Tag: All India Trinamool Congress

Nabadwip and Cooch Behar given heritage status

Posted on | by aitc | Leave a Comment on Nabadwip and Cooch Behar given heritage status

The towns of Nabadwip and Cooch Behar have been officially given heritage status by the State Government. The process was in the works for the last few months, and finally, recently, the announcement was officially made.

The decision regarding giving the status of heritage town has been taken by the State Government after detailed studies of the places by teams of multi-disciplinary experts from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and the Indian Institute of Science and Technology, Shibpur.

Long and storied history

Both towns have a lot of history and culture entwined with them. Nabadwip is the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the 16th-century proponent of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

Cooch Behar is well-known as the capital of the formerly princely state of the same name, and the royal palace there draws a lot of tourists. It is also famous as the site of a famous Ras Mela at the Madan Mohan Bari temple grounds.

The State Heritage Commission has brought out a detailed list of the heritage structures in the two towns. Nabadwip has 86 such structures and Cooch Behar has 155.

Preserving heritage

Being a heritage town comes with several restrictions aimed at preserving the heritage value of the place and keeping the place beautiful to draw tourists. And arrival of more tourists would naturally open up a lot of economic opportunities.

As part of the rules, putting up advertisement hoardings in and around the heritage structures is banned. There are strict rules regarding the sale, lease and renovation of properties and setting them up as lodges. Applications need to be sent to the relevant municipality or zilla parishad, or even to the State Heritage Commission, if required.

 

Source: Ei Samay

 

Bengalathon 2019: Focus on senior citizen support

Posted on | by aitc | Leave a Comment on Bengalathon 2019: Focus on senior citizen support

The third edition of the highly popular annual hackathon organised by the State Information Technology and Electronics (IT&E) Department, Bengalathon, was launched yesterday, that is, August 15.

The focus this year is on harnessing technology for elderly care, said a senior official of the IT&E Department.

Innovative ideas are also being invited in the areas of face recognition, solid waste management, road safety, health, citizen feedback, water quality monitoring, smart water metering, soil productivity, quick accident response and open data platform.

An example of elderly care using technology is the app-based digital visitor control system that HIDCO is setting up at Snehodiya, the senior citizen’s home in New Town. This will enable security guards at the gate to monitor the entry and exit of all visitors electronically and notify the facility manager or resident by SMS.

Bengalathon is an India-wide competition meant to recognise and promote innovative ideas on tech-based interventions for a better life. Through this competition, the State Government is trying to position Bangla as the best in using emerging technologies to provide solutions for real-life challenges.

TiE, a non-profit organisation, helps in linking the winners to global enterprises, for funding and further technical support.

Source: Millennium Post

 

Bangla Govt observing Sanskriti Dibas on the occasion of Rakhi Bandhan

Posted on | by aitc | Leave a Comment on Bangla Govt observing Sanskriti Dibas on the occasion of Rakhi Bandhan

The Bangla Government is celebrating Sanskriti Dibas today. The idea to celebrate the occasion of Rakhi Bandhan as Sanskriti Dibas was initiated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to spread the message of communal harmony.

In 1905, Rabindranath Tagore had observed Rakhi Bandhan as a mark of unity between Hindus and Muslims when the British decided to divide Bengal.

The State Youth Services and Sports Department is hosting the programmes across 342 blocks, 122 municipalities, six municipal corporations and all the 144 wards of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

It may be mentioned here that Mamata Banerjee has time and again spread the message of unity and harmony at various public meetings. She has urged people to uphold the spirit of Bangla which stands for peace, progress and prosperity.

Kanyashree to join hands with Utkarsh Bangla

Posted on | by aitc | Leave a Comment on Kanyashree to join hands with Utkarsh Bangla

Two internationally-recognised schemes of the Bangla Government are coming together for a better world. Class XI and XII students enlisted under the Kanyashree Scheme are now going to get career-centric technical education under the aegis of Utkarsh Bangla.

Incidentally, among other prestigious awards, both have won the WSIS Prize, given by ITU, an agency of the United Nations. While the Kanyashree Scheme won it in 2016, the Utkarsh Bangla Scheme won it in 2019.

The students will also get a stipend of Rs 50 per day during the course of the training. This would be added to the regular yearly stipend given under Kanyashree. It may be mentioned here that Kanyashree Clubs have also been involved in Utkarsh Bangla.

Under Utkarsh Bangla, short-term courses of duration between 80 and 600 hours are offered by government as well as private institutions, in fields like telecom, tailoring, beauty treatment, computer education, jewellery-making and many more.

Like the rest of the Utkarsh Bangla Scheme, the training of Kanyashree girls will also be overseen by the Paschimbanga Society for Skill Development, which comes under the Technical Education, Training and Skill Development Department.

 

Mamata Banerjee to address students on the occasion of Kanyashree Dibas

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on Mamata Banerjee to address students on the occasion of Kanyashree Dibas

This day is celebrated by the Bangla Government as Kanyashree Dibas, dedicated to the flagship Kanyashree Prakalpa or Kanyashree Scheme. This much-feted scheme was conceived by Chief Minister Banerjee and it was she who inaugurated it on October 1, 2013.

The scheme has benefitted about 58 lakh girls till now in over 17,000 institutions, including schools, colleges and universities across the State.

Kanyashree Prakalpa has six primary objectives: Incentivising education through scholarships; discouraging early marriage of girls; incentivising education through scholarships; reducing the incidence of dropping out of schools; improving infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate by delaying the age of marriage and consequently increasing the age of first birth; eradicating under-nutrition and malnutrition of female children; and, preventing trafficking and exploitation.

The scheme also pays for the vocational training of girls so that after passing out of schools, they can start earning, if not interested in further education.

On this occasion, Mamata Banerjee will address students at a grand programme. She will also award girls who have achieved in various fields, like education, sports and social activity.

10 facts about Kanyashree Prakalpa

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on 10 facts about Kanyashree Prakalpa

August 14 is celebrated by the State Government as Kanyashree Dibas, to mark the celebration of the flagship scheme, Kanyashree Prakalpa. The scheme is run by the Women and Child Development Department.

On this occasion, let us look at 10 facts about this internationally-recognised scheme.

1. Beneficiaries: About 58 lakh adolescent girls as well as college and university-going girls, covering over 17,400 institutions.

2. Scholarship amounts: Rs 1,000 per annum from ages 13 to 18 (K1 level); Rs 25,000 one-time grant after turning 18 and before turning 19 (K2 level), provided she has been a beneficiary of K1 stage; for postgraduate female students, Rs 2,500 per month in science stream and Rs 2,000 per month in arts stream (K3 level)

3. Huge allocation of funds: Total budget since launch is over Rs 7,000 crore

4. Dropout reduced significantly: School dropout rate has reduced significantly, proved by an increase by 73% (from 5.62 lakh to 9.74 lakh) in the admission of girl students

5. Kanyashree Clubs: Kanyashree Clubs formed and strengthened across the State since 2016, empowering girls through self-defence training, life skills sessions, sports training, organising awareness campaigns on child marriage, etc., making them confident to voice their opinions and becoming change agents in their communities

6. Kanyashree Dishari: Special educational and awareness (health, etc.) exposure visits of Kanyashree beneficiaries, organised in North 24 Parganas and Howrah districts

7. Swapner Bhor: K2-level Kanyashree beneficiaries, that is, those who have crossed the age of 18 years, given technical training to make them employable

8. Kanyashree Swabalambi: As part of this project, training provided in tailoring, nursing, handicrafts, etc.; buildings in each block headquarters named ‘Kanyashree’ coming up, which have books, computers with high-speed internet and training centres for vocational skills

9. International awards: United Nations Public Service Award in 2017 and the WSIS Prize 2016 (given by the ITU, an agency of the United Nations) in the ‘Champion in e-Governance’ category; finalist at the GEM-TECH Awards 2016, organised by ITU and UN Women

10. National awards: National e-Governance Award for FY 2014-15, Skoch Order of Merit Award 2015 in the ‘Smart Governance’ category, CSI-Nihilent Award for e-governance for FY 2014-15

 

Bangla no. 1 in growth rate

Posted on | by aitc | Leave a Comment on Bangla no. 1 in growth rate

In a Facebook post written today, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee put up the news that according to a report by the Central Government, Bangla has achieved the highest growth rate in the country – 12.58 per cent, in financial year (FY) 2018-19.

Sharp contrast to the national scene

Congratulating everyone concerned, she also noted that this was in sharp contrast to the deep recession and policy paralysis that has engulfed the country, courtesy the policies of the Union Government.

As a result, there has been a significant decline in the overall growth rate in the country as well as the highest rate of unemployment in 45 years.

In recent months, the automobile and leather sectors saw job losses to the tune of 3 lakh.

Disinvestment dampener

On top of so much unemployment, the Centre is actively pursuing the disinvestment of 45 public sector companies. This will lead to further loss of jobs for lakhs of people.

Investments going down

And on the other hand, she wrote, investment in new projects has plunged to a 15-year low in the quarter ending June 2019.

Implementation of new projects worth Rs 13 trillion has stalled, according to the well-respected business and economic data research company, Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). This is the highest value since it began compiling data in 1995.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has shown a negative growth rate of 1.09 per cent in FY 2018-19, as compared to 2017-18.

Figures prove the desperate state of economy

Figures put up in her post point to the desperate state of the Indian economy:

GDP growth: 5.8% in Q4 of 2018-19, lowest in last five years (from FY 2014-15)

Industrial Output growth: 2% in June 2019, against 7% in June 2018

Growth: 3.6% in Q1 of 2019-20, compared to 5.1% in Q1 of 2018-19

Index of Industrial Production: 1.2% in June 2019, compared to 6.9% in June 2018

Capital Goods Sector growth: -6.5% in June 2019, compared to 9.7% in June 2018

Mining Sector growth: 1.6% in June 2019 , compared to 6.5% in June 2018

Unemployment rate: 6.1% in FY 2018-19, the highest in the last 45 years

Number of new projects announced: In Q1 of FY 2019-20, 87% lower compared to Q1 of FY 2018-19 and 81% lower in compared to Q4 of the same FY

Politics trumps development

Mamata Banerjee ended her post saying, for the new government at the Centre, it is all about “politics, politics and only politics” now, rather than economy and development.

She exhorted the people of the country to realise the true situation India has been dragged into by this government.

 

Classes to start at Diamond Harbour Govt Medical College soon

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on Classes to start at Diamond Harbour Govt Medical College soon

The first academic session at Diamond Harbour Government Medical College and Hospital is set to start soon. It was constructed by the Trinamool Congress Government. As many as 87 doctor professors have been appointed at the medical college.

The medical college has obtained permission for an intake of 100 students per academic year from the Medical Council of India (MCI). With this, the total number of undergraduate medical seats in Bangla for the current academic year has seen a substantial increase by 650.

In 2016, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had taken up a major step to set up five medical colleges across the state, thereby increasing the number of undergraduate medical seats.

Source: Millennium Post

Comprehensive development of Adivasis

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on Comprehensive development of Adivasis

The Trinamool Congress Government created the Tribal Development Department to bring about the comprehensive development of the various tribal communities in Bangla.

On the occasion of International Adivasi Day, let us take a look at some of the major developments that have taken place.

Development/Cultural Boards and Advisory Councils

• Six boards – Mayel Lyang Lepcha Development Board, Tamang Development and Cultural Board, Sherpa Cultural Board, Bhutia Development Board, Limboo Development Board and Adivasi Development and Cultural Board – constituted for the welfare and development of these six communities
• Rs 348.32 crore sanctioned to these boards for important developmental activities like construction of environment-friendly houses and toilets, jhora improvement schemes for drinking water, planting of around 80,000 trees and instituting of more than 1,000 individual-benefitting programmes
• Despite the fact that Bangla is not a Schedule V State, the Tribes Advisory Council has been reconstituted and given a meaningful role to play in various aspects of tribal development. Since the reconstitution, six meetings have been held under the chairpersonship of the Chief Minister and follow-up actions were taken up.

Old-age pension and social security

• Old-age pension of Rs 1,000 per month per person provided to 1.5 lakh people below the poverty line (BPL) beneficiaries from scheduled tribes on attaining 60 years of age
• Social Security Scheme instituted for kendu leaf collectors in FY 2014-15, under which 34,743 collectors registered, 447 eligible beneficiaries from among which receive benefits to the tune of Rs 2.26 crore
• To ensure employment in the lean season, more than Rs 17 crore disbursed from the State Plan fund to create nearly 9.5 lakh person-days for kendu leaf collectors

Forest rights

• Community pattas for ‘jaher than’ being distributed, and installation of fencing around thans being completed
• Forest Rights Act, 2006 translated into Santhali and Kurukh, and distributed to all concerned
• 45,818 Individual Rights, 738 Community Rights and 64 Community Forest Resource Rights distributed among forest dwellers
• Formalising of forest pattas taken up and 8,583 pattas formalised through the issuance of Record of Rights

Promotion of indigenous languages

• Trilingual (Santhali-English-Bengali) Santhali dictionary published by the Paschimbanga Santhali Academy for promoting Santhali language
• Booklet published in Bengali, Santhali and Hindi for the dissemination of information on schemes and programmes on tribal development
• Language primer published in Kurukh (Tolong Siki is the script of the Kurukh language) by the Cultural Research Institute (Kurukh is spoken by the Oraon community and is one of the endangered languages of the world)
• Kurukh conferred the status of an official language by amending the West Bengal Official Languages Act, 1961

Healthcare

• Construction of ICDS centres in tribal-dominated areas in convergence with MGNREGA prioritised
• Pilot project conducted by the Institute of Haematology & Transfusion Medicine, Calcutta Medical College for the screening of tribal people suffering from sickle cell disease taken up by the department in 2014-15, after which a wider study covering 4 lakh samples was approved at a cost of Rs 25 crore

Thus we see that the Tribal Development Department has brought about all-round development of the tribal population of the State. Through various schemes and programmes, development is happening at a fast pace.

Budget Session summary: Trinamool puts forth its views strongly on issues affecting the nation

Posted on | by aitc | Leave a Comment on Budget Session summary: Trinamool puts forth its views strongly on issues affecting the nation

The Budget Session saw Trinamool Congress take part in a wide range of debates and raise crucial issues through Zero Hour, Question Hour and Special Mentions, and also through Points of Order, interventions and clarifications.

Three MPs from the Lok Sabha and two from the Rajya Sabha spoke on the Union Budget, nine from the Lok Sabha spoke on the Demands for Grants for various ministries while one MP from the Lok Sabha spoke on the Finance Bill.

Among the important Bills debated upon were The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, The Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, The National Medical Commission Bill, The Code on Wages Bill, The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, The Dam Safety Bill, The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, The Consumer Protection Bill, The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill and the two Arbitration Bills.

Here are the links to the weekly stories that detail all that the party said in the two Houses:

Week 1: Trinamool welcomes new Speaker

Week 2: Trinamool MPs raise matters of public importance in Parliament

Week 3: From Aadhaar to electoral reforms, Trinamool corners Govt 

Week 4: Trinamool opposes anti-people decisions of Centre 

Week 5: Trinamool protests against Aadhaar Bill, lack of scrutiny of Bills

Week 6: Party opposes regressive Right to Information & Triple Talaq Bill

Week 7: MPs in both Houses spoke on several important Bills

Week 8: Trinamool MPs walk out in protest against the procedure used to bring J&K Reorganisation Bill