West Bengal to be renamed Paschim Banga
Subhrangshu Gupta
Tribune News Service

Kolkata, August 19
An all-party meeting in the West Bengal Assembly today unanimously adopted a decision to rename West Bengal as Paschim Banga.

But before the new name is officially used, it needs two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament. Accordingly, a resolution passed in the Assembly in this regard will be sent to the Centre to allow the state to rename it as Paschim Banga instead of West Bengal (English) and Pashim Bangla (Bengali). This was announced at a joint conference by state Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Partha Chatterjee and Leader of Opposition Suryakanto Mishra of the CPM.

Chatterjee said six names, including Bangla, Banga, Banga Desh and Paschim Banga, had been suggested. But at the all-party meeting, Paschim Banga was approved which would be used both in English and Bengali as well as in other languages as the state’s official name.

Several writers, poets, intellectuals and other eminent people have welcomed the re-naming of the state.