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The Gangasagar Mela is an important event for many Hindus. This annual pilgrimage for lakhs of Hindus from across the country and even outside is a very important occasion for many.

Over the last few years, the Trinamool Congress Government has been setting up several facilities for the first time in the fair’s history. The fair has now become an occasion for tourists as well.

The Power Department has made all necessary arrangements in order to ensure uninterrupted power supply. Modernisation work was undertaken to increase the capacity of the 33/11 kV substation in Rudranagar.

The department will also ensure power supply to 54 points within the site of the fair and in adjoining areas. In the previous year, the department had supplied power to 40 points.

Underground cables have been laid between Kachuberia and Rudranagar to enable automated power supply through the diesel-generated (DG) system, if there is any problem in any area.

There will also be adequate power arrangements at Bangabasi Ground, adjacent to the Mohun Bagan Ground, for the pilgrims who congregate there before moving on to the jetties in Babughat.

Arrangements have also been made to ensure the security of the EHV (extra high voltage) substation in Kakdwip and to ensure that any extra demand for power is met effectively.3

The Bangla Government has taken all necessary steps to make the Gangasagar Mela a success for everyone concerned, most of all, for the pilgrims.

The administration has also asked everyone to take certain precautionary measures. Listed below are certain do’s and don’ts.

DO’S

Follow the instructions of the police and volunteers, and cooperate with them

Be careful regarding the elderly and the children. Everyone should carry some form of identity card so that chances of getting lost are minimized.

Those coming in groups should ensure that the elderly and the children always remain with the group, otherwise there is a possibility of their getting lost in the crowd. In case anyone gets lost, contact the nearest police helpdesk.

Keep a discreet watch on co-passengers on your journeys. If you spot anything amiss, inform the nearest police personnel or volunteer. Do not panic or spread rumours, do not cause stampedes.

If there is heavy rainfall, wait patiently and cooperate with administration officials.

DON’TS

Do not hurry or run unnecessarily, else mishaps can occur. This is also applicable during boarding and de-boarding of vessels. A small mistake can cause a big tragedy.

The barricades and drop-gates are made of bamboo; so do not try to lean heavily on them or cross over them, as they may break.

Please do not light fires at the fairground; this can lead to major mishaps.

Do not keep your things in the charge of unknown persons; they may get stolen.

Do not accept any food or water from unknown persons; this may lead to danger to your health.

Do not go into deep water while bathing

Do not touch any unknown or unclaimed object; if you notice any such thing, inform the police immediately.

Over the last seven-and-a-half years of the Trinamool Congress Government, Sagar Island (part of Sagar block), which includes the site of the Gangasagar Mela, has seen a lot of developmental activities, many of them related to the annual Gangasagar Mela.

Given below are the primary development initiatives:

Setting up of developmental body for the Gangasagar-Bakkhali region in 2013 – Gangasagar Bakkhali Development Authority, of which area extension was done subsequently

Constructing road from Chemaguri New Bus Terminal to GS Mela Emergency Jetty on Battala River for facilitating pilgrims and the local people of Sagar Island for availing the water route of Namkhana-Benuban-Chemaguri within the Gangasagar Bakkhali Planning Area, and constructing of connecting road from Sridam More to Banbibi Mandir via Ganagsagar Mandir at Gangasagar

Constructing of Sulabh complex-cum-night shelter in Bakkhali

Developing of a religious tourism site at Gangasagar, including constructing 20 cottages, basic amenities like road, driveway, car parking facility, illumination, food court, toilet block, shopping kiosks, illumination of Kapil Muni Temple, welcome gate at Lot 8 and Kachuberia, two-storied night shelter-cum-toilet block in Kachuberia

Starting of low-cost passenger-friendly helicopter connectivity between Kolkata and Sagar Island

Generating of awareness by the Disaster Management Department among the masses at fairs like the Gangasagar Mela, though advertisements on television, in magazines and awareness camps, and also through the printing of calendars, leaflets, booklets, etc. depicting pictures of seasonal hazards and do’s and don’ts during the disasters

Utilising of four unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), that is, drone-mounted cameras, and 700 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to manage the crowd at the Gangasagar Mela by the Disaster Management Department

Deploying of civil defence personnel at the Gangasagar Mela

Building of eco-tourism infrastructure on Sagar Island, which includes public rain shelter-cum-nat mandir as pavilion for pilgrims, public rain shelter-cum-dala arcade having capacity for 124 hawkers vending on products required for offering puja, leach pit-based toilet (20 blocks of 10 unit each), bus terminus and eco-camp complex (eight large huts and 14 small huts, eating house, toilet block, dormitory block, reception)

Creating of Bakkhali-Gangasagar-Jambudwip Circuit for promoting eco-tourism

100 per cent electrification of Sagar Island, with a population of over 2 lakh, by West Bengal State Electricity Development Corporation Limited (WBSEDCL), including erecting 30,500 poles, stringing a 1,220 km transmission line and installing 595 distribution transformers

Constructing a Pathasathi motel on Sagar Island for tourists

Building of Chemaguri Bridge at Chemaguri Ferry Ghat in Sagar block

Bankura has ranked first among the 412 districts, covering the 25 States and union territories, in the Open Defecation Free (ODF) contest organised by the Centre in connection with World Toilet Day (November 19). The contest was held from November 9 to 19, 2018.

There were in fact two districts from Bangla in the top ten. Murshidabad bagged the 9th position. Cooch Behar district received a special mention.

It may be mentioned that Mission Nirmal Bangla was announced by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee before the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Accordingly, the Panchayats and Rural Development Department had taken special drives to make the districts ODF.

Nadia became country’s first ODF district, for which project it received the United Nations Public Service Award.

Massive campaigns were launched by the department. Senior officials of the department visited the districts to oversee the work and surprise visits were conducted. Teams were set up in the districts that urged the people to use toilets and not defecate in the open. To ensure a grassroots reach, folk artistes performed in the campaigns as well.

Source: Millennium Post

The State Consumer Affairs Department will be organising the Kreta Suraksha Mela (‘Consumer Protection Fair’) from January 25 to 27.

The three-day fair would be held at the Netaji Indoor Stadium. The timing of the fair is from 2pm to 9pm.

Ever since the Trinamool Congress Government came to power, the Consumer Affairs Department has been doing a yeoman’s service for the citizens of Bangla.

A lot of awareness campaigns are organised – be it on television, radio, through outdoor advertisements, or by setting up stalls at fairs (like the Kolkata Book Fair). This Kreta Suraksha Mela is another such effort at creating awareness.

The Bangla Government has announced a one-time 100 per cent waiver on penalty on due road tax on motor vehicles, for those who have not paid the tax till December 31, 2018.

The last date of submission of the tax has been decided as January 31. Paying after that would entail payment of penalty as usual.

There is an exception to the 100 per cent waiver that needs to be noted: This scheme is not valid on commercial vehicles of the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) that are more than 15 years old.

The due road tax can be paid either online, through the website of the Road Transport and Highways Ministry (beginning by submitting the vehicle registration number) or offline, at the respective Regional Transport Office (RTO) or Additional Road Transport Office (ARTO).

The State Consumer Affairs Department has come up with a new consumer court in Rajarhat. It was inaugurated on January 3, 2019.

This would help a lot of people as more and more people are beginning to stay in Rajarhat and New Town, and consequently, a lot of shops and malls are coming up.

With a consumer court in their area, people would no longer have travel long distances to the court in Kolkata.

The State Government has decided to issue cheques immediately to farmers on their selling paddy at the government’s procurement centres.

The project, named ‘Dhan din, cheque nin’ (‘Give paddy, take your cheque’) would help farmers as they would not have to wait too long for the money to be deposited in their banks. If required, the procurement centres would remain open till 12 midnight.

This year, the government has allocated Rs 8,039 crore for buying 52 lakh metric tonnes of paddy. If required, more paddy would be bought, for which more funds would be released.

Source: Sangbad Pratidin

The World Bank has praised the panchayat system in Bangla and has held it up as a model for other States to follow.

The success of the panchayat system is also a result of the extended financial aid programme of the World Bank, called Institutional Strengthening of gram Panchayats Programme (ISGPP). It started in the State on July 1, 2016.

As part of this programme, the World Bank would be spending a total of Rs 1,350 crore for all the panchayats together. The money has to be spent in full by 2022.

However, to the State Government’s credit, 49.4 per cent, or almost half, of the target had been achieved in two years, according to a Central Government report. Hence, the total target would be achieved much before the original deadline.

According to officials of the Panchayats Department, a recent tripartite meeting was held recently in New Delhi, where representatives from the Central Government, the World Bank and various State Governments took part. It was at this meeting that the World Bank told the Central Government that Bangla was the model that the rest of the States need to follow.

Source: Ei Samay

As per a recent decision, which Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called revolutionary, the process of granting of mutation of a property has been made online. As a result, mutation certificates would be issued within 48 hours.

A recent cabinet meeting (December 24) headed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made the decision, which is another major step in the State Government’s gradual easing of property-related rules and transactions.

In all property transactions, mutation, or transfer of title, is a mandatory process, in which the buyer transfers the ownership title of the property he just bought.

The Chief Minister said that around 12 lakh people in Bangla get their properties mutated every year, and hence the making online of the system is a big scope for common people to get their work done with ease. The process of online mutation will also help in keeping the character of the land unchanged.

The new process of getting mutation done online consists of the following basic steps:

• Applicant to log in and register his/her name and other details
• Documents to be uploaded
• Mutation fees to be paid through bank
• Land & Land Reforms Dept will get the information online and verify the uploaded documents
• Mutation certificate to be issued within 48 hours

It may be mentioned that through the Records of Rights system introduced by the Trinamool Congress Government, land records in all 341 blocks of the State have been digitised.

Source: The Times of India