Tag: সিঙ্গুর

The Singur struggle: A timeline

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On August 31, 2016, the Supreme Court of India, in a historic judgement declared that the land acquisition made by the erstwhile Left Front Government in Singur was illegal and asked the present Government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to return the plots to their owners. This was the end of the ten-year struggle started by Mamata Banerjee against illegal land acquisition.

A brief timeline of the events that led to the victory of Mamata Banerjee’s struggle for farmers is as follows:

2006

May 2006: The then West Bengal Government decided to acquire 997 acres (initially 1,013 acres were asked for) for Tata Motors’ small-car factory in Singur in Hooghly district. Almost 6,000 families, including many agricultural workers and marginal peasants, were to lose their land and livelihoods.

There was no compensation for the landless agricultural workers, unrecorded bargadars and other rural households who were indirectly dependent for their livelihood on land and agricultural activities. Almost all the land-owners had also expressed their unwillingness to give their land from the inception of the project, but these appeals had fallen on deaf ears.

July 17: Work on acquisition of land for the factory for producing Nano cars in Singur began. Farmers led by the Trinamool Congress MLA from Singur, Rabindranath Bhattacharjee, lodged protests, saying the State Government was trying to remove them from the land they owned.

September 25: The land in Singur was forcefully acquired. The events showed that the Left Front Government could go to any extent to evict the people and hand over the land to the company officials. More than 400 people, including several women and children, were brutally assaulted and about 78 activists were arrested, which included 27 women and then Member of Parliament Mamata Banerjee.

At around 1.40 in the night, RAF and police together attacked a few thousand men, women and children who had been protesting peacefully all day. A few hundred persons were injured. About 5,000 people, including about 2,000 women, had peacefully demonstrated at the block development office at Singur against the distribution of cheques to peasants under the banner of ‘Singur Krishi Jami Raksha Committee’. Rajkumar Bhul, who was attacked by police, died on September 28.

The struggle of the people nevertheless continued in a democratic and peaceful fashion in the next few months. Marches, rallies and public hearings got organised in Singur and Kolkata.

October 1: On the day of Bijoya Dashami, night vigil was observed in the affected mouzas of Singur. All the villagers in all the villages in Singur block switched off the lights in their houses in the evening as a symbol of protest.

November 30: Assault on Mamata Banerjee who was barred by police from proceeding to Singur. The Government prohibited all assemblies in Singur, displaying its Fascist face.

December 2: Farmers of Khaserbheri, Bera Beri and Gopalnagar gathered to resist the fencing of the proposed project land. Severe police force was used against them, several people were injured and more than 60 people were arrested.

December 4: The Singur agitation intensified with Mamata Banerjee starting a hunger strike at Esplanade in central Kolkata after the State Government had rejected her demand for stopping the fencing work in Singur and the withdrawal of police forces from the area. It lasted 26 days.

December 18: At about 6am, the body of a young activist of the Singur Krishi Jami Raksha Samiti, Tapasi Malik was found burning in the fenced area. The girl was reportedly raped and murdered by miscreants who were present within the guarded area.

2008

October 3: The Nano project is moved out of Bangla.

2011

March 28: Mamata Banerjee announced before the Assembly election that she would do everything to return 400 acres of land in Singur to the unwilling farmers.

May 20: A Trinamool Congress-led Government took oath with Mamata Banerjee as Chief Minister.

June 14: The AITC-led Government passed the historic Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Bill in the Assembly.

2016

August 31: Supreme Court of India terms the land acquisition in Singur illegal and unconstitutional.

Mamata Banerjee – The face of the land movement in Bangla

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Mamata Banerjee has been the face of the land movement in Bangla. It was she who fearlessly fought against the tyranny of the Left Front Government during the Singur and Nandigram movements.

In 2006, the Left-led Government acquired 997 acres of multi-crop land for a car factory in Singur. The forcible acquisition, which was made under the colonial Land Acquisition Act of 1894, led to protests all over Bangla, led by Mamata Banerjee. She even went on a hunger strike for 26 days for the sake of farmers’ rights.

In 2011, Mamata Banerjee became the Chief Minister of Bangla after the people voted in large numbers for a change of guard in the State. Since then, the Government has taken up numerous initiatives for land reforms.

Here are some of the most important achievements:

Singur verdict

In compliance with the landmark verdict of the Hon. Supreme Court of India, land amounting to almost 980 acres, situated within the erstwhile Singur Project Area, has been returned to almost 12,000 families dispossessed by the project, after making the land suitable for cultivation.

New Land Bill

Following the footsteps of Bangla, the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill, 2015 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on February 24, 2015. The Bill replaced the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014.

Land Policy

From 2011 to 2018, many important policy decisions have been taken for achieving better administration, regulation and management of land:

In a bold policy initiative, the State Government has decided to waive tax on agricultural land. This will go a long way in not only mitigating hardships faced by farmers but also boosting agricultural output and income.

The Land Allotment Policy was formulated in financial year (FY) 2012-13 in order to introduce uniformity, reduce discretion and ensure transparency while dealing with public assets. The policy laid down a transparent process for allotments of land along with the terms for such allotments.

The Land Purchase Policy was introduced in FY 2014-15 to enable the State Government and its parastatal agencies to purchase land for infrastructure projects through a process of direct negotiation with willing landowners against just compensation and incentives. The scope of this policy was extended to land purchase for Central Government departments as well in FY 2016-17. The stated policy of the State Government is that there will be no forceful acquisition of land. The purchase policy of the Government is thus consent-based and transparent. So far, the Standing Committee on Industry, Infrastructure and Employment has cleared direct purchase of about 950 acres for various projects of public importance.

The State Land Use Board has developed a Land Bank of available land in all the districts of Bangla with a view to ensuring availability of land for infrastructural development for industries and other developmental work, including ­flagship projects of the State.

Amendments to Section 14Y of the West Bengal Land Reforms Act, 1955 were carried out in 2014 to broaden the scope of the section. Now entrepreneurs may, with prior permission of the Government, utilise ceiling-surplus land to set up units for various industrial and social infrastructural activities in sectors like information technology, shipbuilding, township, transportation terminal and logistics hub, in addition to existing sectors.

Land Use Map

Utilising the concept of index-linked land use, zoning maps were introduced in FY 2011-12 for the use of investors. Land Use Maps broadly contain parameters like dry/ barren land, single-crop land, double/ multi-crop land, forest land, metalled roads, national /state highways, railway network, waterbodies, etc.

Nijo Griha Nijo Bhumi

NGNB (launched in 2011) provides up to 5 decimal land to eligible beneficiary families (all rural landless and homeless agricultural labourers/ artisans/ fishermen). Almost 2.2 lakh NGNB pattas have been distributed under this scheme so far.

From 2011 to 2017, a total of more than 3 lakh pattas (including NGNB, agricultural and forest pattas) were distributed.

Singur Now – A hub of agricultural productivity

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About two years ago, on August 31, 2016, the Supreme Court of India passed a historic judgment declaring that the land acquisition made by the erstwhile Left Front Government in Singur was illegal and unconstitutional. It asked the present Trinamool Congress Government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to return the plots to their owners. Thus the 10-year struggle of Mamata Banerjee against illegal land acquisition ended in a victory for the farmers.

Mamata Banerjee had hailed the Supreme Court’s decision and said she had “tears of joy”. On September 2, 2016, Singur Utsav was observed in every block of Bangla to commemorate the Supreme Court decision quashing the acquisition of land in Singur. Rallies were taken out by Trinamool activists and supporters in various parts of the State while celebrating ‘Singur Vijay Diwas’. Cultural programmes were held and the day was observed in the Vidhan Sabha too.

On September 14, 2016, Mamata Banerjee handed over land parchas (land deeds) and compensation cheques to farmers in Singur. To commemorate this occasion, September 14 is being celebrated as Singur Dibas this year.

Around 9,117 land deeds were handed over in 2016. Around 800 compensation cheques were handed over by the Chief Minister and her Cabinet colleagues to those farmers who had to unwillingly part with their land. “In the first lot, 9,117 parchas were given. All land will be returned in cultivable form within eight weeks,” she had said in 2016, during her visit to Singur after the judgement.

The Chief Minister said that the government will be setting up check dams and small tubewells for irrigation in Singur. She added that soil testing would be done and all fertilisers for making the land fertile and cultivable would be provided to the farmers.

On October 17, the Bengal Chief Minister said that the process of giving physical possession of land in Singur would begin on October 20 and will be completed in 15 to 20 days.

On October 20, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee formally re-commenced farming on the plots of land in Singur which were given away to Tata Motors’ Nano project by the Left Front Government, by sowing seeds of mustard on those plots.

By November 2016, the land was returned and by January 2017, the 300 or so farmers whose land had not been affected by the steel and concrete structures had already started producing golden-skin potatoes that farmers in Singur are renowned for. Rabi and Boro crops were grown as well in Singur. The Government also encouraged the use of organic fertilisers there.

About 230 acres of paddy fields sown in early February using new, low-water techniques have produced knee-high crops. Sesame, maize, cucumbers and banana have also been planted. A new power network now runs 63 freshly drilled wells for dry season irrigation and sprinklers and drips are in use. The State Government had also provided farmers with high-yielding seeds, fertilizer and Rs 10,000 toward new farm equipment and extra workers to help with labour.

With all these steps taken, Singur has become a model for the agriculture and horticulture sectors.

Second anniversary of the historic Singur verdict

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Today, August 31, is the second anniversary of the historic Singur verdict. On this day in 2016, the Supreme Court of India ruled that the acquisition of land in Singur for the building of a small car factory was illegal, and so the land acquired had to be returned to the farmers, who were always unwilling to part with their multi-crop plots.

The struggle for the farmers of Singur was one of the biggest milestones in the political career of Mamata Banerjee. Hence, as soon as the verdict was announced, the Trinamool Congress Government began preparations for returning the plots. Various techniques, including chemically altering the nature of the soil, were also started to be implemented to return the land to its fertile self. After all, Singur has always been a multi-crop land.

On September 14, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee handed over land deeds to the farmers at a grand ceremony in Singur. She symbolically initiated the re-cropping of the land by sprinkling maize seeds. Two years down the line, Singur has almost returned to its former self – acres upon acres of golden harvests of paddy, potato, pulses, maize, sesame, mustard and several more crops.

The Singur Movement is now internationally renowned, and it was Mamata Banerjee who single-handedly put it on the world map. Her struggle and eventual victory is a landmark in the agrarian history of the world, not just of India.

On this special occasion, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted to express her solidarity with farmers of the entire country:

“On August 31, 2016, the SC, in a historic judgment declared that the land acquisition made by erstwhile Left Govt in Singur was illegal. On 2nd anniversary of the historic judgment, my best wishes to all farmers of the country. We are always committed to their struggle & cause”.

Khadya Sathi: Food security for Bangla

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In the last seven years, the Bangla Government has ensured food security for 90% of the State’s population. Khadya Sathi is one of the flagship programmes of the Bangla Government, implemented by the Food & Supplies Department.

In fact, managing a targeted public distribution system (TPDS) and procurement of paddy and rice at MSP to prevent distressed sale are the principal activities of this department, and the Khadya Sathi Scheme is an integral part of these activities.

The major challenge is to ensure the reach of subsidised foodgrains to the poorest of the poor.

Beneficiaries increased manifold

In financial year (FY) 2010-11, 2.74 crore people in Bangla were getting rice at Rs 2 per kg. This covered only the people under below poverty line (BPL) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) categories. In order to improve the access to food for the vulnerable sections, the coverage was increased manifold in the following seven years by the Trinamool Congress Government.

The flagship programme, Khadya Sathi was launched in January 2016. As of now, it ensures food security for around 8.59 crore people. Out of this, 7.20 crore people belonging to disadvantaged sections of society, who get rice and wheat at Rs 2 per kg and the comparatively well-off 1.39 crore people get foodgrains at half the market price.

Special categories

Out of the 7.2 crore people, 48.07 lakh beneficiaries are covered under special packages for the Jangalmahal region, Cyclone Aila-affected families, unwilling land-giving farmers of Singur, workers and non-workers of closed tea gardens, Hill areas, Toto tribe (staying in Totopara), and other destitute and homeless people. The achievement shows the exponential growth in coverage of people under PDS.

Special package for severely acute malnourished children

Part of the Khadya Sathi Scheme is a special package for severely acute malnourished (SAM) children. This nutrition programme is implemented in association with Health & Family Welfare Department. As part of this, from FY 2014-15, free-of-cost nutritional support is being provided to approximately 5,200 SAM category children and their mothers. The package consists of 5 kg rice, 2.5 kg wheat, 1 kg masoor dal and 1kg Bengal gram per month.

Thus, through the Khadya Sathi scheme, Mamata Banerjee-led Bangla Government is ensuring nutritional security for people of all ages across the length and breadth of the State. Access to proper food is no longer an issue now.

Bengal Govt finalises design of Singur monument

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The State Government has finalised the design of the monument to be built in Singur to honour the 14 people who were martyred in 2006 while protesting against the forceful acquisition of land for the small car factory of the Tatas. The monument will consist of a statue surrounded by a park.

According to government sources, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gave her seal of approval on April 3 to one of the several designs presented. An undertaking company of the State Government will be developing the monument.

She had announced the building of the monument in 2016 during her visit to Singur, following the Supreme Court judgement on August 31 of that year, after a fight of 10 long years, which gave the unwilling farmers back their land, stating that the acquisition was unjustified.

The monument will be developed on a one-acre plot off National Highway 2 at Singer Bheri, close to the 997 acres taken away forcefully. The height of the statue will be 25 to 30 feet and it will be placed on a 15 feet high pedestal. It will be surrounded by a beautiful park.

Among the 14 martyrs of Singur are Tapasi Malik and Rajkumar Bhul. Tapasi, a teenage girl, was burnt to death after being raped 26-year-old Bhul succumbed to his injuries after being beaten up by the police.

The Mamata Banerjee government had provided all support to the land losers to get back their land and make it cultivable again. The Singur Movement has also been included in the history book of Class VIII meant for State Government schools.

 

 

সিঙ্গুরে শহীদদের স্মৃতিতে সৌধ

২০০৬ সালে একটি গাড়ি কোম্পানির ফ্যাক্টরি তৈরী করার অছিলায় সিঙ্গুরে বাম সরকারের অসাংবিধানিক, বলপূর্বক জমি অধিগ্রহণের বিরুদ্ধে রুখে দাঁড়ায় সাধারণ মানুষ। সিঙ্গুরের মানুষের জমি আন্দোলন ও আন্দোলনে শহীদদের স্মরণে মুখ্যমন্ত্রী মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ের নির্দেশে সিঙ্গুরের সিঙের ভেড়িতে তৈরী হচ্ছে একটি স্মৃতি সৌধ। এই সৌধকে কেন্দ্র করে একটি সুদৃশ্য পার্কও তৈরী করা হয়েছে।

দুর্গাপুর এক্সপ্রেসওয়ের পাশে সিঙের ভেড়ি অঞ্চলের ১ একর জমি চিহ্নিত করা হয়েছে এই পার্কটির জন্য। পার্কের মাঝে থাকবে ৪০ ফিটের সৌধ। সেরা তিনটি নক্সার মধ্যে একটি বাছা হয়েছে। পুরো সৌধটি হবে ফাইবার ঢালাইয়ে। মূল সৌধটির উচ্চতা হবে ২৫ থেকে ৩০ ফিট। ১৫ ফুটের একটি মঞ্চের ওপর বসানো হবে।

প্রথমে একটি রেপ্লিকা তৈরী করে মঞ্চের ওপর বসানো হবে, মুখ্যমন্ত্রী চূড়ান্ত অনুমোদন দিলে তারপরেই মূল সৌধটি স্থাপন করা হবে। সুদৃশ্য আলো দিয়ে ‘নাইট ভিশন’ এর ব্যবস্থা করা হবে। ভিতরে বসার আয়োজনও করা হবে।

Source: Millennium Post

Bengal Govt to use tech to standardise quality control of aromatic rice & pulses

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To make determination of the quality of aromatic rice and pulse varieties the Bengal Government buys from farmers to be sold at the fair-price Bangla outlets across the state standardised and hence, foolproof, the Agricultural Marketing Department has decided to take the help of technology.

E-nose technology would be introduced at the government’s state-of-the-art quality control laboratory in Singur to ensure the quality of aromatic rice varieties. As an official of the department explained, different varieties of aromatic rice have different aromas – for example, Kalo Nunia has a mild smell while Gobindobhog is known for its strong smell. What was done till now by humans would, to ensure uniformity, soon be taken over by technology.

Another technology named Pulse View will be introduced at the Singur laboratory for assessing the quality of pulse. According to the Agriculture Department official, vegetables, rice and pulses will all be tested in the laboratory before being sent to the Sufal Bangla outlets in the city.

The aim is to ensure that only the best products are sold at these State Government outlets. In this connection, it needs to be mentioned that recently the number of Sufal Bangla outlets were increased – 22 mobile stalls were set up, adding to the existing 16 permanent and 29 mobile stalls.

The State Agriculture Department is encouraging farmers to cultivate forgotten varieties of aromatic rice like Radha Tilak, Kala Bhat, Dudheshwar, Hamai, Jhumpuri, Khara and Balam, to name a few, with technical support from the government’s agricultural training centre in Phulia in Nadia district, and is chalking out plans to create a market for them.

Natural methods are being encouraged to be used to grow these varieties as the use of chemicals to enhance production will, in the long run, badly affect the environment, including the quality of the soil.

 

সুগন্ধি চাল ও ডালের গুনমান বজায় রাখতে প্রযুক্তির ব্যবহার করবে রাজ্য সরকার

 

সুফল বাংলা স্টলগুলিতে যে সুগন্ধি চাল ও ডাল পাওয়া যায় তা রাজ্য সরকার সরাসরি চাষিদের থেকে কেনে। এবার সেই সুগন্ধি চাল ও ডালের গুনমান যাতে দীর্ঘদিন বজায় থাকে, তার জন্য আরও সচেষ্ট হল রাজ্য সরকার। এর জন্য প্রযুক্তির সাহায্য নেবে রাজ্য সরকার।

সুগন্ধি চালের গুনমানের জন্য অত্যাধুনিক ‘ই-নোস’ প্রযুক্তি ব্যবহার করা হবে সিঙ্গুরের কোয়ালিটি কন্ট্রোল গবেষণাগারে। দপ্তরের এক আধিকারিক জানান, বিভিন্ন সুগন্ধি চালে বিভিন্ন ধরনের গন্ধ থাকে। যেমন, কালো নুনিয়ার গন্ধ হালকা, গোবিন্দভোগের গন্ধ প্রবল।
চালের গুনমানের জন্য সিঙ্গুরের গবেষণাগারে ‘পালস ভিউ’ প্রযুক্তিও ব্যবহৃত হবে। এবার থেকে এই পরীক্ষার পরই সুফল বাংলার স্টলগুলিতে চাল, ডাল বা অন্যান্য আনাজ আসবে, যাতে সেরা মানের চাল, ডাল ও আনাজ পান ক্রেতারা।

উল্লেখ্য, বিভিন্ন বিরল প্রজাতির চালের চাষ বাড়াতে নানারকম উদ্যোগ নিয়েছে রাজ্য সরকার। নদীয়া জেলার ফুলিয়ায় সরকারের কৃষি প্রশিক্ষণ কেন্দ্রে কৃষকদের সবরকম প্রশিক্ষণ প্রদান করা হচ্ছে। জৈবিক পদ্ধতিতে এই সব চালের উৎপাদন করতে বলা হচ্ছে তাদের।
Source: Millennium Post

Trinamool Congress turns 20 – Looking back at the journey

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It is now 20 years since All India Trinamool Congress was formed. From a small regional party in 1998, when it was formed under the leadership of the firebrand leader, Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool Congress is now a force to reckon with in national politics.

Over these 20 years, there have been numerous memorable moments, and it would not be a feasible idea to list all of them here. However, let us take a look at 20 crucial events along the timeline of 20 years, events which have proved to all and sundry that Trinamool Congress always strives to serve the common people, come hell or high weather.
1. Formation of the party

Trinamool Congress was founded on January 1, 1998, and Mamata Banerjee was chosen as the leader of the party. In that year too, the party fought the general elections for the first time and significantly, won eight seats in the Lok Sabha from Bengal.

2. Railways Minister

After the 1999 general election, Mamata Banerjee became the Union Railways Minister, which she remained till 2001.

3. Winning the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC)

In 2000, Trinamool Congress fought in the election for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation for the first time, and won overwhelmingly. For the first time, the Kolkata Mayor was a Trinamool candidate.

4. First Assembly elections

In 2001, Trinamool Congress fought the State Assembly election for the first time, and won in 60 seats.

5. Keshpur and Garbeta massacres

On January 4, 2001, Trinamool workers were massacred in Chhoto Angariya by the workers of CPI(M).

6. Jago Bangla

In 2004, the official mouthpiece of All India Trinamool Congress, Jago Bangla was first published. It is a weekly publication.

7. Singur Movement

In 2006, the then State Government forcibly acquired 1,000 acres of prime farmland from farmers in Singur for a car factory. Trinamool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, started a huge movement to compel the government to return the plots to the unwilling farmers.

8. 26-day hunger strike

Trinamool Congress Chairperson Mamata Banerjee undertook a hunger strike, which lasted for 26 days, against the forcible acquisition of 1,000 acres of farmland in Singur for a car factory by Tata Motors.

9. Nandigram Movement

In a re-run of Singur, in 2007 in Nandigram, the then State Government, tried to forcibly acquire agricultural land. A movement built up, again led by Trinamool Congress. On March 14 of that year, police fired indiscriminately on protesters, killing 14 people.

10. Panchayat election win

In the 2008 Panchayat election, Trinamool Congress put up a great show, forming the Zilla Parishad in East Midnapore and South 24 Parganas districts.

11. Lok Sabha win

In the 2009 general elections, Trinamool Congress won 19 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats from Bengal.

12. Second KMC win

In 2010, Trinamool Congress won the Kolkata Municipal Corporation for a second time, winning handsomely.

13. Assembly election win

In 2011, Trinamool Congress won a historic Assembly election, bringing to an end 34 years of Left Front rule. It formed the first Ma-Mati-Manush Government in Bengal under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee.

14. Decimation of Left in Panchayat polls

In 2013, Trinamool Congress won 13 out of 17 Zila Parishads in the State, decimating the Left Front completely.

15. Winning majority of the seats in Lok Sabha from Bengal

Achieving another milestone, in 2014, Trinamool Congress won 34 of the 42 seats in the Lok Sabha election, which is currently the fourth highest in the Lok Sabha.

16. 33% female MPs in Lok Sabha

In the 2014 election for the Lok Sabha, Trinamool Congress hit another milestone – 12 women became Members of Parliament (MP).

17. Victory in Municipal polls

In 2015, Trinamool Congress retained the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, as well as winning 77 other civic body elections. Trinamool Congress has thus proved its name – ‘trinamool’ means ‘grassroots’ – as it now has holds power in the majority of elected bodies in Bengal at all levels, and has brought about a golden reign of governance.

18. Second Assembly win

In 2016, Trinamool Congress won the Assembly election for a second consecutive time, this time more overwhelmingly than ever. The party, under the strident leadership of Mamata Banerjee, won 211 of the 294 seats, decimating the opposition with the power of the people. Mamata Banerjee became the Chief Minister for a second consecutive term.

19. Singur land returned

After the historic judgment by Supreme Court on August 31, 2006, the land acquisition at Singur was termed unconstitutional. Fulfilling her promise, Mamata Banerjee returned the land deeds to farmers in Singur in September.

20. National party

In recognition of the growing influence that Trinamool Congress is having in national politics, in 2016, the Election Commission recognised the party as a national party. Trinamool Congress thus became the seventh national party.

 

২০ বছরের স্মৃতি রোমন্থন

দেখতে দেখতে সর্বভারতীয় তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস ২০ বছর পেরিয়ে গেল। অনেক উত্থান পতনের মধ্যে দিয়ে বাংলার রাজনীতিতে নিজের জায়গা পাকাপাকি ভাবে তৈরী করে নিয়েছে তৃণমূল।

শুধু তাই নয়, বিগত সাড়ে ছয় বছর ধরে বাংলার শাসনভারে গ্রহণ করে মা,মাটি, মানুষের সেবায় নিমজ্জিত তৃণমূল। বাংলার পাশাপাশি দেশের রাজনীতিতেও নিজের গুরুত্ব বুঝিয়ে দিয়েছে মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ের নেতৃত্বাধীন তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস, প্রায় নিজের জন্মলগ্ন থেকেই।

২০ বছরে এই দলের ইতিহাসে আছে অগণিত স্মরণীয় মুহূর্ত। দেখে নেওয়া যাক সেরকমই ২০টি অবিস্মরণীয় মুহূর্ত।

১. দল গঠন

১৯৯৮ সালের ১লা জানুয়ারি তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস দলটি তৈরী হয়। মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায় দলের নেত্রী নির্বাচিত হন। প্রথম বার লোকসভা ভোটে অংশ নিয়ে ৮টি আসনে জয়লাভ করে এই দল।

২. রেল মন্ত্রীত্ব

১৯৯৯ সালের পুনরায় লোকসভা নির্বাচন হয়। ১৯৯৯ সালের লোকসভা নির্বাচনে মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায় ভারতবর্ষের রেল মন্ত্রী হন, তিনি ২০০১ সাল পর্যন্ত রেল মন্ত্রী ছিলেন।

৩. কলকাতা পুরসভা জয়

২০০০ সালে কলকাতা পুরসভা ভোটে অংশগ্রহণ করে বিপুল ভোটে জয়লাভ করে তৃণমূল। এই প্রথম কলকাতার মহানাগরিক হন এক তৃণমূল সদস্য।

৪. প্রথম বিধানসভা ভোট

২০০১ সালে প্রথমবার তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস বিধানসভা ভোটে অংশগ্রহণ করে ও ৬০টি আসনে বিজয়ী ঘোষিত হয়।

৫. কেশপুর ও গড়বেতার নারকীয় হত্যাকান্ড

২০০১ সালের ৪ঠা জানুয়ারী মেদিনীপুর জেলার ছোট আঙারিয়ায় তৃণমূল কর্মীদের কুপিয়ে খুন করে হার্মাদরা।

৬. জাগো বাংলা

২০০৪ সালে তৃণমূল কংগ্রেসের মুখপত্র ‘জাগো বাংলা’ প্রথম প্রকাশিত হয়। এটি একটি সাপ্তাহিক পত্রিকা।

৭. সিঙ্গুর আন্দোলন

২০০৬ সালে টাটা কোম্পানির গাড়ির কারখানা তৈরীর জন্য সিঙ্গুরের ১০০০ একর জমি বলপূর্বক অধিগ্রহণ করে নেয় তৎকালীন সরকার। অনিচ্ছুক কৃষকদের জমি ফিরিয়ে দেওয়ার দাবীতে আন্দোলন শুরু করেন মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়।

৮. ২৬ দিনের অনশন

সিঙ্গুরের অনিচ্ছুক কৃষকদের স্বার্থে এবং গ্রামবাসীদের ওপর সিপিএম হার্মাদবাহিনীর নারকীয় অত্যাচারের প্রতিবাদে তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস নেত্রী ধর্মতলায় অনির্দিষ্টকালীন অনশন শুরু করেন। ২৬ দিন পর, মাননীয় রাজ্যপাল ও বিদ্বজ্জনদের অনুরোধে অনশন প্রত্যাহার করেন তিনি।

৯. নন্দীগ্রাম আন্দোলন

সিঙ্গুরের মতো নন্দীগ্রামেও বেসরকারি কেমিক্যাল হাব তৈরী করার জন্য অনিচ্ছুক কৃষকদের থেকে বলপূর্বক জমি ছিনিয়ে নিতে বিজ্ঞপ্তি জারি করে তৎকালীন সরকার। তৃণমূল কংগ্রেসের নেতৃত্বে শুরু হয় আন্দোলন। ১৪ই মার্চ ২০০৭ সালে পুলিশ নির্বিচারে গুলি চালিয়ে (সরকারি হিসেবে) ১৪ জন গ্রামবাসীর প্রাণ কেড়ে নেয়।

১০. পঞ্চায়েত জয়

২০০৮ সালে পঞ্চায়েত নির্বাচনে অংশ নিয়ে সারা রাজ্যে বিপুল ভোটে জয়লাভ করে তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস। ব্যাপক ফল করে তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস। পূর্ব মেদিনীপুর ও দক্ষিণ ২৪ পরগনা জেলা পরিষদ দখল করে তৃণমূল।

১১. লোকসভায় জয়

২০০৯ সালে বামবিদায়ের ঘন্টা বাজিয়ে লোকসভা নির্বাচনে ব্যাপক জয়লাভ করে তৃণমূল। রাজ্যের ৪২টি আসনের মধ্যে তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস ১৯টি আসনে বিজয়ী হয়।

১২. পুরসভা জয়

২০১০ সালে বিপুল জনসমর্থন নিয়ে পুনরায় কলকাতা পুরসভা দখল করে তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস।

১৩. বিধানসভা জয়

৩৪ বছরের অপশাসন ঘুচিয়ে, বাম সরকারকে পর্যুদস্ত করে মা মাটি মানুষের আশীর্বাদ নিয়ে প্রথমবার মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ের নেতৃত্বে তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস সরকার বাংলার শাসনভার গ্রহণ করে।

১৪. জেলা পরিষদ জয়

২০১৩ সালে বামেদের কার্যত নিশ্চিহ্ন করে দিয়ে পঞ্চায়েত নির্বাচনে ১৩টি জেলা পরিষদ জয় করে তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস।

১৫. লোকসভা নির্বাচনে বিপুল জয়

২০১৪ সালের লোকসভা নির্বাচনে রাজ্যের ৪২টি আসনের মধ্যে ৩৪টিতে জয়লাভ করে তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস। দেশের চতুর্থ বৃহত্তম দল হিসেবে উঠে আসে তৃণমূল।

১৬. ৩৩ শতাংশ মহিলা সাংসদ

২০১৪ সালের তৃণমূলের নির্বাচিত লোকসভার সাংসদদের মধ্যে ৩৩ শতাংশ মহিলা সাংসদ। সংসদে মহিলা সংরক্ষণ বিল বহু বছর ধরে আটকে। তা সত্ত্বেও মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায় বুঝিয়ে দিলেন ইচ্ছে থাকলে উপায় হয়।

১৭. পুরসভা জয়

২০১৫ সালে কলকাতা পুরসভা সহ রাজ্যের ৭৮টি পুরসভা নির্বাচনে বিপুল জনসমর্থন নিয়ে জয়লাভ করে তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস।

১৮. দ্বিতীয়বার বিধানসভা জয়

২০১৬ সালে ২৯৪ আসনের মধ্যে ২১১ আসন জিতে দ্বিতীয় বারের জন্য বাংলার শাসনভার গ্রহণ করে মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ের নেতৃত্বাধীন তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস।

১৯. সিঙ্গুরে জমি ফেরত

কথা দিয়ে কথা রাখলেন মুখ্যমন্ত্রী মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়। ৩১ আগস্ট, ২০১৬ তে সুপ্রিম কোর্ট ঐতিহাসিক রায়ে সিঙ্গুরের জমি অধিগ্রহণকে অসাংবিধানিক আখ্যা দেয়। এরপর মমতা ববন্দ্যোপাধ্যায় সেপ্টেম্বর মাসে সিঙ্গুরের কৃষকদের জমি ফিরিয়ে দেন। সিঙ্গুর ফিরে আসে শস্যের ভাণ্ডারে।

২০. সর্বভারতীয় দলের স্বীকৃতি

২০১৬ সালে দেশের সপ্তম সর্বভারতীয় রাজনৈতিক দল হিসেবে স্বীকৃতি পায় তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস।

 

Bengal Govt to return land to 52 owners in Kawakhali

Posted on | by aitc | Leave a Comment on Bengal Govt to return land to 52 owners in Kawakhali

After the Mamata Banerjee government’s immense success in returning land to farmers in Singur, it has decided to return the same to 52 families in Kawakhali who had their lands seized by the then-Left Front government to set up a residential township at Kawakhali in Siliguri.

It may be recalled that the Left Front government had acquired plots in the Kawakhali, Purajhar and Tikulikatha areas for the township. Despite opposition, the acquisition process continued till 2007. Most people who lost their land, were owners of small plots and they had raised slogans against the then-Chief Minister and the then-Urban Development minister.

Recollecting the days when land was “forcibly” acquired by the erstwhile Left Front government, State Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Partha Chatterjee said: “There was protest against land acquisition in Kawakhali. We had raised our voices against it and faced several hurdles when we went to Siliguri at that time. Now, we are returning the land. They will be getting the land in the area under the jurisdiction of Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA).”

It may be recalled that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had kept her word of returning land to the farmers in Singur as it was forcefully acquired by the Left Front government “going against the will of land owners”. It was in September 2016 that the Supreme Court had directed the state government to return the land to the farmers after returning to its earlier condition. The apex court had observed the land acquisition as a “farce”.

Within the time set by the Supreme Court, the Mamata Banerjee government had once again turned the land to its previous condition and distributed it to its actual owners. The Chief Minister had said that Singur would be a model in the agriculture sector of the world. The people of Kawakhali have appreciated the move of the state government to return the land to those who had lost them to “forceful” acquisition.

 

সিঙ্গুরের পথেই কাওয়াখালিতে জমি ফেরত মানবিক রাজ্য সরকারের

সিঙ্গুরের পর উত্তরবঙ্গের কাওয়াখালি। জোর করে কৃষকদের কাছ থেকে অধিগ্রহণ করা জমি ফিরিয়ে দিল মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ের সরকার। সোমবার এই সিদ্ধান্ত নিয়েছে রাজ্য মন্ত্রীসভা।

২০০৪ সালে বাম আমলে শিলিগুড়ি-জলপাইগুড়ি ডেভেলপমেন্ট অথরিটি দার্জিলিং-এর মাটিগাড়া ও জলপাইগুড়ির রাজগঞ্জে ৩০২একর জমি অধিগ্রহণ করে। এর মধ্যে ওখানকার ৫২টি পরিবার ক্ষতিপূরণের টাকা গ্রহণ করেনি। জমি ফেরতের জন্য মামলাও করেছিল। তৃণমূল ক্ষমতায় আসার পর সেই মামলা প্রত্যাহার করে নেন পরিবারগুলি। টাউনশিপ তৈরির নামে জমি নেওয়া হয়েছিল, কিন্তু, এই জমির বেশীর ভাগ ব্যাক্তিগত মালিকানায় চলে যায়।

ক্ষমতায় এসেই মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায় যেমন সিঙ্গুরের জমি ফেরত দেওয়ার কথা ঘোষণা করেছিলেন, তেমনই কাওয়াখালির জমি ফেরতের ব্যবস্থা করলেন। কাওয়াখালির জমিতে বেশ কিছু আইনি জটিলতা ছিল, তাই, সময় লাগে। কিন্তু, নিজের নীতিতে অনড় থাকেন মুখ্যমন্ত্রী।
মুখ্যমন্ত্রী কখনোই শিল্পের বিরুদ্ধে ছিলেন না, তিনি বহু ফসলি জমি জোর করে ছিনিয়ে শিল্প করার বিরুদ্ধে। সব জায়গায় তৃণমূল এই জোর করে জমি অধিগ্রহণের বিরোধিতা করেছে।

ক্ষমতায় আসার পর রাজ্যের শিল্পায়নকে পাখির চোখ করেছেন মুখ্যমন্ত্রী। পাশাপাশি নিশ্চিন্ত করেছেন কোনও বলপূর্বক জমি অধিগ্রহণ হবে না। সিঙ্গুরে অধিগৃহীত জমি ইতিমধ্যে ফেরত পেয়েছেন কৃষকরা। সেখানে এখন চাষ আবাদ হচ্ছে। এদিন কাওয়াখালিতে জমি ফেরতের প্রস্তাবে সম্মতি দিয়ে মুখ্যমন্ত্রীর নীতিতেই সিলমোহর দিল মন্ত্রীসভা।

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Bengal Govt to take steps to encourage cultivation on fallow land

Posted on | by aitc | Leave a Comment on Bengal Govt to take steps to encourage cultivation on fallow land

The Bengal Government has decided to advice farmers on ways to cultivate land generally considered uncultivable or which are lying fallow.

The Agriculture Department is going to hold a meeting with its officials posted in different districts to ensure that not even one cottah of land in its 194 farms lie unused. There are many farms where land is vacant and so directions will be given to cultivate something those plots.

According to a senior departmental official, if nothing can be cultivated, it will be advised to plant at least lemon trees; anything to ensure land doesn’t lie vacant.

There are also 300 ponds in the 194 farms. A letter has already been given to the Fisheries Department to ensure cultivation of fish in the ponds.

Recently too, the State Agriculture Department coordinated a meeting with all other allied departments in which sabhadipatis from all the districts were present. Most of the sabhadipatis appreciated the move of organising this co-ordination meeting.

Source: Millennium Post

অনাবাদী জমিকে চাষযোগ্য করার পরিকল্পনা নিয়েছে মমতার সরকার

অনাবাদী জমিকে চাষযোগ্য করে তুলতে পরিকল্পনা নিয়েছে মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ের সরকার। সেই লক্ষ্যেই প্রতিটি জেলার কৃষি আধিকারিকের সঙ্গে বৈঠক করেন কৃষিমন্ত্রী। তিনি বলেন, রাজ্যে এখনও বহু জমি অনাবাদী রয়েছে। প্রতিটি জমিকে চাষযোগ্য করতে হবে। তা ডালশস্য হোক বা অন্য কোনও ফসল, সেখানে চাষ করার ব্যবস্থা করতে হবে। কিছু না হোক কাগজী লেবুর চাষ যাতে করা যায়, তার পরিকল্পনা করতে হবে। কোনও ভাবেই ফেলে রাখা যাবে না। কৃষিতে বাংলাকে আরও এগিয়ে নিয়ে যেতে হবে। প্রসঙ্গত সিঙ্গুরের অনাবাদী হয়ে যাওয়া জমিকেও মাত্র ছ’মাসের মধ্যে চাষযোগ্য করে ফসল ফলানোর উদাহরণ হয়েছে এই কৃষি দপ্তরের।

কৃষিখামারেও অনেক জমি পড়ে রয়েছে। সেই জমিকেও ব্যবহারের জন্য নির্দেশ দেওয়া হয়েছে। রাজ্যে ১৯৪টি কৃষি খামার রয়েছে। সেখানে বহু জমি অনাবাদী রয়েছে। সেই সঙ্গে কৃষি খামারের মধ্যে থাকা পুকুরেও মাছ চাষের জন্য মৎস্য দপ্তরকে বলা হয়েছে বলে কৃষিমন্ত্রী বলেন। খুব শীঘ্রই কৃষি খামারের অধিকর্তাদের সঙ্গে বৈঠকে বসব। সেখানেও যাতে নানা ধরনের চাষ করা যায়, তার জন্য বলা হবে। মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায় চান, কৃষকদের আরও চাষের সুবিধা করে দিতে। কৃষিপণ্য উৎপাদনে পশ্চিমবঙ্গ আরও এগিয়ে যাক।