When the new Government came to power in West Bengal in 2011, the fiscal condition of the State was in disarray. There was a huge debt burden of about Rs 2 lakh crores and the GSDP growth rate was way below national average.
However, in the last three years, there has been a remarkable improvement on the economic front. There has been a turn of fortune for Bengal’s economy under the leadership of Ms Mamata Banerjee.
West Bengal was able to raise its tax collection during a period of economic downturn and reduced profit margins for companies because of its e-governance efforts. By making every registered dealer who has to pay tax worth Rs 2 Lakh or more to make payments only electronically, government has succeeded in increasing compliance and there by plugging out possible channels of leakages.
The numbers say it all:
The State revenue has gone up historically from around Rs 21,000 crore annually to around Rs 39,000 crore annually.
In FY 2013-14, GSDP growth rate was 7.7% vs national average of GDP : 4.9%
In FY 2013-14, growth in agriculture and allied sector was 5.28% vs national average of 4.6%
In FY 2013-14, growth in industrial sector was 9.58% vs the national average of 0.7%
In FY 2013-14, growth in service sector was 7.8% vs the national average of 6.9%
Total investment proposal received in the last 1000 days is in the tune of Rs 1,20,000 crore and the work in progress in the tune of 78,000 crore. Interested companies include SAIL, Ultratech cements, Reliance cements, ESSAR and others.
According to figures published by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), in 2014, up to 31st October, the total investments implemented are in the tune of 3581 crore which is third highest in the nation.
In the last three and half years, total investments implemented is in the tune of Rs 7310 crore in “Big Industry”; compared to last 4 years of Left rule it is almost 2.5 times.
Creation of land banks, industrial clusters, clearance under 14Y has given a boost to Industrial growth.
14 new IT hubs have been sanctioned. 117 industrial units have been allotted in the government industrial park.
Trinamool Chhatra Praishad (TMCP) has for the first time won the students’ union polls at North Bengal University.
Out of 79 seats TMCP won 56 seats uncontested. TMCP has also won the students’ union polls in 75% colleges in the north Bengal region.
The State Government had passed a Bill in 2013 titled The West Bengal Educational Institution’s Elections Bill, 2013, to provide for guidelines, rules and regulations regarding the manners, procedures and conduct of elections of Student Council of every Educational Institution of the State of West Bengal and such other manner connected therewith and incidental thereto.
In December 2014, State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee announced the elections to all 488 colleges across the state will be held in January, 2015. It was also decided that for colleges under Kolkata police area, the additional officer in charge (OC) will be the liaison officer and he will monitor the entire students’ union election process in the colleges.
Trinamool Congress Chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee joined twitter on January 1, 2015 which is also the Foundation Day of All India Trinamool Congress.
Within twenty four hours of joining this widely popular social networking site, she notched up more than six thousand followers.
Trinamool was one of the early movers on social media in 2008 and has a strong presence in the digital medium. Other Trinamool MPs are also very active on Facebook and Twitter. Abhishek Banerjee has more than 170 thousand likes on Facebook. Suvendu Adhikari has around fifty thousand likes while Derek O’Brien has 3 lakh 50 thousand followers on Twitter.
West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the 19th edition of the annual Jatra festival today at Barasat, North 24 Parganas.
Ms Mamata Banerjee had been instrumental in reviving the age old art form of jatra, the traditional musical plays of the State. The West Bengal Jatra Academy has also been rejuvenated.
Ministers, Aroop Biswas, Jyotipriya Mullik, Upendranath Biswas, Bratya Basu, Purnendu Bose, Manjul Krishana Thakur and many other dignitaries will be present on the occasion.
Last year, the state government published ‘Jatra Darpan’ – a booklet consisting of various Jatra groups and has given a copy to all district magistrates and police superintendents in the districts in an effort to rejuvenate Jatra culture in the state.
The booklet has contact number and addresses of several reputed operas and jatra groups.
Excerpts of the Chief Minister’s speech on the occasion:
Culture is an essentialal part of the civilization. Jatra is an important part of our culture.
We will form a databank which consists the names of all Jatra artistes.
We will institute mediclaim for Jatra artistes, we will also increase the pension for the aged Jatra artistes by Rs 1000.
The Jatra season last for six months in a year. In the rest of the year we will promote Jatra on behalf of the Govt.
I want the Jatra industry to flourish all over the State.
We have already helped for than two hundred Jatra artistes.
West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee will chair a review meeting today at Nabanna with all the District Magistrates and district Sabhadhipatis. She will review the status of the developmental works that has been taken up across the State.
Finance, Commerce and Industry Minister Amit Mitra, and Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Subrata Mukherjee will be present in this meeting.
Reports of the works done in all the districts have already been collected from the Zila Parishads. The Chief Minister will review the progress of various schemes for rural development, such as 100 Days’ Work Scheme, Rural Road projects, Geetanjali Housing Scheme among others.
The focus of the meeting will be the work done by the Zilla Parishads in recent times. All the Additional District Magistrates who are in charge of the Zilla Parishads will also take part in the meeting.
On the occasion of the Foundation Day of All India Trinamool Congress, the new membership drive of the party was launched by party Secretary General Partha Chatterjee at Trinamool Bhavan. Party Chairperson and sixty other leaders became Life Members.
The photocopy of one’s PAN Card is mandatory while applying for membership.
A Scrutiny Committee, headed by party State President and MP Subrata Bakshi, will scrutinise the application forms. The committee consists of Secretary General Partha Chatterjee, Aroop Biswas, Firhad Hakim and Abhishek Banerjee.
Jai Hind Vahini, which is the new name for Seva Dal, organised a programme near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on Mayo Road to mark the Foundation Day of the party.
Trinamool Congress was founded on January 1, 1998. For 17 long years, the party has always been with the people, standing beside them in any time of need. From mass people’s movements to the struggle for establishing democracy in Bengal, Trinamool has always served the Maa, Mati, Manush. After coming to power in 2011, the party has extensively worked for the all-round development of the State.
Even before 2011, Trinamool has been part of the Union Government. Chairperson Ms Mamata Banerjee was the first woman Railway Minister of India. During her tenure she worked dedicatedly for the people and presented the Vision Document 2020 for Indian Railways.
On the 17th Foundation Day of Trinamool Congress, we look at the major achievements of the party as the ruling force in West Bengal:
Law and Order
Kolkata has been awarded the safest city in “India Today Group”. According to the NCRB data, the rate of rapes per lakh woman is 1.10 in Kolkata, while in other metros the rates per lakh woman are – Delhi (19.02), Raipur (15.62), Mumbai (4.59) and even much below the national average for major cities (6.39).
5 new commissionarates, 88 fast track courts, 45 courts for woman, 20 woman police stations, 19 human rights court, either set up or notified.
400 new sub inspectors, 40,000 constables, 1.3 lakh civic police recruited.
Peace restored in the disturbed areas of Jangalmahal. Top Maoist leaders have returned to the mainstream.
Peace is prevailing in Darjeeling. WB Government observed the birth anniversary of Netaji at Darjeeling last year.
WB CM laying the foundation stone for a roadway project in Amlashole, January 2014
Economic Progress and Industrial Growth
In FY 2013-14, GSDP growth rate was 7.7% vs national average of GDP : 4.9%
In FY 2013-14, growth in agriculture and allied sector was 5.28% vs national average of 4.6%
In FY 2013-14, growth in industrial sector was 9.58% vs the national average of 0.7%
In FY 2013-14, growth in service sector was 7.8% vs the national average of 6.9%.
Total investment proposal received in 1000 days is in the tune of Rs 1,40,000 crore and the work in progress in the tune of Rs 78,000 crore. Interested companies include SAIL, Ultratech cements, Reliance cements, ESSAR and others.
For the FY 2013-14, both in terms of growth (105%) of bank credit and in terms of amounts, West Bengal stands first in the nation in MSME sector.
WB CM at a Kanyashree camp
Social Schemes
More than 90,000 houses have been constructed under Gitanjali scheme for the economically challenged section.
The Chief Minister opened the Kanyashree Prakalpa, which consists of an annual stipend of Rs 500 for girls aged between 13 to 18, studying in school and providing one time grant of Rs 25,000 to unmarried girl between the age to 18 and 19 and who are undergoing study or training. It has received international acclaim. About 11 lakh girls have already been enlisted and another 8 lakh sanctioned.
About 3.2 crore socially and financially backward people are being provided with rice at the rate of Rs 2 per kg.
Special assistance has been provided to people living below the poverty line. 1.7 crore poultry chicken, 22,300 goats and 400 pigs distributed among 3.6 lakh families.
Yuvashree Prakalpa has been introduced to provide unemployed youth with monthly incentives to 1 lakh job seekers registered with the New Employment Bank.
Rural Development
An unprecedented milestone has been achieved in the 100 days work. In the FY 2013-14, West Bengal has incurred expenses worth Rs 5608 crore for creation of jobs which is the highest in the entire nation.
The number of man days created in the last 3 years, since the new government took charge is 5861 lakh compared to 3891 lakh for the same period of the previous regime.
An initiative has been undertaken for creating 16,000 km all-weather road, which will create about 3.5 crore man-days of work.
In the last 3 years, the total pattas distributed to 1,85,000 thousand landless families.
Under the World Bank Project on Institutional Strengthening, 986 out of 999 Gram Panchayats of Bengal have qualified for award of block grant of around Rs 20 lakh each, after rigorous evaluation of all the developmental parameters. Only West Bengal Gram Panchayats are getting this grant in the country.
Bengal Beckons Summit at Mumbai, August 2013
Infrastructure Development
4000 km of roads upgraded to double lanes or intermediate lane. Construction of 16 big bridges and five flyovers on rail track has been completed. 42 water supply schemes have been commissioned.
New thermal power centres are being constructed in Santaldih, Durgapur, Sagardighi, Raghunathpur. Transmission sub stations have been installed in Dalkhola, Kalna, Khatra, Kakdwio, Kurseong, Sankrial food park, Howrah and Kharagpur. Power banks have been created, thus excess power produced is saved. Remote islands of Sunderbans are being supplied with power through grid.
8 new universities are being opened up, 31 new government colleges and 14 new private colleges are in the process of being set up. It should be noted that in the last 67 years, only 38 government colleges have been established.
34 multi speciality hospital being set up. Works for 13 hospitals have already started. More than 65 fair price shops have been opened, discounts are provided at a range of 48% to 72%. 47 fair price diagnostic centres are also being set up.
West Bengal Cabinet recently cleared ‘Theme Township’ scheme to be implemented at 6 cities – Kalyani, Siliguri, Bolpur, Durgapur, Bantala, Andal.
Tourism is being developed under the PPP model in Gajoldoba, Jharkhali, Sabujdwip. New eco tourism parks, lodges adventure sports and other projects are being undertaken.
Mati Utsav 2013
Mamata Banerjee has set a new example in governance by undertaking over 75 district visits and conducting administrative review meetings at block level. Earlier people would have to come to Kolkata for official work. Now the Secretariat travels to the districts. She has also set up a Branch Secretariat at north Bengal and created a new district – Alipurduar.
Trinamool will continue to work for the people in the days to come under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee, despite all the smear campaign by the Opposition.
Trinamool Congress is observing the 17th foundation Day today across West Bengal. Not only did the party hoist flags at the headquarters in Kolkata, but also every party office in every block of West Bengal marked the occasion by hoisting the party flag.
Trinamool Congress is a force to reckon with in national politics. The party leadership will launch the membership drive from today. A Scrutiny Committee, to be headed by State President Subrata Bakshi, has been formed for this drive.
The 17th Foundation Day will marked different social activities taken up by the Party Leadership in different areas. The party has organised Blood Donation Camps, distribution of woolen blankets to the poor, and other activities to observe the Foundation Day.
As we celebrate the foundation day of the party, we also remember all those who sacrificed everything for us to reach here.
