Mamata's new drama on newspaper ban, includes TOI

Kolkata, Mar 30: After banning English dailies in West Bengal's state library, the state government came out with a second list of newspapers after rethinking on the issue on Thursday, Mar 29.

The Times of India is the only English newspaper in the list and other four dailies included in the list are: Bengali newspapers Saptahik Kolom and Aajkaal, Nepali newspaper Himalaya Darpan and a Santhali newspaper.

The Trinamool government issued a notice on Tuesday, Mar 27, claiming that the state and statewide libraries can purchase only eight newspapers including Sangbad Pratidin Sakalbela, Khabar 365 Din, Ekdin, Dainik Statesman, Sanmarg, Akhbar-E-Mashriq and Azad Hind.

After the news of TOI's inclusion in the library list came out, "I understand that an English daily (TOI) is in the list of public libraries which has papers of many languages..." tweeted Derek O'Brien, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member. TOI will be stocked even though they got this wrong." he added in his Twitter.

Abdul Karim Chowdhury, State minister of mass education extension & library services explained the reason behind choosing the first eight newspapers was that they are "small and not financially well-off".

OneIndia News