Tag: agriculture

Night camps connect officials with villagers in Bengal

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Along with regular daytime monitoring meetings and field visits the administrative officials of Bardhaman District in West Bengal have started night camps to connect with the villagers.

Taking cue from the State’s Chief Minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee, who believes in meeting people across state at grass-root level, this innovative idea has been adopted by the district administrative officers too. From time to time, the district magistrate, along with other top administrative officials, spends a night at a randomly-picked village to study firsthand the impact of various government welfare measures on villagers.

The team, comprising officials like ADMs, SDOs and BDOs, discusses with the villagers, their grievances and needs.

The meeting usually starts at around 7:00 PM and continues till around 11:00 PM, depending upon the nature of the interaction. Meetings are held in the evening because by that time most villagers are back from work and are in a relaxed mood.  The officers and people’s representatives sit on the floor face to face with the villagers.

The problems dealt with are mostly relating to caste certificates, issue of ration cards, inclusion of names in the BPL list, social assistance programmes like old age, widow and disability pensions. Construction of roads, libraries and other facilities, scholarships, electric connection, ICDS or Mid day meal programmes, health services, land-related problems, agriculture issues, cattle and domestic animals related problems also feature among the topics.

Most of the problems are resolved on the spot to be followed by a special camp for the people of the gram panchayat for extension and facilitation of sundry services and government benefits.

The officials carry their own tiffins and dinner packets, so after the meeting is over, they stay back and sleep in community halls or schools made ready for their night halt.

Already more than 500 villages have been covered by the Bardhaman district administration.

Bengal number one in 100 Days’ Work : WB CM at Mati Tirtha, Bardhaman

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The State government organised the first leg of “Mati Tirtha Krishi Katha”, in Bardhaman. The conference will continue for three days and the second leg in Balurghat. The conference is indented to inform the farmers of the latest developments in agriculture and also how to avail easy agricultural loans.

The current government is giving agriculture top priority and such conferences are being held to reach out to farmers.

WB CM Ms Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the conference at Bardhaman and she spoke to farmers and take questions from them.

The state government will also deploy agricultural experts to advice farmers regarding preventive measures to be adopted to prevent fungus infection of several agricultural crops.

It may be recalled that the state government has already provided Rs 4.70 crore for the development of agriculture in several districts.

Highlights of WB CM speech:

  • We thank the United Nations for sending a representative for the inauguration of Mati Tirtha.
  • UN has declared 2015 as the International Year of Soils.
  • Bengal has been celebrating Mati Utsav for the last three years at Panagarh.
  • We have set up a Mati Tirtha at the Agricultural University in Bardhaman.
  • The Mati Tirtha will advise farmers in increasing efficiency of agriculture and improving productivity. The Mati Tirtha will help people associated with soil 365 days in a year, not just during 7 days of Mati Utsav.
  • We must ensure farmers are able to easily sell their products in urban areas, not just rural areas.
  • Mati (soil) is our janmabhoomi, karmabhoomi.
  • We have inaugurated 429 roads today. The project cost Rs 1151 crore
  • In the past we initiated the process of building 60000 km of roads in rural areas.
  • Centre is not giving us any funds. Instead they are taking away all our revenues. We are paying for sins committed by others.
  • We want answers from the Centre. We will go to Delhi if necessary. Bengal must get its dues.
  • They have no base in Bengal. They only appear on TV studios. They have no idea about running government.
  • I welcome criticism. But some people are indulging in smear campaign. UPA neglected Bengal. BJP is crossing all limits.
  • Why did our predecessors not think of Krishak Bazars, Mati Tirtha? Why did they not set up schools, hospitals?
  • We have given Kisan Credit Cards to 35 lakh people. We gave land pattas to 2.5 lakh people.
  • We will also set up Mati Tirtha at north Bengal.
  • Post independence, only 34 colleges were set up in Bengal till 2011. In 3 years we set up 31 colleges.
  • Only 2 universities were set up in Bengal during CPM rule. We set up 7 government and 5 private universities in 3 years.
  • AIIMS is being set up at Kalyani. IIIT is coming up in Kalyani.
  • We had set up a target of 50,000 ponds for 5 years. We have already created more than 1 lakh ponds in 3 years.
  • Bengal is No. 1 in 100 Days’ Work Scheme. That is why Centre has stopped giving us funds.
  • BJP Govt slashed funds for 100 Days’ Work. Prices of fertilizers have been increased. Funds for PMGSY have been blocked.
  • Centre abolished the Planning Commission. We oppose that. Netaji conceptualised the Planning Commission. We will not accept this.
  • We increased our revenues. But the Centre is taking away our taxes.
  • We want federal structure to be strengthened. States must have power of taxation.
  • Food grain procurement in Bengal has crossed 1.74 lakh metric tonnes.
  • We are giving away benefits of various schemes to 25000 people today.
kerosene

WB Govt launches ‘Amar Dhan Amar Chatal’ – A beneficiary scheme for farmers

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The West Bengal government is taking up the agriculture scheme – ‘Amar Dhan Amar Chatal‘ in which sheds will be set up and paddy drying machines will be provided to farmers across the state to protect the procured paddy from getting damaged before it is sent to the rice mills.

The scheme which is under the central government entails farmers to protect paddy by bringing it under a shed and the drying machines will be supplied to farmers to produce rice in the mills. It is more of a post harvesting care for ensuring food security. The scheme will fall under the second green revolution in eastern India.

Farmers from all districts across the state will come under the purview of the scheme. The drying machines, that will be brought from Germany, costs around Rs 10,000 each.

Earlier, the state government slashed the levy imposed on the rice mills for procuring rice from the government from 50% to 25%, with the food and supplies department keeping its procurement target of 22 lakh metric tonne intact for the next procurement season. Food camps will be held in 165 blocks across the state for selling rice to the farmers. The state government will also give 15 paisa of subsidy for procuring per kilogram of rice.

Besides, Agriculture department officials have started working on distributing leaflets to farmers to make them aware on how potato plants could be protected from various kinds of diseases.

mati utsab

WB CM to interact with farmers during ‘Krishi Katha’

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‘Krishi Katha’ a three days programme for farmers, will be inaugurated at Bardhaman on 9th February, 2015 organised by the State Government. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will directly meet the farmers and listen to their problems in this programme. She will give the information about many socio-economic development schemes taken up by the State Government. The Chief Minister will also meet the North Bengal farmers in the coming March.

All schemes related to agricultural and farmers’ development will described elaborately by State Government in this program.  Some schemes may also be announced. More than one lakh farmers will participate here. In this three days program, government experts as well as Agricultural University professors will participate.

State Agricultural Minister Mr Purnendu Bose informed that ‘Krishi Katha’ will be turn in to a fair and there will be many agriculture related stalls and the experts who will try to solve problem related to agriculture. Small and medium farmers will be participating along with the big farmers in this program.

The State Government has received the ‘Krishi Kormon’ awards for agricultural development three times. Last year on the 1st of Baishakh, the agriculture calendar was published by the Government.  Farmers can get information about the profitable crops and their diseases and pesticides to be applied from this calendar.

The department of Animal Husbandry will also participate in the three-day programme. The farmers will be able to get information about loans from banks and governmental agencies for animal husbandry from this programme.

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WB CM stresses on self-reliance in vegetable production

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WB CM Ms Mamata Banerjee attended the ‘West Bengal Cold Storage Association’s Golden Jubilee Celebration’at Netaji Indoor Stadium today as Chief Guest. In her speech, while appreciating the initiatives taken by the Association towards helping in agricultural growth of the State, she stressed on the importance of being self reliant.

The Chief Minister highlighted that Bengal was among the frontrunners in horticulture and the State accounted for 16% of India’s vegetable production. She stressed upon self-reliance in terms of seed production, fisheries and egg production.

Highlights of her speech:

  • We have an old relationship. You stood by us during potato crisis. We have always assisted you.
  • We have to increase our capacity for seed production. We spend Rs 1500 crore for seed procurement.
  • We must utilise the opportunities we have. We have a huge market for eggs. There is a lot of scope in poultry and fisheries.
  • Like you keep potatoes in cold storage, you should build capacity for fishes also.
  • We are setting up cold storages in all blocks. We are setting up warehouses and Kisan Mandis under PPP.
  • Land for Kisan Mandis and cold storages have been identified.
  • We conduct meetings of the core committee for prices every fortnight.
  • It is easy to criticize. We believe in working for the benefit of grassroots.
  • The gap between demand and supply must be bridged.
  • 16% of the total vegetable production in India is from Bengal. We won Krishi Karman Award for 3 consecutive years.
  • We are against forcible acquisition of land. Agriculture is our pride. Industry is our future.
  • Why should West Bengal import vegetables from other States, even fish is imported. We have to be self-sufficient.
  • We started onion cultivation in dry areas of Bankura. We have got results. We are providing technical assistance to farmers.
  • We are among the frontrunners in horticulture in India.
  • Centre is not releasing funds for food procurement. They are not giving us funds for 100 Days’ Work.
  • Fertilizer prices are skyrocketing, Farmers are facing difficult times. We must stand beside them.
  • If we work together, there is big opportunity for big business. We have a PPP policy.