Tag: 2017

Looking back at 2017 – Bengal on fast track

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The sun of 2017 is setting, and 2018 is on the horizon. At this juncture, let us take a look at some of the crucial events that have held up for everyone.

It is an undeniable fact that under the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress Government, Bengal has turned a crucial bend on the road to development, and now there is no looking back.

Here are 17 events in 2017 that we will all remember:

1. Kanyashree wins UN award

On June 23, 2017, the Bengal Government was awarded the United Nations Public Service Award for winning the first prize among projects in South Asia for the Kanyashree Scheme.

2. FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Bengal

The Bengal Government earned worldwide praise, including from world football’s governing body, FIFA for successfully organising the Under-17 World Cup. Two of the most crucial matches, a semi-final and he final, were both held at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata.

3. Victory in by-elections

All the four by-elections held in 2017 – for the seats of Cooch Behar, Dakshin Kanthi, Tamluk and Sabang – were won by huge margins by the Trinamool Congress.

4. Bengal gets new districts

The State Government created four new districts for administrative convenience, bringing the total number to 23. Kalimpong was created out of Darjeeling and Jhargram was created out of Paschim Medinipur while Bardhaman was broken up into Purba Bardhaman and Paschim Bardhaman.

5. Trinamool blooms in the Hills

For the first time ever, Trinamool Congress has formed a local government in the Hills region. Mirik Municipality is now with Trinamool Congress.

6. Mega health reform

Setting a benchmark for other states as well as the Union Government, the West Bengal Clinical Establishments (Registration, Regulation and Transparency) Bill was passed by the State Assembly, brining in a raft of new measures for strengthening the health administration. Among other advantages, now, even for treatment in private hospitals, patients would be able to know the details about the cost and other aspects.

7. Balm on demonetisation troubles

The Bengal Government brought in the Samarthan Scheme in March 2017. It has ensured that those who have had to return to the state, having lost their jobs due to the impact of demonetisation, receive a one-time grant of Rs 50,000 to give them stability as well as enable them to start a new business. Along with this, they are also able to enrol in government schemes which would help them to ensure a steady income.

8. ‘Experience Bengal’ become viral

The State Tourism Department’s promotional video, ‘Experience Bengal’ has picked up a lot of praise, both in terms of the visuals and the content.

9. International business summit hits the right notes

The third Bengal Global Business Summit in January became a forum for industry interactions of the highest order. Representatives from about 30 countries attended the summit, and of course those from across India. Memoranda of understanding (MoU) worth Rs 2.34 lakh was signed at the summit.

10. Rosogolla wins it for Bengal

After a long fight, Rosogolla has been officially recognised, through the granting of a geographical information (GI) tag, as belonging to Bengal.

11. Sitalpati and gobindobhog get international recognition

The well-known aromatic gobindobhog variety of rice has earned a GI tag, giving it a locational uniqueness, and thus, a huge marketability. Sitalpati earned a similar recognition from UNESCO when it was recognised as an ‘intangible cultural heritage’.

12. Bengal leads in MSME

Over the last five years, among the states, entrepreneurs of Bengal, as a whole, have received the highest amount of loans, amounting to 15 billion US dollars. Additionally, in terms of both the number of micro, small and medium (MSME) enterprises and the number of people employed in those, Bengal stands second in the country. Almost 37 lakh MSME enterprises employ about 86 lakh people.

13. Bengal is leading in the construction of toilets

Bengal is the leading state in India in the construction of toilets. The State Government’s Mission Nirmal Bangla is ensuring that Bengal wins the race in terms of a sustainable open-defecation free (ODF) culture. UNESCO has specially recognised the state for this. Not just construction, the government is ensuring through various local campaigns that using proper toilets becomes a normal habit.

14. Stress on infrastructural development

The Bengal Government has decided to spend Rs 12,000 crore under the non-Plan head, with special stress on building infrastructure. Among the infrastructural projects completed is building 18,000 km of roads.

15. Chief Minister’s England and Scotland trip

This year, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee undertook highly successful visits to England and Scotland, drawing a lot of interest from industrialists and entrepreneurs. At the various summits she attended, Mamata Banerjee held up the huge opportunities and every type of help from the government that investors will find in Bengal.

16. Horasis Asia Summit in Kolkata

The prestigious Horasis Asia summit was held in Kolkata in November, which was the first time that it was held in India. Business leaders (CEOs, promoters, founders, etc.) from 65 countries, numbering 350, attended the summit. The Chief Minister addressed the summit too, inviting investment in all sectors in Bengal.

17. Infosys comes to Bengal

That the industrial climate of Bengal is changing for the better became evident when the international IT giant, Infosys decided to invest Rs 100 crore to set up a campus in Rajarhat, which will generate 1,000 jobs.

ফিরে দেখা ২০১৭

২০১৭র সূর্য আজ অস্তাচলে। নবদিগন্তে উদিত হবে ২০১৮র নতুন ভোর। বিগত বছরের কিছু অবিস্মরণীয় ঘটনাই হয়ে উঠুক আগামীর পথ চলার পাথেয়। কেমন কাটল এই বছর? ফিরে দেখা ২০১৭।

১. কন্যাশ্রীর বিশ্বজয়

রাষ্ট্রপুঞ্জে জনপরিষেবা দিবস উপলক্ষে এক অনুষ্ঠানে বাংলার প্রকল্প ‘‌কন্যাশ্রী’‌ প্রথম পুরস্কার পায়। ৬৩টি দেশের ৫৫২ প্রকল্পকে হারিয়ে সেরার শিরোপা পায় কন্যাশ্রী।

২. বিশ্ববাংলায় বিশ্বকাপ

এই প্রথম বার কলকাতায় আয়োজিত হয় অনূর্ধ্ব ১৭ বিশ্বকাপ ফুটবল। রাজ্য সরকারের সুষ্ঠু ব্যবস্থাপনায় মুগ্ধ হয় ফিফা কর্তৃপক্ষ। সবচেয়ে বেশি সংখ্যক দর্শকের উপস্থিতির জন্য প্রসংশিত হয় কলকাতা।

৩. উপনির্বাচনে তৃণমূলের জয়জয়কার

২০১৭ সালের ৪টি উপনির্বাচনে (কোচবিহার, দক্ষিণ কাঁথি, তমলুক ও সবং) বিপুল ভোটে জয়লাভ করে তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস।

৪. বাংলা পেল নতুন জেলা

নতুন তিনটি জেলা গঠিত হল বাংলায়। দার্জিলিং জেলা ভেঙে গড়া হয় কালিম্পঙ, বর্ধমান ভেঙে তৈরী হয় পূর্ব ও পশ্চিম বর্ধমান, এবং পশ্চিম মেদিনীপুর ভেঙে তৈরী হয় ঝাড়গ্রাম জেলা।

৫. পাহাড়ে ফুটল ঘাসফুল

রাজনৈতিক ইতিহাসে প্রথমবার পাহাড়ে (মিরিক পুরসভা) এককভাবে জয়লাভ করে পুরসভা গঠন করল তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস। প্রসঙ্গত, এর আগে কখনও পাহাড়ে সেখানকার আঞ্চলিক দল ছাড়া কেউ জয়লাভ করেনি।

৬. স্বাস্থ্যে বড় সংস্কার

স্বাস্থ্য পরিষেবায় স্বচ্ছতা আনতে, রোগীদের হয়রানি বন্ধ করতে ও চিকিৎসায় গাফিলতি রুখতে নতুন আইন আনল রাজ্য সরকার, গঠিত হল ১১ সদস্যের স্বাস্থ্য বিষয়ক কমিশন। রাজ্যের বেসরকারি হাসপাতাল ও নার্সিংহোমের বিলিং এর ওপর নজর রাখবে এই কমিশন। পাশাপাশি আইন লঙ্ঘন করলে হাসপাতালগুলির ওপর জরিমানা চাপাবে কমিশন।

৭. নোটবন্দির ক্ষতে প্রলেপ

২০১৭ সালের মার্চ মাসে পশ্চিমবঙ্গ সরকার ‘সমর্থন’ প্রকল্প চালু করেছে। যে সমস্ত শ্রমিক/কর্মচারী কেন্দ্রীয় সরকারের নোটবন্দির ফলে অন্য রাজ্য থেকে কাজ হারিয়ে ফিরে এসেছেন তাদের ৫০০০০ টাকার আর্থিক সাহায্য স্বরূপ এককালীন এই অনুদান দেওয়ার উদ্দেশ্যে এই প্রকল্প চালু করা হয়েছে।

৮. ভাইরাল ‘এক্সপিরিয়েন্স বেঙ্গল’

জানুয়ারী মাসে প্রকাশিত হয় পশ্চিমবঙ্গ পর্যটনের নতুন ভিডিও। সোশ্যাল মিডিয়া সাইটে বিপুল আলোড়ন ফেলে এই ভিডিও। প্রায় এক কোটি মানুষ এই ভিডিও দেখেছেন টুইটার, ফেসবুক, ইউটিউব সহ নানা সাইটে।

৯. বাণিজ্য সম্মেলনে লক্ষ্মী লাভ

তৃতীয় বিশ্ব বঙ্গ বাণিজ্য সম্মেলন অনুষ্ঠিত হয় জানুয়ারী মাসে। প্রায় ৩০টি দেশ থেকে প্রতিনিধিরা অংশগ্রহণ করেন এই সম্মেলনে। ২ লক্ষ ৩৪ হাজার কোটি টাকার লগ্নি প্রস্তাব পায় রাজ্য এই সম্মেলনে।

১০. রসগোল্লা বাংলারই

দীর্ঘ লড়াইয়ের পর শেষ হাসি হাসল বাংলাই। রসগোল্লার জিআই ট্যাগ জিতে নিল পশ্চিমবঙ্গ।

১১. শীতলপাটি ও গোবিন্দভোগের আন্তর্জাতিক স্বীকৃতি

আন্তর্জাতিক স্বীকৃতি পেল বাংলার হস্তশিল্প। রাজ্যের শীতলপাটি স্বীকৃতি পে ইউনেস্কো থেকে। পাশাপাশি, বাংলার সুগন্ধি গোবিন্দভোগ চাল পায় জিআই ট্যাগ।

১২. ক্ষুদ্র ও মাঝারি শিল্পে এগিয়ে বাংলা

ক্ষুদ্র ও মাঝারি শিল্পে গত পাঁচ বছরে ব্যাঙ্ক থেকে সব থেকে বেশি ঋণ পেয়েছে বাংলা, যার পরিমাণ হল প্রায় ১৫ বিলিয়ন ডলার। এর পাশাপাশি ক্ষুদ্র ও মাঝারি শিল্প প্রতিষ্ঠানের সংখ্যা অনুসারেও পশ্চিমবঙ্গ দেশে দ্বিতীয় স্থানে। বাংলায় প্রায় ৩৭ লক্ষ ক্ষুদ্র ও মাঝারি শিল্প প্রতিষ্ঠান আছে। প্রায় ৮৬ লক্ষ, ক্ষুদ্র ও মাঝারি শিল্পের সঙ্গে যুক্ত রয়েছেন। প্রসঙ্গত এই ক্ষেত্রেও বাংলা দেশে দ্বিতীয় স্থানাধিকারী।

১৩. শৌচাগার নির্মাণে শীর্ষে বাংলা

অন্যান্য রাজ্যের তুলনায় শৌচাগার নির্মাণে সবথেকে এগিয়ে বাংলা। এর জন্য ইউনিসেফ-এর প্রশংসা কুড়িয়েছে রাজ্য সরকার।

১৪. পরিকাঠামো উন্নয়নে জোর

পরিকাঠামো উন্নয়নে ১২ হাজার কোটি টাকা খরচ করবে রাজ্য সরকার। ২০১৭-১৮ অর্থবর্ষের বাজেটে পরিকাঠামো উন্নয়নের জন্য ধার্য আর্থিক লক্ষ্যমাত্রা ছাপিয়ে রাজ্য সরকার এই অতিরিক্ত ১২ হাজার কোটি টাকার সংস্থান করতে পেরেছে। এর পাশাপাশি রাজ্য জুড়ে ১৮০০০ কিলোমিটার নতুন গ্রামীণ রাস্তার সূচনা করা হয় মুখ্যমন্ত্রীর হাতে।

১৫. মুখ্যমন্ত্রীর ইংল্যান্ড ও স্কটল্যান্ড সফর

লন্ডনে ভগিনী নিবেদিতার জন্মের সার্ধশতবর্ষ উদ্যাপন উপলক্ষে নিবেদিতার বাড়িতে স্মৃতিফলক উন্মোচনে উপস্থিত ছিলেন মুখ্যমন্ত্রী। স্কটল্যান্ডের এডিনবরাতে শিল্প বৈঠক করেন মুখ্যমন্ত্রী। সেখান থেকে তিনি বাংলায় লগ্নির আহ্বান জানান। তুলে ধরেন রাজ্যের শিল্প সম্ভাবনার নানা দিক।

১৬. হোরাসিস বৈঠক কলকাতায়

শিল্পের বিষয়ে সুইজারল্যান্ডের আন্তর্জাতিক ‘থিঙ্ক ট্যাঙ্ক’, হোরাসিস তাদের প্রথম এশিয়া সম্মেলন করে কলকাতায়। এই সম্মেলনে ৬৫টি দেশের ৩৫০র বেশী কর্পোরেট লিডাররা যোগ দেন, যারা প্রতিষ্ঠাতা, মালিক, ম্যানেজিং ডিরেক্টর, প্রেসিডেন্টের মত মর্যাদাসম্পন্ন। এই সম্মেলনে বাংলার মুখ্যমন্ত্রী বাংলায় বিনিয়োগের জন্য আহ্বান জানান শিল্পপতি ও শিল্পপ্রতিনিধিদের।

১৭. বাংলায় আসছে ইনফোসিস

বাংলায় বিনিয়োগ করছে তথ্যপ্রযুক্তি সংস্থা ইনফোসিস। জমির মালিকানা এবং ব্যবহারের ক্ষেত্রে ছাড় পেতে চলেছে দেশের অন্যতম সেরা তথ্যপ্রযুক্তি সংস্থাটি। ইনফোসিসকে পুরোপুরি ৫০ একর জমির মালিকানা (ফ্রি-হোল্ড) দেবে সরকার।

Durga Puja Bishorjon Carnival on Red Road to be held on October 3 this year

Posted on | by aitc | Leave a Comment on Durga Puja Bishorjon Carnival on Red Road to be held on October 3 this year

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that carnival on Red Road with idols of goddesses Durga and her entourage will be held on October 3.

The Bishorjon Carnival, initiated by Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, is a unique show that gives people an opportunity to all to see the best pratimas at one place.

A special procession of about 39 Durga Puja committees, who won Biswa Bangla Sharad Samman, was organised last year on Red Road on the way to the bishorjon, or immersion.

 

আগামী ৩রা অক্টোবর প্রতিমা বিসর্জনের শোভাযাত্রা হবে রেড রোডে

জোরকদমে শুরু হয়ে গেছে দুর্গাপুজোর প্রস্তুতি। বুধবার নেতাজি ইনডোর স্টেডিয়ামে কলকাতার সবক’টি পুজো কমিটির প্রতিনিধি ও পুলিশ প্রশাসনের আধিকারিকদের নিয়ে বৈঠক করেন মুখ্যমন্ত্রী মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়।

এদিন মুখ্যমন্ত্রী ঘোষণা করেন আগামী ৩রা অক্টোবর রেড রোডে অভিনব নিরঞ্জনের শোভাযাত্রা হবে। সেই কার্নিভালে উপস্থিত থাকবেন মুখ্যমন্ত্রী।

গত বছর থেকে এই বিসর্জনের শোভাযাত্রা শুরু করে মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায় পরিচালিত সরকার যা সাধারণ মানুষকে একসঙ্গে সব বিখ্যাত প্রতিমা দেখার সুযোগ করে দিয়েছে। গত বছর ৩৯ টি পুজো এতে অংশগ্রহণ করেছিল।

 

Bill passed in Bengal Assembly to protect the interest of house buyers

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The Bengal Government, in an effort to provide a transparent policy in the housing sector, thereby protecting the interest of the buyers, has passed The West Bengal Housing Industry Regulation Bill, 2017. It was passed on Wednesday, August 17. The step was taken after considering the need for quality and affordable housing in the real estate sector.

It must be mentioned that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has given a clear instruction to ensure that the interests of buyers are given the highest priority, and the law has been framed keeping this in mind.

Within a period of one year after the Bill turns into an Act, the State Government will establish the West Bengal Housing Industry Regulatory Authority (WBHIRA) to exercise the powers conferred on it. The State Government will also set up an Appellate Tribunal known as West Bengal Housing Industry Appellate Tribunal where an aggrieved person can make an appeal.

The main purpose of the legislation is to keep the interest of the buyers at a higher ground. The new rules will also create an atmosphere to encourage private investment in the sector, with an emphasis on ‘housing for all’.

All promoters have to register their projects with the WBHIRA, furnishing all necessary details, including the stipulated time within which they plan to hand over the flats to the consumers. There are allegations that some promoters do not hand over flats to consumers within the promised period of time.

Through this new law, if any promoter fails to provide a flat to a customer within the stipulated time, there will be a provision to slap a fine on him, as well as a provision for the promoter to be prosecuted.

No promoter would be allowed to advertise, market, book, sell or offer for sale or invite persons to purchase any plot, apartment or building in any real estate project or part of it without registering the projects with the regulatory authority.

The new legislation will ensure that the whole procedure of the buying and selling of plots, apartments or buildings is done in a transparent manner so that it protects the interests of the consumers, and will also establish a mechanism for speedy redressal of disputes.

It sometimes been alleged that many people claim themselves to be real estate developers and dupe customers of huge amounts of money. The new legislation will also be able to check such incidents.

Another important feature of the new law passed is that no construction will be allowed through the filling up of water bodies.

It was assured during the discussion on the Bill in the Assembly that the new laws are going to be strictly implemented. No housing complex will be allowed in Bengal without the WBHIRA going through the necessary clearances issued by the departments.

 

রক্ষাকবচ ফ্ল্যাট মালিকদের, অসাধু প্রোমোটারদের কারসাজি রুখতে বিল পাশ

বুধবার রাজ্য বিধানসভায় গৃহীত হল দি ওয়েস্টবেঙ্গল হাউজিং ইন্ডাস্ট্রি রেগুলেশন বিল, ২০১৭। এই বিলের জেরে যে আইন আসছে, সেই অনুযায়ী এবার থেকে প্রোমোটারদের নিয়ন্ত্রক সংস্থা হিসাবে কাজ করবে দি হাউজিং ইন্ডাস্ট্রি রেগুলেশন অথরিটি।

এই বিল অনুযায়ী ৫০০ বর্গমিটার জমিতে নির্মাণ করছেন বা আটটি ফ্ল্যাট বানাচ্ছেন, এমন প্রোমোটারকে তাঁর নিজের সংস্থা এবং প্রকল্পের রেজিস্ট্রেশন করতে হবে অথরিটির কাছে। তা না করে ব্যাবসা করলে, দৈনিক ১০ হাজার টাকা পর্যন্ত জরিমানা ধার্য করার সংস্থান থাকছে নতুন আইনে।

নিজের প্রকল্প সম্পর্কে যাবতীয় তথ্য অর্থাৎ কোন প্রকল্পে ক্রেতার জন্য কী কী সুবিধা রয়েছে, কী কী মিলবে, কতটাই বা মিলবে, তার পুঙ্খানুপুঙ্খ বিবরণ সংশ্লিষ্ট প্রোমোটারকে রেগুলেশন অথরিটির ওয়েবপেজে জানিয়ে দিতে হবে। রেগুলেশন অথরিটির অনুমোদন ছাড়া কোনও প্রোমোটার বা ডেভেলপার আবাসন প্রকল্প সংক্রান্ত কোনও বিজ্ঞাপন দিতে পারবেন না।

প্রস্তাবিত এই আইনানুযায়ী, সংশ্লিষ্ট বিজ্ঞাপনের কোনও তথ্য কিংবা ক্রেতার কাছে ফ্ল্যাট হস্তান্তরের কোনও তথ্য মিথ্যা প্রমাণিত হলে কিংবা সময়মতো ফ্ল্যাট না মিললে সংশ্লিষ্ট প্রোমোটারকে জরিমানা করার পাশাপাশি জেলও খাটতে হতে পারে। কোনও প্রোমোটারই সংশ্লিষ্ট ফ্ল্যাটের দামের ১০ শতাংশের বেশি অগ্রিম বাবদ ক্রেতার কাছ থেকে নিতে পারবেন না।

নতুন এই আইনে রেগুলেটরি অথরিটির পাশাপাশি তৈরি করা হয়েছে স্টেট অ্যাডভাইজারি কাউন্সিল। এক্সঅফিসিও চেয়ারপার্সন হিসাবে যার মাথায় থাকবেন আবাসনমন্ত্রী নিজে। অর্থ, শিল্প-বাণিজ্য, পুর ও নগরোন্নয়ন, ক্রেতা সুরক্ষা এবং আইন দপ্তরের প্রতিনিধিদের সঙ্গেই কাউন্সিলে থাকবেন রেগুলেটরি অথিরিটির পাঁচজন সদস্য। প্রস্তাবিত এই আইনে থাকছে দি হাউজিং ইন্ডাস্ট্রি অ্যাপিলেট ট্রাইব্যুনালও। ফ্ল্যাট কেনা-বেচা সংক্রান্ত যে কোনও বিবাদ নিষ্পত্তির অধিকার থাকছে ট্রাইব্যুনালের। চুক্তি ভঙ্গের যে কোনও বিষয় দু’পক্ষের শুনানি করে ৬০ দিনের মধ্যে নিষ্পত্তি করবে ট্রাইব্যুনাল।

 

 

Ratna De Nag speaks on The National Institute of Petroleum and Energy Bill, 2017

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FULL TRANSCRIPT

Thank you, Deputy Speaker Sir, for giving me the opportunity to speak. The National Institute of Petroleum and Energy Bill, 2017, aims to set up an Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy at Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. It also declares the institution as one of national importance.

I appreciate the aim of the Bill as it provides high-quality education and research focussing on the theme of petroleum and hydrocarbons energy. The Government is going to pump in Rs. 655.46 crore to achieve this goal. It is stated that the budgetary support for capital expenditure is expected to spread out till 2022-23. Would the Hon Minister state what the plan of action in place is, particularly when our aim is very challenging and amount to be spent is so high?

Sir, the said institute is expected to be a domain-specific energy institute that will serve as the fountainhead of a nurturing, world-class technical human resources capable of serving as leaders and innovators in the field of petroleum technology and energy. What fieldwork has been put in place as of now or proposed to be put up for taking the issue further?

Sir, the said institute isn’t just extending high-quality education but also conducting advanced research in all aspects related to the conventional hydrocarbons. I appreciate the exalted aim. Will the Hon Minister state how he intends to go about this and what initiatives have already been put in place to achieve this aim of quality education and conducting advanced research in petroleum?

About the constitution of the Board of Governors responsible for the general superintendence, direction and control of the affairs of the institute, will they have a General Council of the institute, inter alia, to review both policies and programmes from time to time and suggest measures for the improvement, development and expansion of the institute.

I would like to know from the Hon Minister what measures have been put in place to make the functioning of the institute transparent and accountable? Will the institute have autonomy to steer clear of the impending issue that we face while navigating towards an institute of excellence and that is important in setting a benchmark for other institutions in other fields like agriculture and science et al?

Coming back to the aims of the Bill, what is the stand on this thing? How prepared are we? What are our challenges in the field of petroleum energy? Have we analysed them? Where are we placed vis-a-vis other countries in terms of technology and state-of-the-art innovations in the field of petroleum energy? There is a need to have a relook and a fresh look at the whole gamut of issues and concerns involving providing education and research when our institutions find hardly any place of excellence in hundred out of two hundred best institutions of the world.

There is an urgent need to bring in foreign faculty, who are experts and who know what is happening and what new developments and innovations are taking place in the realm of petroleum energy sector. I hope the Hon Minister endorses this view that there is a lot of room for improvement; and what you would do to strive towards making the National Institute of Petroleum Energy as Centre for Excellence in the real sense of the term and not make it as an achievement of the government of the day (that it has gifted an institute to the state and forget patronising and monetary aid).

Sir, I am representing Bengal. Would the Hon Minister consider setting up an Institute of National Importance to cater to the emerging and challenging needs in the domain of petroleum energy in Bengal?

Lastly I request the Hon Minister to withdraw the decision taken by the Ministry to stop the subsidy for LPG.

Thank you very much.

Saugata Roy speaks on The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2017

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FULL TRANSCRIPT 

Sir, I rise to speak on the Banking Regulation Amendment. I have given a notice opposing the introduction of this Bill and I had also given a Statutory Regulation against the Ordinance. Why had I opposed the introduction? I had said that this is not a necessary Bill. Nor was there any hurry in issuing an Ordinance. I shall substantiate my points with what I had said at that time.

Per se, the Bill may not be bad. But I will show that this Bill is unnecessary under existing laws. The Government could have taken steps against NPAs. There is no doubt that the problem of NPA has reached heights from which Government will find it very difficult to extricate itself. The total assets of the State in terms of gross NPAs and restructured standard advances of scheduled commercial banks was Rs 9.64 lakh crore on December 31, 2016. Share Rs 9 lakh crore se zyada hain. And if you really look at the total NPAs during financial year 2016 for public sector banks, which was 9.83 per cent of gross advances, or almost 10 per cent of advances to the public sector banks, measures seem to have been taken.

But, as a Member correctly pointed out, what was the Government doing for three years as the NPA rose? And we will talk about Vijay Mallya. I will give you the names of 12 top NPA people, the total ‘toxic’ 12. The total NPA amount is Rs 7.7 lakh crore. Which are the big companies? Bhushan Steel has NPAs of Rs 44,000 crore, then there are Lanco Infratech, Essar Steel, Bhushan Power and Steel, Alok Industries, Amtek Auto, Monnet Ispat, Electrosteel Steel, Era Infra Engineering, Jaypee Infratech, ABG Shipyard and Jyoti Structures. The total NPAs of just 12 companies amounts to Rs 2,53,729 crore. It is these 12 companies against whom action has been taken under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. But unfortunately this has the possibility of getting stuck in court because there is already one case in Ahmedabad High Court. So whether this will really sort out the problem, I am not too sure. That’s why I am saying that the Government had several instruments in its hand for three years, even before this law was enacted. It had both legal and non-legislative loan recovery options. It could have done loan restructuring, corporate debt restructuring, joint lenders’ forum, five-is-to-twenty-five scheme, strategic debt restructuring or sustainable structuring of State assets. These are the non-legislative ways open to the banks.

The other thing is, there is already DRT – for recovery of debts due to banks and financial institutions. There was a surface act under which asset reconstruction companies could have taken over assets. And then in 2016, we had the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code is a good law.

Now, this Ordinance or the Bill – what new thing do they bring? That the Reserve Bank may issue directions to a bank to go for insolvency proceedings. Now what does the Insolvency Law say? You first appoint an insolvency professional, then he forms a lenders/creditors’ committee, and then the creditors’ committee gets together and takes a decision on the bank. The ultimate arbiter is the National Company Law Tribunal. So this is the procedure; and the advantage of the Insolvency Code is that you have to settle the matter within 180 days. So it is a time-bound resolution of the problem of insolvency. But the Government hurried with this law for these 12 companies whose name the Reserve Bank did not disclose. I have got it from the internet.

However, the main question remains – is the Reserve Bank an appropriate authority? I am totally against the Reserve Bank of recent times, post-Raghuram Rajan, because this is the Reserve Bank which, till date, has not been able to count the notes which were deposited during demonetisation. So why should we have confidence in such a Reserve Bank? Our Standing Committee has repeatedly asked the Reserve Bank Governor – why don’t you say how much money has come in? My information is that they are still counting; they say they have to bring in machines from abroad. This Reserve Bank is totally inefficient and incapable. Nobody knows how much money has been deposited. And abiut the story of demonetisation – the balloon will be punctured when it will become known.

Now, the whole banking system, as our Chairman of the Standing Committee, Veerappa Moily says, is facing a collapse. The Government is trying to clutch at straws, and one straw is this Ordinance.

Now, I want to ask various questions. Currently, under Section 35A, the Reserve Bank may issue directions to banks on grounds of public interest and in the interest of banking policy. This ordinance gives the RBI additional power to direct banks to initiate recovery proceedings. So when already the RBI has the power to issue directions, why do you need the Ordinance?

The second question is, the majority of NPAs, 88 per cent of the NPAs, are in public sector banks. Mind you, the private sector banks like HDFC, ICICI, do not have such large NPAs. So the Government could have itself issued directions instead of asking the useless RBI to issue directions, since the Government owns all these.

My next question. As a banking regulator, the RBI is supposed to look after the macro-economic picture. It, as a regulator, is responsible for maintaining the financial stability while banks have the flexibility to make business decisions. Say, you have to settle a loan, and so, you have to take a haircut. Now the banks will not take the decision. They will say that let the RBI tell you then you have to take a haircut and settle the matter; so the whole thing will be delayed.

The appropriateness of the RBI directing Banks on the issue of default, which is a business decision, needs to be examined. Why not leave the banks to their own things?

Currently, banks face certain challenges as part of the recovery proceedings, such as the lack of incentives among public sector bankers to recognise losses, the fear of investigation in the case of low recoveries, insufficient capital to absorb the losses.

Everybody has mentioned that banks do not have the capital according to banking norms.

I have already said that I have given a statutory resolution, have opposed the introduction of the Bill and have called this an unnecessary Bill. With that I would rather say that I would expect the Bill, but if you accept Supriya Sule’s Amendment. She has said that this decision about going for insolvency and bankruptcy procedures should be left to the banks themselves. Please accept that, and then I will support the Bill.

 

Trinamool’s Derek O’Brien speaks on The Rights of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2017

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FULL TRANSCRIPT

Sir, we support this Bill. In one sentence, what is this Bill? It is giving a long time for teachers to be trained. 2015 is taken retrospectively; so four years to that takes it up to 2019. I would have been happier standing here today if the Minister had brought this Bill in 2015 and allowed for four years; it would have given a better chance.

Sir, we do not indulge in politics with education when it comes to Bengal. So I’m going to make observations not only on this Bill, but beyond, because we have a chance today to speak on Right to Education.

So the first thing is, I hope we don’t have to come here in 2019 to again bring an amendment to this Bill to ask for another two years. The second option could be to obviously give that option to the State Governments. Sir, the Bill is not the issue or the Right to Education Act is not the issue. I think the ideation and implementation is where we have all failed collectively as parliamentarians, as parents, as teachers, as educationists. We have all failed. We have had a Bill; now let’s focus where we haven’t implemented the Bill well.

Sir, there is a survey which has been done. A class five student is actually the level of a class two student. Three out of five students in the third standard, Sir, cannot do a basic subtraction. Four out of five students, Sir, cannot do division. So these are the collective failures.

Sir, in Bengal, we have been very proactive with this. We have appointed 80,000 teachers in the last six years; 50,000 in the primary and about 28,000 in the secondary. Things are going well there, Sir. But, I wish to flag the first point about the time which you have given, which is two years.

I have three more basic points to make regarding the Right to Education. Sir, history is a great teacher. All my friends here, what were their views? 1976 is an important year, Sir. After the Emergency of 1975. Till 1976, education was a State subject. It was only in 1976, you come to your own conclusions, that it was put into the Concurrent List .

I hope that this Government, when they view education is viewing it as originally State List, now flipped into the Concurrent List. So the State sometimes needs to have the independence to take a call on RTE.

Let me give you one example: detention policy. My state policy is very clear, we have written to the Minister. We do not believe in automatic promotion. No detention is not the answer. We do not mean to deprive anybody. But our honest suggestion is that if the boys or girls are getting detained, we have to have special classes. We have to give them special inputs and then bring them up to the level. So our point on this is very clear.

Sir, I would like to thank the HRD Minister for clarifying one thing again. That caused a lot of concern – sometimes the media also has to be little more responsible. He did clarify later and I know he did. But I want to put it on record here, “NCERT books will be compulsorily in the CBSE curriculum”. Now that is again impeding on the rights of the States. But the Minister did clarify and I have no issues with that, Sir.

Sir, these exam boards, be it the NEET, where the CBSE made a complete mess – or now at least till 2 days ago I was hearing the ICSE board were trying to give examinations for class 5 students and class 8 students. Sir, this again goes against the principles of this Act because Section 30 of this Act clearly states “You cannot have children from classes 5 to 8…” So, this is where the States have a role to play.

Sir, the private schools are the favourite bashing boys or girls of all of us. As Vinay ji said correctly, the minority schools, quite correctly and rightly, have been kept away. Sir, we call them minority schools but actually they are the majority schools. They may be run by a minority community, say the Christian schools, but most of the boys and girls that go there, including so many of us in this House, have received a majority education.

Sir, I want to dwell a little on the private schools. Not to make a point for the private schools but this is what I firmly believe and passionately believe that to make this work we have to make it work together. I have got some suggestions and I don’t have the answers to all of them but maybe the minister can meet the stakeholders and look for these suggestions.

What happens in a school where there are 400 students in Class 1? 100 have to be as per RTE and 300 regular. Now, if 100 students are not taken, what will you do? These seats remain vacant and you cannot ask the schools to fill them up with regular students. I say we need to talk to schools because private schools have to take this up as a responsibility.

Sir, the private schools as per the Act, can take neighborhood students. The private schools have to look at this as a corporate social responsibility; they have to go out and look for students. Just putting up a notice in schools is not enough.
Sir, there are local officers today, and I say this with responsibility who are giving certificates, having children admitted into the schools and then taking flush money from them. Sir, this is not acceptable.

The fourth point, Sir, is regarding school uniforms. I know the Act says they don’t require uniform but once they don’t have uniforms they stand out. I don’t expect them to pay for the uniforms. I appeal to the private schools to please pay for those uniforms, make them look like the rest of you.

Sir, the last point is the most serious point. There are serious social, psychological issues of getting boys and girls from different economic backgrounds to sit together in a school. I do not have the answer but I think we need to discuss this, debate this and not bring any political points because at the end of it all, for the rights to education to be successful we need to do STEPP .

I know the Central Government love using different acronyms so I have one for them today as I end. We need to do STEPP.

S- the schools have a role to play,
T- the teachers have a role to play,
E – the educationist have a role to play,
PP – the parliament and the parents have a role to play.

I would appeal to the minister, if we can get these five stakeholders on board we can change the life of children in India. Thank you.

 

 

Saugata Roy opposes the introduction of The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2017

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FULL TRANSCRIPT

Madam, under rule 72(1), I oppose the introduction of The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017. This is a desperate step by a desperate Government. When the banks have reached stressed assets of Rs 9.64 lakh crore, the RBI is being giving the power to refer matters relating to stressed assets to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board.

Earlier also, the RBI had the power to regulate banks but they have totally failed in their action. And it is the same RBI, which did demonetisation and till now has been not able to count the old notes that were deposited with them.

By giving this power to RBI, we detract from its regulatory powers and macroeconomic responsibilities and involve the RBI in microeconomic matters; this will render the management of bank useless, without any work.

That is why we have also opposed the Ordinance because there is no urgency on this matter. NPAs have been rising in this country for a long time. So I want this Bill to be referred to the Standing Committee of Finance.

 

 

Pratima Mandal speaks on The Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public-Private Partnership) Bill, 2017

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FULL TRANSCRIPT

Thank you, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to speak on the The Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public-Private Partnership) Bill, 2017. The Bill proposes to set up Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIIT) in PPP mode.

In this model there will be autonomy in governance that will help in addressing the present challenges faced by the IT industry in our country. It will help in growth of the domestic information technology market including developing new knowledge areas and creating skilled manpower of global markets.

Presently the IT sector is going through turbulent times. Most IT companies are witnessing some notable layouts across the technology sector. This increasing pace of layoffs the number of employees who have lost their jobs are likely to be more compare to last three years. 

The Indian startup ecosystem, along with the big companies, has not been able to save itself from various problems like funding and investments. So it is extremely necessary at this juncture that we create world class education centres to develop skilled manpower in emerging sectors and address this issue.

Four IIITs have been established at Jabalpur, Kanchipuram, Gwalior and Allahabad, which are publicly funded and governed by the IIIT Act, 2014, to provide under-graduate as well as postgraduate education and specialisation in allied areas.

The government proposes to set up 20 IIITs in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode. Presently, 15 functional IIITs in PPP mode are proposed to be declared as institutes of National importance.

The IIIT set up in PPP mode is required to be given statutory status that should enable the Institutes to grant degrees to the students. Every IT Institute shall strive to raise funds for creation of a purpose for self sufficiency, sustainability and future development of this institute. The State Government shall identify at least one industry partner and preferably three industry partners for collaboration and submit a proposal to the Central Government.

The Government hopes that trained personnel from this institution shall fulfill the growing demands for skilled technical manpower in emerging IT sector and the economy as a whole. The institute shall be open to all persons irrespective of gender, caste, creed, disability and domicile and ethnicity, social or economic background. This is indeed a commendable initiative taken by the government.

Establishing IIITs in PPP more and subsequently declaring them as institute of national importance would help in providing vital education to students for research and development and make the way for India becoming a world class leader. These institutes then declared as institutes of national importance are expected to come up as institutes of excellence that would facilitate and promote the competitive advantage of Indian information technology products.

For competing in the global market, IT sector requires developing quality products with leading technologies and competitive advantage. It would be provided with adequate infrastructure, along with their own buildings. Many IIITs, including IIIT, Kalyani in Bengal do not have their own building and occupy rental premises, resulting in operational problems.

Also standardising the fee structure amongst the different IIITs would help in promoting standardisation and equality. I would request the Hon. Human Resource Development Minister to please take all this into consideration.

In this Bill, it is mentioned the investment of capital required to establish the proposed institute will be borne by the Central Government, the concerned State Government and industry partners in the ratio of 60:35:15. The recurring expenditure in the last five of operation will be made available by the Central Government.

I would request the Hon Minister to clarify this point because after the Government provides funds only for five years, they can withdraw the funding. Due to the increase of fees the students cannot get a chance.

We are aware that many talented students are the leaving the country in search for better option to enhance their academic career. Also people get disenchanted with the low results available for their qualifications and experience which compels them to migrate to developed countries in search of better options. To attract this talented pool and encourage them to remain in the country, programmes at such institutions of national importance should be aimed at providing solution to current technical challenges in wide domains like robotics, artificial intelligence, cloud technology, internet of things and automated systems.

They should also offer academic and resource programs that integrate engineering design, manufacturing and management with information technology. World class infrastructure along with competent faculty is a must for these institutions. The information technology and research graduates from these institutions can become entrepreneurs and start their own organisations.

So, I would ask the Government to ensure that the course design, infrastructure and faculty are world class. With these words I would like to request the Honorable Minister to please consider my point as I rest here.

Thank you on behalf of my party.

 

Kalyan Banerjee speaks on The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2017

Posted on | by aitc | Leave a Comment on Kalyan Banerjee speaks on The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2017

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Sir, I do not know from whose mind it has come and it has been changed, but I give you thanks for Clause 2, that is, the extended meaning, after the words “the area of a Customs station”, the words “or a warehouse” shall be inserted. And in your objects and reasons, you said that, in Clause 3 … it is proposed to amend this again to include ‘warehouse’ in the definition of ‘customs area’ to ensure that an importer will not be required to pay the proposed integrated goods and service tax at the time of removal of goods from customs station to warehouse.

This grey area existed for a long period of time and so many interpretations have been made but today you have really clarified and have made a very definite definition and that’s the reason I feel that this part is really very good.

I would like to come to the next point, which is Clause 3, 108A. A person who is responsible for maintaining records of registration or statements of account holding, any other information – it is a liability that they have to maintain this. My second point is about the part where the proper officer considers that the information furnished under sub-section 1 is defective. I would like to know, who is the proper officer? This proper officer has not been defined. You cannot appoint a ‘proper officer’ according to your wish and terms, by any notification.

So far, you have given a chance of giving a reply to them, in case of any defect. But so far 108B is concerned, where you have imposed that if you fail to give the information to the proper officer, every day they have to pay a fine of only Rs 100, which, according to me, a lesser punishment. The punishment should be increased. Why would an authority specified under 108A (1) be failing to discharge statutory duties? If someone fails to discharge statutory duties, that person should be penalised more. All high-ranking officers have been defined under 108 (a) and they are been paid by the State Exchequer, so should they be committing any delay? If they delay, why should there be only a Rs 100 penalty? Why should you not start disciplinary proceedings against them? Why should they not be liable? The officer should give the information immediately. If the penalty is not increased, nobody would be aware of the implications of these statutory things. The officers are bound to do it.

Now, I point out to you the Central Excise Act, as far as Clause 8 is concerned, where the Section A has been amended and Section Survey inserted; wherein, in respect of any goods, if the Central Government is satisfied that the duty to be levied under Section 3 may be increased and that circumstances exist to render immediate action. I say this is an excessive delegation. There cannot be arbitrary exercise of power. In law it is said that absolute power corrupts absolutely. Now, why should you give such an unlimited power, unlimited discretionary power? What are the objective determinations behind the purpose of that? This part gives excessive power, excessive delegatory power, and hence is capable to be abused. Now, so far this part is concerned – Part 3 (b) (i) – this, according to us, gives excessive delegatory power. This should not be there. We are all for constructive criticism; but we are not as such opposing the Bill.

Sir, we understand, this is the Bill and it is the consequential one; these four Bills which have been given in the list, and these Bills are needed. Despite our objections and our Amendments, we have to accept whatever is there, excepting a few things which I have pointed out, and I hope the Hon. Minister of State, who is here, will take care of the points which I have said. You have to understand what the stark reality is at the ground-level. The stark reality is the power with the Central Excise officers, the customs officers, police, etc. If you give them absolute power, with no restrictions, then that power will be abused. Therefore, I request you to keep some safeguards there. One who has committed a fault should be penalised. In my speech I have said so. However, no officer should arbitrarily exercise power. Kindly keep this safeguard in mind.

With this I end my speech.