Author: AITC

West Bengal government has opposed theCentre`s proposal of bringing potatoes and onions within the purview ofstock holding limits under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. This was decided at a meeting held by state Agriculture and Agriculture Marketing and Food and Supplies departments.

A report in this regard will be sent to Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee soon following which the issue will be taken up with the Centre.

The Centre has recently asked the states to impose a limit on hoarding of potatoes and onions in a move taken to control price hike. It wants the state governments to take firm measures against hoarding of the two vegetables.

The Centre`s suggestion reached the Food and Supplies Department recently, following which a report was prepared by the department on the proposed stockholding limits for potatoes and onions for Bengal.

However, the state Agriculture Department has raised objections over the fact that bringing potatoes within the purview of stockholding limits will affect farmers. There is a surplus production of potatoes so if a limit is imposed on the amount that can be stocked then it might bring down the selling price but will automatically lead to loss for farmers of the state.

Hoarding onions is not a practical solution for the state as it does not have proper storage facilities or favourable weather conditions for hoarding the vegetable.

Bengal aims to double its share in thecountry`s exports. The economic survey has estimated the State`s shipments at $10.5 billion, or about 3.4 per cent of the total exports, in 2013-14. StateFinance and Industries Minister Dr Amit Mitra said the target was to touch $20billion. Emphasis will be on engineering, leather, jute and jute-basedproducts, rice, gems and jewellery, leather, textiles and marine products.

According to the Federation of IndianExport Organisation (FIEO), this target could be achieved by 2018-19. “Exportsat Rs 63,735 crore from Bengal is a big number indeed. We want more. Half ofthat amount is from the engineering industry at Rs 32,896 crore. Marine exportswere Rs 2,388 crore. We will have to move forward. Bengal is located in a strategicposition. We can take advantage of the free-trade agreement with ASEAN,” DrMitra said.

Bengal is strategically located to takeadvantage of the comprehensive economic partnership agreements with Singapore,Thailand and Malaysia. The Minister sought a clear strategy from FIEO toachieve the target. A similar study is expected for Bengal to help clear thehurdles through a joint effort between the industry and the state government.

The State government convened a meeting onThursday to discuss the issue of trafficking.

Dr Shashi Panja, the Minister of Women andSocial Welfare said, “After multiple visits around Bengal we noticed there weregroups working against trafficking and for the rehabilitation of traffickedwomen and children”.

“I am very candid when I say that we wereuninformed about this. I realized that while the government is proactive andsensitive, there has been a lack of coordination. So we decided to convergeefforts,” she said.

The meeting – attended by representativesof NGOs, police officers and state departments – aimed at gathering inputs fromeveryone. The two angles that will be the focus of the government`s efforts, DrPanja said, are “prevention and reintegration”. She stressed the need for stepsagainst trafficking, which “happens surreptitiously and has turned out to bethe most profitable industry in the world”.

Though there are laws in place,implementation at the village and block levels has been inadequate. “That`sbecause everybody was working against trafficking but not working together,” DrPanja said. Visits to the districts have revealed the key role played by childprotection committees. The state government announced a set of guidelines forthe formation and strengthening of such committees.

'Child protection committees fall withinchild protection rights. We have formalized the guidelines today. Committeeswill now be formed at every village, block and ward level. The functionsinclude monitoring, supervision and awareness campaigns and any innovation thatone can think of,” the minister said.

The Babughat and Central bus stand atEsplanade will be shifted to Santragachi by 30 September this year, StateTransport Minister Mr Madan Mitra said.

Mr Mitra said the new bus terminus atSantragachi will come up on 10 acres of land. The decision was taken to complywith the order of Calcutta High Court.

The state transport department hasentrusted the Hooghly River Bridge Commissioner (HRBC) to construct a modernbus terminus and land surface at Santragachi. The HRBC will spend Rs 10 crorein this regard. A taxi stand will also come up at the terminus.

The state transport department has receivedanother 6 acres land at Goragacha in South 24 Parganas to construct anothermodern bus terminus. The buses, which will not find place at Santragachi willbe shifted at Goragacha. At least 200 buses can be parked at Goragacha at onego. 

Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee hashanded over both designated lands at Santragachi and Goragacha to the statetransport department, Mr Mitra said. The HRBC will spend Rs 6 crore to build amodern bus terminus at Goragacha, Mr Mitra said. Earlier, the state transportdepartment had decided to remove the Babughat bus stand at Rajarhat.

The court had ordered the terminus to beshifted to save Victoria Memorial from automobile fumes. The continued presenceof the bus terminus is in complete discordance with the government`s riversidebeautification plan, Mr Mitra said. The 10-acre plot in Santragachi, next tothe railway station, is bigger than the bus termini at Esplanade and Babughattaken together, said a senior official of the transport department.

From now on, all state transportundertakings will use Babughat and Esplanade as a halting place. The governmenthas also picked out six depots at Taratala, Joka, Kasba, Belgharia, Thakurpukurand Nilgunge near Belgharia where government buses from Esplanade have beenshifted.

Transport minister Madan Mitra said: “Evenafter moving to the new terminus, the buses will be allowed to stop atEsplanade for passengers. The operators have now sought longer stoppage timesat Esplanade for offloading.”

Trinamool MP from Jadavpur, and the DeputyLeader of the party in Lok Sabha, Sugata Bose spoke in the House earlier todayon the Union Budget. In his usual oratory style Sugata Bose argued in favour ofoperative federalism and requested the Centre to allocate for funds for Stateprojects. Citing the words of Madan Mohan Malviya, he urged the FinanceMinister to not overlook the demands of the States.

“Infrastructure, health and education mustbe the three pillars on which India should build its edifice of developmentover the next decade. I applaud the Government`s clear-eyed vision so far asinvestments in infrastructure is concerned” Dr Bose said. He was quick to add, “Iam dismayed however by the Government`s myopia in not seeing that a healthy andeducated populace is imperative for sustained economic growth and development.”

“The biggest disappointment of the Budgetlies in the miserliness shown towards education, especially primary andsecondary school education. The manifesto of the ruling party had proclaimedthat spending on education would be raised from 3% to 6% of GDP; that is thenorm in much of Asia and ought to be a matter of national consensus in India.Where is the Finance Minister`s roadmap towards achieving that objective ofraising it from 3% to 6% of GDP?” he asked the Finance Minister.

He also urged the Centre not to dilute thegravity of the term university by naming all and sundry institutes asuniversities. He invited the Finance Minister to visit his constituency andtaste the fruits and flowers of Baruipur, Sonarpur and Bhangar and rethink whythe region should not get a horticultural institute.

Dr Bose also said that the Centralallocation for Beti Bachao Beti Padao Yojana was far less than required. Hecited the example of Kanyashree scheme of West Bengal Government andhighlighted that Mamata Banerjee has allotted Rs 1000 crore for the scheme. Healso derided the Govt for miserly allocation for madrassah development. Hereminded the Finance Minister that Ganga does not stop flowing at Patna andghat development project should be extended to Bengal.

“To honour the Patel Brothers and othernoble figures of that generation including Swami Vivekananda, we need to followtheir ideals of honesty and integrity, service and sacrifice, not just worshipthem in iron and stone. We would of course love to have a beautiful statue ofSwami Vivekananda but we know that what is huge is not great and we wantreasonable expenses,” the Harvard professor turned MP said while cautioning theGovernment against wasteful expenditure.

While concluding, the Jadavpur MP highlightedthe plight of the hungry and poor in the country and urged the Finance Ministernot to cut down on food subsidies.

Read the full transcript of the speech here.

The Trinamool Congress State PresidentSubrata Bakshi, the party district head of South 24 Parganas Mr ShovanChatterjee, the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad state president and other leadersalong with senior police officers held a meeting on Wednesday near Esplanadefor almost an hour to discuss about the huge turn out that the party wasexpecting on 21 July Martyrs` Day.

The main stage will be divided in threetiers. The top stage will chair party Chairperson Ms Mamata Banerjee and the seniorleaders. The elected representatives of the party will be present on the otherstages. The newly constructed Shahid Bedi will be inaugurated by the partyChairperson on the occasion of Martyrs` Day.

Mr Bakshi said that lakhs of partyactivists and supporters will attend the Martyrs` Day rally. Thousands of partyactivists and supporters would come from Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar, theJalpaiguri district working president said.

People from different districts across thestate particularly from the hills in North Bengal and from Jangalmahal willcome to attend the programme on July 21. Besides, party supporters from outsidethe state from Assam, Manipur and Tripura will also come to attend theprogramme. Arrangements are being made to book special trains to bring partysupporters from North Bengal and Jangalmahal.

A day before Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee`svisit to Darjeeling Hills, four members of her Cabinet on Tuesday announced thestate government`s `historic` decision to pay FAWLOI (Financial Assistance tothe Workers in Locked Out Industrial Units) to jobless tea workers.

The payment will be effective from threemonths from the date of the plantations` closure. Workers of closed industrialunits used to get FAWLOI after one year from the date of its closure.

Ms Banerjee will be arriving at Bagdograairport at around 2 PM today and leave for Darjeeling Hills.

North Bengal Development Minister GautamDeb, Labour Minister Moloy Ghatak, Food and Supplies Minister Jyotipriyo Mullickand Minister of State for Health Chandrima Bhattacharya today held a meeting atUttarkanya, the branch secretariat in North Bengal, with department authoritiesconcerned, including the district magistrates of the two districts ofJalpaiguri and Alipurduar.

Mr Deb said a coordination committeecomprising top officials of four departments – North Bengal DevelopmentDepartment, Labour Department, Food and Supplies Department and HealthDepartment – two district magistrates in the tea belt and other officials hasbeen constituted to monitor the closed and sick tea plantations.

Mr Mullick said they have asked thecommittee to review the position of those tea plantations and implementation ofthe government`s decision to provide succour and send a weekly report to thestate government.

Notably, the state government took upprompt measures in a bid to stop death of tea workers, following the recentdeath of five workers at Raipur Tea Estate in Jalpaiguri.

Addressing the media at Uttarkanya, Mr Debsaid: “Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee has decided to provide FAWLOI justafter three months from the date of closure of a tea plantation. Earlier,workers used to get the payment only after a year from the date of closure.Workers are also entitled to FAWLOI up to a certain period (three to fivemonths) after reopening of a tea estate. This is a historic decision taken by MsBanerjee.”

According to Mr Deb, workers of Raipur TeaEstate, which is opening almost after 10 months, will be getting FAWLOI forseven months as arrears and that it will continue for some time.

He said 20 beds have been earmarked inNorth Bengal Medical College and Hospital for ailing tea workers who are atpresent undergoing treatment in different hospitals in the tea belt.

At present, five tea estates in the Dooarsand three in the Hills are closed. A total of 23 tea estates, including eightclosed plantations, have been identified as sick and the state would providefood grains to 98,000 workers and their families at Rs 2 per kg under the Antadaya Yojana.

According to the ministers, the state willcontinue to provide cooked food under the SahayProkolpo to jobless workers, build houses under the Indira Awas Yojana and the state`s Geetanjali scheme and supply electricity for minimum use.

West Bengal State Electricity DistributionCompany Ltd has suspended power supply to labourers` quarters in the closed teaestates where electricity bill has been pending for a long time.

Mr Deb said a total of Rs 1.75 crore waspending, according to records at the WBSEDCL. “We will discuss the matter withstate power minister Manish Gupta. A special package would be formulated tosupply minimum power to tea workers,” Mr Deb added.

West Bengal Chief Minister Ms MamataBanerjee has written to the Central Minister of State (Independent Charge) forMinistry of Commerce & Industry, Ms Nirmala Sitharaman to address theproblems of the closed tea gardens in the state. She urged the Union Ministerto take necessary steps rejuvenate the tea industry.

The West Bengal Chief Minister has requestfor a financial package which may benefit around three thousand tea workers.The state Government has already stood by the side of the workers in theseclosed tea gardens. A delegation of ministers – including the state FoodMinister, MoS Health, North Bengal Development Minister and Labour Minister – hasalready visited the gardens, clearing several hurdles on spot.

Under the instructions of the ChiefMinister, government officials and engineers have visited the tea garden toassess the condition of the labourers` quarters and repair them throughgovernment schemes like Indira AwasYojana. State government is also distributing cooked food to the joblessworkers of the closed garden and has strengthened the ICDS centres to provide nutritiousto the children.  The workers have alsobeen receiving rice at Rs 2 per kg under the instructions of the ChiefMinister.