Author: AITC

AITC Secretary General Partha Chatterjee addressed a press at Trinamool Bhavan today afternoon. Here is what he said:

• There is always a trend among BJP as to how to target Mamata Banerjee and gain publicity.

• When state BJP failed to create impact, their national leaders stepped in.

• Who is responsible for securing the borders? State or Center?

• Many things are being pointed out after an incident happened. What was done before that?

• Who is responsible for giving passports? State or Center? How can the BJP accuse us.

• Do not disturb the prevailing peace in West Bengal.

• We speak of communal harmony, we speak of united India. BJP's ploy will not work.

The State Agricultural Department has taken a unique initiative for the preservation of special varieties of rice by setting up of a Rice Museum in Fulia, Nadia. The Museum will be set up at the Agricultural Training Institute at Fulia.
 
The Institute is on a process of collecting around three hundred and fifty samples of over 200 varieties of rice grown in India.  The Museum will display all these samples with the details including the process of cultivating them.
 
The State Agriculture Minister Mr Purnendu Bose recently visited the Training Institute. He said that processes are being made to cultivate these rice varieties through organic means. The seeds for these paddy plants will also be produced here, he said. He said that the farmers will be given proper training for the cultivation of these rice varieties.
 
The varieties of rice include: Komal Aghnivar, Kelas, Bhutmuri, Kele Anshkata, Kalabakri, Jota, Gora, Kakhri, Kotki, Asanlaya, Lakkhidighal, Megi, Jol Jabra, Katarangi Kalamocha, Soley, Hoghla, hodmanano, Langolmuthi, Koijuri, Hogla Byat, Dubraj, Panidhan, Narayankamini, etc.

After the fair price-medicine shops, West Bengal government is set to introduce fair-price pathological laboratories in state-run hospitals. This scheme is expected to be of huge help to patients undergoing treatment in the government hospitals.

Once operational, getting a pathological test done at government hospitals would not only become cheaper but also faster. From common blood test to more complex ones and urine examination to stool analysis and sputum test, the government is set to reach out to the common people offering these services at half the price private laboratories charge for the tests.

These laboratories will be run on public-private-partnership model. The state health department will select private partners who can offer the lowest rates.
Fair-price medicine shops flagged off in several hospitals offer generic medicine at price that is as low as 70% of the market rates. The first one was set up at SSKM Hospital. One can find serpentine queues in front of these shops at anytime of the day. The proposed fair-price pathological laboratories will prove to be a boon for poor families.

The government is yet to decide on the rates for the tests. But, the target is to select a private partner who can offer the best discount. The health department hopes to make such services available at a cost that is at least 70% lower than the market rate. There is also a proposal to make the service available free of cost to certain sections of patients specially those who hold the BPL cards. The aim is to make quality healthcare services more accessible and affordable for the poor.
These services would first be set up at six medical colleges in the city. Then it will be introduced in the district hospitals in phases.

Twenty eight Indian economists wrote the Prime Minister and expressed their concern about NREGA's future, saying that they were alarmed to hear the moves to dilute or restrict provisions of the Act. The economists urged the Prime Minister to ensure that the programme receives all the support it requires to survive and thrive.

Trinamool Congress has been pointing this out from long back that the Center's whimsical decision will be a danger to the country's poor people.

On various occasions, Trinamool has been vocal about the issue on social media as well as within the hallowed portals of the Parliament. WB CM had posted on her Facebook page regarding the issue in August, 2014 while Trinamool MPs raised the issue in both the Houses of the parliament.

5 August: Trinamool Chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee's Facebook post reads:
 
Bengal ranked No.1 in the country in terms of expenditure under 100-days work in 2013-14. We exceeded our budget and recorded highest-ever expenditure of more than Rs.5600 Crore.
In spite of such achievement, Central Government has not released its full share of funds to the State Government so far. Nearly Rs.885 Crore is still pending. Poor people are not getting their wages.
Now there is a hearsay that 100-days work will be run in some select Blocks of the country on intensified mode.
What would then happen to the poor people of other Blocks? Would they be deprived of work?
Attacks on statutory rights of the downtrodden people are not acceptable.
Why such action?
Why poor people will be deprived?
Why this discrimination?
Why New Government is insensitive about the poor people?

On August 14, 2014, AITC MP Derek O'Brien spoke in Rajya Sabha on the Centre's decision to implement MNERGA in a few blocks only. This what he said in his speech:

West Bengal's approved budget for the implementation of MGNREGA in the previous financial year was Rs 6124.98 crores of which the central share was supposed to be Rs 5512 crores. The State received only Rs 2894.38 crores against the promised Rs 5500 crores.

In 2012-13, West Bengal had achieved a total man days of about 20 crores which was 109% higher than the national target. In 2013-14, the State was able to exceed its target once again. The West Bengal Government is committed to the MGNREGA program and could have made giant strides in implementing the scheme had the state not been starved of funds. The Government must implement the scheme in its true spirit and not resort to the intensification of the scheme in a few blocks to the neglect of others.

On August 7, 2014, AITC MP Saugata Roy spoke in Lok Sabha on 100 Days Work Scheme. This what he said in his speech:

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) was introduced in this country to give minimum 100 Days Work to the rural poor. First, it started with certain number of blocks, then, it was made effective in all rural blocks of this country.

I demand that West Bengal be immediately paid its dues so that wages to rural poor may be paid and the scheme be kept alive in all the rural blocks of the country.

A new fleet of 44 CSTC buses will beflagged off from the Kasba depot today. All these buses will ply on realignedroutes.

The state transport department is reviewingpassengers’ demand of buses on a monthly basis and realigning the routes accordingly.This addition will further strengthenCSTC and strike a crucial balance in the city’s bus transit system.

This addition will take the fleet strength under JNNURM schemeto 63 Volvo AC buses, 43 AC Ashok Leyland buses and 114 non-AC Ashok Leylandbuses. 

Nineteen AC buses were reintroduced on routes where car-use hasescalated.

In case of non-AC buses:

•  S-17A has been created by clubbing two routes-4and 34. Six non-AC buses will ply on this Ariadaha-Kudghat route.

•  S-23A has been created by realigning the oldST-23 route on which eight buses will ply. It will originate from Dakshineswar andterminate at SLD Gate near Nicco Park in Salt Lake.

• Similarly, the old Information Technologyspecial S-30, which used to ply between Ultadanga and Ecospace at New Town,will be strengthened with seven buses.

• The Garia-Bagbazar route IC-21 has beenrenumbered as S-21, on which seven buses will ply.

• S-10 has been reintroduced from AirportGate 3 and its terminal point has been extended from Esplanade to Nabanna.

• The AC-37B, from Garia to Airport Gate 1,is another new route on which 6 buses will ply.

• The fleet strength of AC-20 – fromBarrackpore to BBD Bag – will go up from 3 to 8.

• The fleet-strength of AC-41, which pliesbetween Santragachhi and Ecospace, is being raised from 2 to 7.

• On AC-3 route – from Kolkata to Unitech – thenumber of buses was raised from 3 to 6.

West Bengal has been excluded from the listof “extremely affected” districts in the new central policy on management ofLeft-wing extremism.

The list of extremely affected districts bythe Union Home Ministry has been revised from 34 to 23 and does not includeWest Midnapore, the lone Bengal district that was part of the earlier list.

Although there is no need for more forces in Bengal, some forces along the Jharkhand-Bengal border will still be deployed. West Midnapore, along with Bankura and Purulia, will remain part of the Integrated Action Plan and Security Related Scheme (for 106 districts).

Peace in Jangalmahal – A national model

The violence has declined further since2011, when Ms Mamata Banerjee assumed power. Compared with 246 incidents inChhattisgarh and 127 in Bihar last year, Bengal saw just one last year and nonethis year, according to home ministry figures.

The Union government and the NationalSecurity Council have suggested in the past that the advancement of Jangalmahalin Bengal should be followed as a model by other states. The Hon'ble ChiefMinister visited Jangalmahal more than 30 times to generate faith in people'sminds and to accelerate development.

Maharashtra andHaryana are going to vote tomorrow. Naturally today is a good day forsome political parties to “feed news” to the media, without putting across theother side's point. 

As if on cue,a leading English daily's front page today carried the storyof Mamata Banerjee allegedly having made personal gainsby selling her paintings to Sudipto Sen, the promoterof Saradha.

Neither Mamata Banerjeenor the Trinamool Congress was contacted for even a quote. A biased,tendentious, one-sided report was carried in violation of all journalisticpretensions of balance and fairness.

The story isnot just mischievous, it is absolutely false and makes baselessarguments. Here are the facts:

1. Sale ofpaintings

Mamata Banerjeehas not sold a single painting on her own or for personal gain in herlife. Not a paisa from the sale of her paintings has gone into her personalaccount.

She has donated herpaintings to the Trinamool Congress, which inturn, has hosted public exhibitions under the umbrella of Jago Bangla,the official newspaper of the party. At these exhibitions, some of herpaintings have been sold but the proceeds have never gone to her.

• The firstsuch exhibition was held in 2005. Paintings were pricedat Rs 10,000-20,000. The second exhibition was held in 2007.Paintings were priced at roughly Rs 100,000. From theproceeds of these and subsequent exhibitions/sales, contributions of Rs 1crore were made to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, Rs 10 lakh tothe Governor's Relief Fund. Assistance was also provided to the victims ofpolice and CPI(M) brutality in Nandigram and other places.

2. Electoralreforms

For about 20years now, Mamata Banerjee has been urging electoralreforms and the need for proper and legitimate funding of politicalparties, including but not limited to state funding. She hasfrequently advocated redressing the “bad ways of raisingfunds”. Those who know her appreciate that she has a history of pushing forinstitutional solutions to politically troubling problems.

• On November 6,1995, Mamata Banerjee sat on dharna to protest against theatrocities committed by the police during the CPI(M) regime. The policewas charged with at least 188 custodialdeaths. Mamata Banerjee sought compensationand financial security for members of these 188 families. The agitationwas on for over two weeks, between November 6 and November 23.

• Themovement took off at the state level but was heard inthe corridors of power in New Delhi. It was at the interventionof the then government at the Centre that a consensus was reached.The result was the setting up of the West Bengal Human RightsCommission on December 1, 1995. It was a landmark achievement, and allcredit went to Mamata Banerjee.

• Mamata Banerjee haschronicled her experiences of the Manobadhikar Dharna,as the episode came to be known, in her book Janatar Darbar.

3. And finally

Art exhibitionsare open to all. The sale of paintings is an innovative and honestmeans of raising funds for a political party and for political andsocial activism. There was and is nothing cloak and dagger aboutthese transactions.

Theexhibitions have taken place in full public view and all theinformation regarding the sales is in the public domain. Money was receivedby cheque,and all payments have been duly and faithfully reported to the tax authoritiesat the end of the given financial year.

Statement issued by Derek O'Brien, National Spokesperson and the Chief Whip of Trinamool Congress in the Rajya Sabha.

AITC Secretary General Partha Chatterjee addressed the press at Trinamool Bhavan. This is what he said:

• Central Government is conspiring to damage the federal structure. People of Bengal had stood up against mis-governance. They drove out those who wanted to create disturbance through their mandate.

• BJP is raising questions on NIA. Mamata Banerjee was never present at any Standing Committee meeting on NIA. Please show us those papers which prove that she was present in such meetings.

• On every incident the opposition is trying to link up Mamata Banerjee. Campaign to malign her is going on every day.

• Mamata Banerjee has been facing personal attacks right from the beginning of her political career. CPM conspired to kill her. The Opposition could not tackle her politically, so a campaign is going on to malign her, even with personal attacks.

Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP KapilKrishna Thakur (74) breathed his last today in a city hospital. He was one ofthe scions who had from a very early life fought for upliftment and socialwelfare of the Matua community. He is survived by his wife.

He was the elder son of Binapani DebiThakurani (Baroma), the leader of Matua community and great grandson of ShriShri Guruchand Thakur. He had been the Sanghadhipatiof Matua Mahasabha.

Kapil Krishna Thakur had been elected fromthe Bongaon constituency in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, defeating his nearestrival by almost one and a half lakh votes. 

After being elected as MP, he was a Memberof the Standing Committee on Labour.

A graduate of the Calcutta University, hehad been a recipient of the prestigious Sri Sri Thakur Harichand-Guruchandprize for his sustained work among the Matuas to uplift them.

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তৃণমূল লোকসভা সাংসদশ্রী কপিল কৃষ্ণ ঠাকুর আজ কলকাতায় শেষ নিঃশ্বাস ত্যাগ করেন।  বর্তমানে তাঁর স্ত্রী জীবিত। তিনি মতুয়া সঙ্ঘমাতাবীণাপাণি দেবী ঠাকুরের (বড়মা) বড় ছেলে এবং শ্রী শ্রী গুরুচরণ ঠাকুরের প্রপৌত্র।

তিনি বনগাঁর মনিগ্রামহাই স্কুল থেকে পাশ করার পরে কলিকাতা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় থেকে স্নাতক হন। তিনি জীবনের প্রথমথেকেই বনগাঁর মতুয়া সম্প্রদায়ের সামাজিক উন্নয়নের সঙ্গে যুক্ত ছিলেন। তিনি বনগাঁয়বহু উন্নয়নমূলক কাজ করেছেন।

কপিল কৃষ্ণ ঠাকুরমতুয়া সঙ্ঘের একজন সক্রিয় কর্মী ছিলেন। মতুয়া গোষ্ঠীর উন্নয়নের জন্য তিনি শ্রীশ্রী ঠাকুর হরিচন্দ্র-গুরুচন্দ্র পুরস্কার পেয়েছিলেন।

State agriculture department is going to develop the infrastructure of its weather information cell to help farmers. State Agriculture Minister Mr Purnendu Bose said that weather cells are being developed in two agriculture universities, and other centres for providing timely information to farmers regarding weather updates.
 
The project intended to provide live weather updates to farmers was not implemented during the earlier Left Front tenure. Despite money being sanctioned to implement the project, work had not been executed during the Left Front tenure. Experts were not appointed to develop the weather updation system. Farmers of dry-zone areas face difficulties as they do not get localised weather reports.

It may be recalled that the state agriculture department has decided to recruit Krishi Proyukti Sahayak (KPS) for all districts to generate awareness among farmers. KPS will also inform the farmers regarding updated weather reports along with proper measures to increase production. Mobile phones will be given to local agriculture offices for informing farmers regarding weather updates.

KPS will be trained by agriculture experts, who will teach them how to increase soil fertility, to prepare organic fertilisers and other agricultural lessons with the use of weather report, said the official.