I request the minister to take note of this serious matter. Football is a popular game in India but it is going down. Football ko bachana hoga. Yeh Federation ghar mein baith ke sirf bara bara baat bolta hai. Federation must keep the Minister in loop on their activities. Let us save football. The minister should take full responsibility. I would like to ask what the Federation is doing for the same?
Thank you, Madam.
The tragic incident that happened earlier this week shook us to our very core. Reports are still coming in, but at least seven children were killed and several others injured as their school minibus was hit by a train at an unmanned railway crossing in Auraiye, Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh. The mini bus of Tenderheart School carrying students up to 10 years of age was hit by Varanasi-Allahabad passenger train. On March, 2016 the Minister of Railways reported that there are 10,440 unmanned level crossings in the country as on April, 2015.
In 2014, a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court of India seeking the elimination of all unmanned railway crossings and in the meantime to ensure the safety of the children on unmanned railway crossings. Yet, as we are witnessing today, accidents and deaths at unmanned level crossings still occur with alarming regularity. Kids with hopes and dreams in their eyes, with courage and ambition in their hearts, have been taken away from us in a cruel twist of fate.
From 2009 to 2014, almost 43% of all railways accidents were at level crossings. Of the 16 railway zones, more than 35% of the level crossings are unmanned. From August 2015 to January 2016, there were 15 accidents at level crossings, resulting in the deaths of 26 people. Studies have shown that increasing train speeds and rapid motorization of rural roads have increased the cases of accidents at unmanned level crossings. A number of these accidents involve buses, often involving school children, leading to a disproportionately high number of fatalities when compared to number of accidents.
It is important to draw attention to the fact that when Mamata Banerjee was the Railway Minister, due to her untiring and sustained work towards rail safety, the index for train accidents decreased significantly from 0.29 per million train km in 2004-05 to 0.17 in 2009-10. This was despite the increase in traffic from 16,021 trains per day to 18,820 trains. Under her leadership, 1,500 unmanned crossings were eliminated, 172 ROBs and 240 RUBs/subways were constructed. The Government’s Railway budget in 2015 had envisioned the target of eliminating 3438 level crossings by 2016, however only 350 manned level crossings and 1,000 unmanned level crossings were eliminated.
Funds for elimination of level crossings come from Central Road Fund (CRF) as a percentage of cess collected on Petrol and Diesel by Ministry of Finance. The Average Annual Allocation to Railways from Central Road Fund is approximately Rs. 1,100 crore against throw forward of Rs. 31,700 crore. The Government has not fixed a target for 2016-17 and 2017-18.
The Government expenditure on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train is estimated to be around Rs. 1 lakh crore. How does the Government justify spending this exorbitant amount while tragedies like the one we faced today has become an everyday reality for the country’s citizens. I would urge the Centre to expedite the process of eradicating all unmanned level crossings in the country. This needs to be ensured so that avoidable tragedies like the one that took place today do not keep repeating themselves. Let us not blame each other, but rather work together, towards making India a better and a safer country.
Sir, cooperative federalism demands extensive interaction between the Centre and the States. Feedback from the States must be given equal importance. It is sad that the present cooperative federalism is only in name. it is time we head towards cooperative federalism.
I would like to draw the attention of the House to a very important issue – that is, the demand for the release of pre-matric/post-matric/merit-cum-means scholarship to minority students. It is a matter of great concern that almost 4 lakh minority students from West Bengal have not received their scholarships for 2015-16. Despite being eligible, they were deprived of the benefits because of technical glitches, like slow server speeds, drop-down menus not working and names of many educational institutions missing from the list, while accessing the national scholarship portal.
Besides the technical problems, in certain remote places of West Bengal like the Sunderbans, Purulia, Bankura, and Darjeeling, people have limited access to computers and to good network connections. Sir, West Bengal had recently faced unprecedented floods in 235 blocks of 13 districts. Even after the State Government’s efforts to publicise and help the students with internet access, the benefits are denied due to technical glitches in the national scholarship portal. Sir, despite the State having sent offline data as sought by the Ministry, almost 4 lakh students are still outside the ambit of the scholarship scheme.
Sir, our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had written to the Ministry of Minority Affairs in August last year regarding this. Even I, on May 5 this year, had raised this issue in the House and was assured by the then Minister of an early solution to the problem. Our Chief Minister has also written to the Hon’ble Prime Minister last week on this matter. However, the problem still persists. I would urge the Centre to allow us, that is, the State of West Bengal, to opt out of the National Scholarship portal and let us disburse the scholarship funds electronically through DBT with appropriate backward linkages to NSP, along the lines of disbursement of scholarships to SC/ST students.
Sir, I would like to end with an Urdu couplet:
Sochta hoon ki anjaam-e-safar kya hoga
Sochta hoon ki anjaam-e-safar kya hoga
Log bhi kach ke hain, rah bhi patrili hain
I would like the Minister to respond.
The West Bengal Consumer Affairs department, which has been helping out the customers for years, has started reaching out to the masses from every social strata, by campaigning on roadsides and meeting people personally to let them know about facilities the department generally gives.
“Our officers are reaching out to people in the streets. We have started to make people aware about their consumer rights. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has taken a strong consumer policy. We have got tremendous response from the people. The helpless consumers are reaching out to us for lodging complaints and also asking for opinions,” said Sadhan Pande, State Consumer Affairs Minister.
There is a simple process that a consumer can find for lodging the complaint with the department. First of all, the consumer needs to find the place where he can lodge the complaint. The office of the accused company or the place of the transaction has to be written there. It could be in any district or Kolkata. The offices of the consumer affairs department are spread across the Bengal.
The complainant can demand up to Rs 20 lakh in the district consumer forum. But if the consumer demands more than 20 lakh, then he or she needs to go to state consumer commission to settle the matter. If any consumer is demanding more than Rs 1 crore against the vendor, then he needs to go to national consumer commission to settle the dispute.
The State Consumer Affairs department generally campaigning against the fraudulent health schemes, the doubtful non-banking organisation and developers. But it has also received complaints against some organisations which are not issuing cash-memos to the customers. Some are flouting the rules, some businessmen are also using tampered weighing machines to cheat the customers.
Even, some cell phone service providers are starting various services to the phones without prior permission of the customers. The department has taken note of those allegations and will act duly.
The state government has provided relief materials to around 1.20 lakh people who are affected due to heavy inundation in four districts in North Bengal.
According to the sources in the state disaster management department, around 20 blocks and areas under three municipalities were affected due to heavy inundation in Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar as well as the plain lands in Darjeeling district.
Around 84,000 people were affected in ten blocks in Cooch Behar. The blocks in Cooch Behar where around 7,000 houses were partly and fully damaged include Dinhata, Mekhliganj and Mathabhanga, sources said. The only block in Alipurduar that is affected is Kumargram where around 200 people were affected and to whom the relief of the state government has reached, sources said.
The seven blocks including Mal, Mainaguri and Dhupguri were the worst affected in Jalpaiguri district where the state government has provided relief materials to around 28,000 people. Around 5,627 people in the plain land in Darjeeling district were affected and necessary initiatives have been taken to ensure safety and security of the residents in the area. At present there are around 23,000 people who have been taken to safe places that include relief camps set up by the state government.
It includes around 20,000 people only from Cooch Behar district who were given shelter in 77 rescue camps. 5 and 6 relief camps were set up in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts respectively.
45 boats were deployed in Cooch Behar to rescue the people and cattle. The rescue workers have brought 19,000 cattle in safe places. Around 15 medical teams were deployed in Cooch Behar. Besides distributing food among the affected people, the state government has also distributed around 30,000 water pouches to ensure sufficient supply of safe drinking water.
The state government has distributed around 292.5 quintal rice among people in Jalpaiguri. Tarpaulins were also distributed.
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উত্তরবঙ্গের চার জেলায় বন্যার ফলে ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত প্রায় ১.২০ লক্ষ মানুষকে ত্রাণসামগ্রী দিয়েছে রাজ্য সরকার।
রাজ্য দুর্যোগ মোকাবিলা দপ্তরের সূত্র অনুযায়ী, কোচবিহার, জলপাইগুড়ি, আলিপুরদুয়ার জেলার ৩টি পুরসভার অধীনস্ত ২০ টি ব্লক ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত হয়েছে এই ভারী প্লাবনে, সেইসঙ্গে দার্জিলিঙের সমতল এলাকাও ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত হয়েছে।
কোচবিহার জেলার ১০টি ব্লকে প্রায় ৮৪,০০০ মানুষ ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত হয়েছে। কোচবিহারের যে ব্লকে দিনহাটা, মেখলিগঞ্জ এবং মাথাভাঙ্গা অন্তর্ভুক্ত সেখানে প্রায় ৭০০০ ঘর সম্পূর্ণরূপে ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত হয়েছে। আলিপুরদুয়ারের একমাত্র ব্লক কুমারগ্রামে প্রায় ২০০ মানুষ ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত হয়েছে। রাজ্য সরকার ইতিমধ্যেই সেখানে ত্রাণ পৌঁছে দিয়েছে।
জলপাইগুড়ি জেলার ম্যাল, ময়নাগুড়ি এবং ধুপগুড়ি সহ সাতটি ব্লকের অবস্থা অত্যন্ত সংকটজনক, সেখানেও রাজ্য সরকারের ত্রাণ সামগ্রী পউছেছে। দার্জিলিং জেলার সমতলে প্রায় ৫,৬২৭ জন মানুষ ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত হয়েছে। এলাকায় বাসিন্দাদের নিরাপত্তা নিশ্চিত করার জন্য সবরকম প্রয়োজনীয় ব্যবস্থা নিয়েছে রাজ্য সরকার। রাজ্য সরকারের তরফে একটি ত্রাণ শিবির তৈরি করা হয়েছে যেখানে প্রায় ২৩,০০০ মানুষ নিরাপদে রয়েছেন।
কোচবিহার জেলার ৭৭টি রেসকিউ ক্যাম্পে ২০,০০০ মানুষকে আশ্রয় দেওয়া হয়েছে। জলপাইগুড়ি ও আলিপুরদুয়ার জেলায় যথাক্রমে ৫ টি ও ৬ টি ত্রাণ শিবির স্থাপন করা হয়েছে।
প্রায় ১৫ টি মেডিকেল টিম কুচবিহার জেলায় মোতায়েন করা হয়েছে। ক্ষতিগ্রস্তদের মধ্যে খাদ্য বিতরণ করা ছাড়াও পর্যাপ্ত ও নিরাপদ পানিয় জল সরবরাহ নিশ্চিত করতে প্রায় ৩০,০০০ জলের প্যাকেটে বিতরণ করা হয়েছে।
রাজ্য সরকার জলপাইগুড়ি জেলারমানুষের মধ্যে প্রায় ২৯২.৫ কুইন্টাল চাল বিতরণ করা হয়েছে. এছাড়া ত্রিপলও বিতরণ করা হয়েছে।
West Bengal Chief Minister has written to the Prime Minister on the problems faced by around four lakh students from Bengal, belonging to the minority community, registered with the National Scholarship Portal.
রাজ্যের সংখ্যালঘু ছাত্রছাত্রীদের বৃত্তির টাকা পেতে সমস্যার কথা জানিয়ে প্রধানমন্ত্রী নরেন্দ্র মোদিকে চিঠি দিলেন পশ্চিমবঙ্গের মুখ্যমন্ত্রী মমতা বন্দোপাধ্যায়৷ রাজ্যের প্রায় চার লক্ষ সংখ্যালঘু ছাত্রছাত্রী যে ‘ন্যাশনাল স্কলারশিপ পোর্টাল’ থেকে বৃত্তির আবেদন করতে গিয়ে প্রতিনিয়ত সমস্যার সম্মুখীন হচ্ছেন।
তিনি প্রস্তাব করেন যে, ন্যাশনাল স্কলারশিপ পোর্টালের মাধ্যমে ছাত্রছাত্রীদের চেক দেওয়ার পরিবর্তে তাদের ডাইরেক্ট ট্রান্সফারের মাধ্যমে ব্যাঙ্ক অ্যাকাউন্টে স্কলারশিপের টাকা দেওয়া হোক।
তিনি তার চিঠিতে উল্লেখ করেন করেন যে এবিষয়ে আগেও তিনি প্রধানমন্ত্রীকে চিঠি লিখেছেন। উল্লেখ্য, এর আগেও তৃণমূল সাংসদরা কেন্দ্রীয় সংখ্যালঘু বিষয়ক মন্ত্রীর সঙ্গে এই বিষয়ে আলোচনা করেছিলেন এবং তাঁর কাছে শিক্ষার্থীদের দুর্দশার বিষয়টি উত্থাপন করেছিলেন কিন্তু কোন সুরাহা হয়নি।
এই ইস্যু তুলে ধরার জন্য তৃণমূল রাজ্যসভায় একটি জিরো আওয়ার নোটিশ দিয়েছে।
Tarakeswar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is an important place of pilgrimage built during the 17th century. This is one of the oldest temples of India.
It records the maximum crowd during the holy day of Maha Shivratri and also the month of Shravan. Being an important religious place dedicated to Lord Shiva, Tarakeswar is a major place of pilgrimage. The Dudhpukur Tank in the north of the Temple, where the prayers of those who take a dip in it are fulfilled, needs to be cleaned and beautified.
Though it is well-connected by rail, there is a demand by the public to operate more trains during the festival. During the month of Shravan, people walk long distances to reach Tarakeswar, even from Kolkata.
Hence I request the Ministry of Culture to take up this matter in its consideration and allocate more funds to repair the basic necessities of this temple as it is an important place of pilgrimage.
Thank you Hon’ble deputy Speaker, Sir, for allowing me to speak during Zero Hour. Sir, in my parliamentary constituency Piyali is one of the oldest and biggest railway stations over Piyali River on Sealdah-Canning line. Sir, the major problem of this railway station is the vehicles from one side cannot cross to the opposite side due to absence of railway level crossing. I wrote thrice to the Railway Minister but I did not get any positive result. I, on behalf of thousands of thousands villagers students of schools and colleges, would like to request once again to the Railway Minister to consider this long pending issue and take favourable action in this regard.
Thank you, Sir, for giving me the opportunity.
It is a matter of great concern that primarily a large number of minority students have still not received Pre-Matric/Post-Matric/Merit-
There is an urgent need to expand the subway at Bhadreswar station at Howrah division, Eastern Railway of West Bengal. Lakhs of common people and railway passengers, not only from Bhadreswar town, but also from the Chandannagar Corporation and Bigadi panchayat commute through this place. The people from the other side of the river Ganges use this subway. Due to the narrow space, accidents have become the order of the day. Under these circumstances I would urge the Hon’ble Minister to expand the subway and save the life of many people.
Thank you, Sir.
