FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI | Friday, 18 September 2026 SPORTS NATION EDITORIAL Hard cash Page 6 SC seeks detailed report report on 25 unnatural deaths in Manipur relief camps WORLD Mark Carney embraces EU associate membership proposal Page 8 Indian women begin title defence against hosts Japan Page 12 Page 9 PM says ‘no cut money’ in Bengal under new govt This govt is here to reform Bengal, not just provide allowances: CM STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Making a signature statement after four months in governance, West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said his government was committed to bringing about reforms in the state and would adopt a zero -tolerance approach towards social problems such as child marriage, teenage pregnancies and illegal drug trade. Speaking at the first ‘Annapurna Diwas’ programme organised across West Bengal to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday on Thursday, Mr Adhikari said: “This government has not come only to provide allowances. It has come to bring reforms to this state.” The chief minister warned of stringent legal action against those involved in child marriages. He claimed that around 60,000 cases of child marriage and teenage deliveries had been reported in the state over the past six months, including around 13,000 in Kolkata, 17 September P rime Minister Narendra Modi, on his 76th birthday Thursday, said the administrative change in West Bengal has ensured beneficiaries no longer have to pay “cut money” to access government welfare schemes. Addressing the people of the state through a video message on the occasion of ‘Annapurna Diwas’, Mr Modi highlighted the benefits of the state government’s Annapurna Yojana and said the scheme was providing financial security and confidence to women across Bengal. “We believe that when people do not have the burden of worrying about daily or emergency household expenses, their confidence increases manifold. The Annapurna Yojana launched by the state government is providing that confidence and economic security to the mothers and sisters of Bengal,” Mr Modi said. Referring to the change of government in the state on 4 May, when the BJP came to power ending 15 years of Trinamul Congress rule, Mr Modi said women played a major role in bringing about the overhaul and iterated that the new administration has adopted the principle of “less talk, more work”. “Within a few days of the government being formed, this Annapurna Yojana was launched and today money is reaching bank accounts directly. There are no middlemen and no cut money. Cut money no longer operates in Bengal,” he said. Mr Modi also urged the administration to ensure no eligible woman was deprived of the scheme's benefits. He assured women of continued support from both the Centre and the state government in areas of welfare and empowerment. Highlighting various central initiatives, Prime Minister Modi said successive schemes had sought to support women at different stages of their lives. He referred to the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, construction of toilets in schools, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, opening of Sainik Schools to girls, Mudra Yojana, extended maternity leave, Ujjwala, Jal Jeevan Mission, Saubhagya and Ayushman Bharat. The PM also criticised the deficiencies in the implementation of central schemes in West Bengal over the past 12 years, alleging that several projects had remained stalled. He said the pace of implementation had accelerated after the change in government. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 17 September Chandrasekaran reappointed as Tata Sons head, Tata Trusts says move legally void STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 17 September Murshidabad and 7,000 in South 24-Parganas. “Not only parents but also qazis and priests solemnising marriages involving girls below 18 years of age would face arrest,” the chief minister said. He also called for the dismantling of all illegal drug trafficking hubs as part of the government’s stated objective of making West Bengal free of narcotics. The remarks came alongside a series of announcements concerning women’s welfare and social security. The chief minister said that under the ‘Annapurna Yojana’, launched in line with Prime Minister Modi’s guarantee, direct financial transfers had already begun reaching the bank accounts of more than 1.5 crore women in the state, with the figure estimated at around 1.6 crore. Mr Adhikari said the government had increased the monthly remuneration of ICDS and ASHA workers by Rs 5,000 from August. The remuneration of Prani Mitras has also been increased by Rs 2,000, while they have been brought under the Annapurna Yojana. (Photo: Biswajit Ghoshal) A fresh leadership tussle has erupted at Tata Sons, with the Noel Tata-led Tata Trusts declaring a board resolution on N Chandrasekaran’s re-appointment as the group’s Executive Chairman a “legal nullity”. In a statement released after the Tata Sons board adopted a resolution on Thursday for the reappointment of Mr Chandrasekaran as Executive Chairman, Tata Trusts, which hold a majority stake in Tata Sons, said its Chairman, Noel Tata, had voted against the resolution, making it “legally void” under the Articles of Association of Tata Sons. The Tata Sons board had earlier adopted a resolution to reappoint Mr Chandrasekaran, with four directors voting in favour and Noel Tata against, after Mr Chandrasekaran agreed to reconsider his decision not to seek an extension of his term that ends in February 2027.