever bridge. Describing the view from the bridge, he wrote “Why, this is London! This is the docks. This is imperial. This is worth coming across India to see!” The 650-metre-long bridge with a width of 30 metres is used by more than one lakh fast-moving vehicles every week. Though the bridge continues to be in good condition, it is facing corrosion, aggravated by human and vegetable waste.

Of women hygiene

Sanitary napkin vending machines installed at the NSCBI Airport, Kolkata, are becoming popular with passengers.Twenty-two (22) machines were installed at the airport in January to help women passengers maintain menstrual hygiene.The total consumption at all dispensers is 700- 800 pads per month. Each pad costs Rs 5 each. The airport, on an average, receives 60,000 passengers daily. “The vending machines will go a long way in enhancing women passengers’ travel experience,” says an airport official.