November 21, 2011
CM to address seminar titled `Rising Bengal` at IITF
CM Ms. Mamata Banerjee`s vision of transforming the Darjeeling into Switzerland and an African safari-like experience for visitors to the Sunderbans has finally shaped up. The Chief Minister has hand-picked the focus areas of the West Bengal pavilion at the India International Trade Fair (IITF) being held in New Delhi till November 27.
This year, Bengal is a partner state at IITF, the theme of which is “Magic of the Golden Hands: Handicrafts of India”. But Ms Banerjee has bent convention to highlight facets of Bengal that she deems important.
Much of the front façade and spaces within the 22,000sq ft West Bengal pavilion show glimpses of the state’s tourist attractions — from the Sunderbans to Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, from Hazarduari in Murshidabad to the tea gardens of Mirik, from the beaches of Digha to the terracotta temples of Bishnupur, from the Batasia Loop and toy train of Darjeeling-Ghum to Sandakphu and Phalut, the highest two peaks in Bengal.
The pavilion shows from mountain to sea. The entire concept is Ms. Mamata Banerjee’s. The Department of Information and Cultural Affairs is in charge of putting up the West Bengal pavilion at Delhi’s Pragati Maidan along with nodal agency West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC).
Terracotta handicrafts and Baluchari weaves from Bishnupur apart, the pavilion houses over 65 kinds of handicrafts, including dokra, shola, sitalpati of Cooch Behar, leather products and Krishnagar clay dolls.
The CM wanted to hold up a holistic image of the state and its potential before visitors, business delegates and investor and also wanted Tagore and Santiniketan to be depicted. The `Tagore corridor` thus displays replicas of Rabindranath’s paintings and tells the poet’s life story through pictures.
To encourage tourism, an online booking facility has been provided on the premises, offering Calcutta tourism, hill tourism, pilgrimage tourism and more.
Ms. Banerjee wanted to show Bengal as an investment-friendly state. The area marked “Industry” lists emerging opportunities, projects and core areas.
West Bengal Day will be celebrated on November 24, with a seminar titled ‘Rising Bengal’ and performances by artistes from the state. This year the seminar will be conducted by Ms. Mamata Banerjee herself.
Courtesy: The Telegraph dated 21.11.2011
