Kolkata, March 19 : On visiting a special village on the eastern fringes of Kolkata one can find several deaf and mute children learning to talk, mentally challenged children doing mathematics and the handicapped receiving vocational training.

‘Pratibandi’, the special village for the disabled, is today emerging as an example of self-sufficiency being gained by the differently-abled.

Kolkata, Mar 19 : Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalswami and two Election Commissioners Navin Chawla and S Y Quraishi will review the poll preparedness for the coming Lok Sabha polls here today.

The team, who arrived here last evening, will also interact with senior officials in the state.

On Friday, the Commission will conduct similar exercise in Orissa.

The team will arrive in the capital on Saturday.

Silliguri, Mar 18 : Farmers in Siliguri district of West Bengal face severe crop loss due to lack of rainfall.

They fear that the dry rain spell would make it extremely difficult to make both ends meet.

"There is no produce this year. We spent so much money on sowing the crops. We don''t know what we can do now," said Paresh Chandra Roy, a farmer.

Alipurduar (West Bengal), Mar 18: One person was reportedly killed and three others injured in a blast in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district on Wednesday.

South 24 Parganas (West Bengal) Mar 17 : Women in West Bengal''s rural hinterland have become self reliant through traditional embroidery work called ''Kantha''.

For over six decades, Bengali women have recycled and reused old clothes. The run-stitch used to create patterns on quilts is now being used on dress material and sarees.

Panigatha (West Bengal), Mar 16: A month after authorities claimed that it was contained, bird flu has resurfaced in West Bengal''s Darjeeling district.

Culling operations in West Bengal to contain the third outbreak had ended barely a month ago.

The epicentre has been detected as Bora Changa in the same region.

West Bengal officials said they had begun culling about 11,000 poultry after the fourth outbreak was confirmed on Sunday near Siliguri town.