Mamata Banerjee inaugurates Vivek Chetana Utsab

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today inaugurated Vivek Chetana Utsab at a function held at Ganga Sagar Mela Camp, Babughat.

Vivek Chetana Utsab is being observed across the State on the occasion of 155th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

The festival is being organised in all 341 blocks, 118 municipalities, 6 corporations, Kolkata Municipal corporation, GTA, and all district headquarters of the State.

As part of the festival, padyatras will be held across the State. There will be symposiums, exhibitions, quiz, debates on Swami Vivekananda’s life. Football matches will also be organised. There will sit-and-draw competitions, along with essay-writing competitions and cultural events.

 

 

বিবেক চেতনা উৎসবের সূচনা করলেন মুখ্যমন্ত্রী

 

আজ বিবেক চেতনা উৎসবের শুভ সূচনা করলেন মুখ্যমন্ত্রী মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়। বাবুঘাটে গঙ্গাসাগর মেলা ক্যাম্প থেকে আজ এই উৎসবের উদ্বোধন করেন তিনি।

স্বামী বিবেকানন্দের ১৫৫ তম জন্মবার্ষিকী উপলক্ষ্যে রাজ্যব্যাপী এই উৎসবের আয়োজন করেছে পশ্চিমবঙ্গ সরকারের যুব কল্যাণ ও ক্রীড়া দপ্তর।

রাজ্যের ৩৪১টি ব্লক, ১১৮টি পুরসভা, ৬টি কর্পোরেশন, কলকাতা পৌর সংস্থার অধীন ১৪৪টি ওয়ার্ড এবং জিটিএ সহ রাজ্যের প্রতিটি জেলাসদরে এই উৎসব আয়োজিত হবে।

এই উৎসবে থাকবে পদযাত্রা, বিবেকানন্দের জীবন ও কর্ম বিষয়ক প্রদর্শনী, ছাত্র-যুবদের চরিত্র গঠন বিষয়ক আলোচনা, বিবেকানন্দ বিষয়ক ক্যুইজ, বিতর্ক, প্রদর্শনী ফুটবল ম্যাচ, বসে আঁকো, প্রবন্ধ রচনা সহ অন্যান্য সাংস্কৃতিক প্রতিযোগিতা ও অনুষ্ঠান।

After the successful U-17 World Cup, Transport Dept to promote Ganga Sagar Mela & Book Fair

The Bengal Transport Department’s branding of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup had caught everyone’s eyes, and became very successful. On all the buses the department had designated for ferrying the fans and players, was written ‘Ebar Khela Jombe Bangla’.

Now the department is planning similar branding for two of the most popular annual events that Bengal hosts – Ganga Sagar Mela and the Kolkata International Book Fair (KIBF). What exactly is to be written would be decided later.

While the former will be held in January, with the main events scheduled on January 14 and 15, on Sagar Island in the Sundarbans, the latter will be held from January 30 to February 11 at Central Park in Salt Lake (because the usual venue, the Milan Mela fairground, is being renovated).

The branding would appear on the buses (from Esplanade, Babughat and Howrah) and the 30 vessels (16 belonging to West Bengal Transport Corporation and 14 to Hooghly River Transport Corporation) to be designated for the Ganga Sagar Fair, and on the buses (both AC and non-AC) to be designated specially for ferrying people to and from the Book Fair.

বইমেলা ও গঙ্গাসাগর মেলাকে ব্র্যান্ডিং করার ভাবনা রাজ্যের

 

আন্তর্জাতিক কলকাতা বইমেলা ও গঙ্গাসাগর মেলাকে সাধারণ মানুষের কাছে আকর্ষণীয় করতে এবার এই দুই উৎসবকে ব্র্যান্ডিং করার পরিকল্পনা রাজ্যের। পশ্চিমবঙ্গ পরিবহণ নিগমের সরকারি বাসে ব্র্যান্ডিং করা হবে।

দেশ বিদেশের বিভিন্ন প্রান্ত নানা মানুষ আসেন এই মেলায়। তাদের কাছে রাজ্যের মান বাড়াতেই এই পরিকল্পনা নেওয়া হয়েছে। মেলা প্রাঙ্গনে যাওয়ার জন্য রাখা হচ্ছে বিশেষ শাটল বাস পরিষেবা। এসি নন এসি সব রকম বাসই থাকছে। বাসের গায়ে বইমেলার ব্র্যান্ডিং করা থাকবে।

একই ভাবনা গঙ্গাসাগর মেলা উপলক্ষেও। এই বাসের গায়েও ব্র্যান্ডিং এর পরিকল্পনা রাজ্যের। বাংলা হিন্দি ও ইংরেজি তিন ভাষাতেই এই ব্র্যান্ডিং থাকবে যাতে সব রকম মানুষের বুঝতে সুবিধা হয়।

ধর্মতলা, বাবুঘাট এবং হাওড়া থেকে ছাড়বে গঙ্গাসাগর যাওয়ার বাস, যাবে লট এইট পর্যন্ত। সেখান থেকে তীর্থযাত্রীদের পৌঁছে দেওয়ার জন্য থাকবে ভেসেলের ব্যবস্থা। এবার মেলা উপলক্ষে ৩০ টি ভেসেল রাখা হচ্ছে।

Source: Sangbad Pratidin

In conversation with… Sovan Chatterjee, Mayor of Kolkata

AITC Web Team: The Municipal Corporation elections are a few weeks away. What are the preparations leading up to it?

Mayor: Throughout the last five years, development work has been done in all the wards under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. From ward number 1 to 144, a lot of work has been happening in every department including roads, lighting, parks, health, drainage and drinking water. Therefore, there is no need to take preparations for the elections separately. Work has been done for the common man and they will vote in favour of us.

AITC Web Team: According to the Opposition, the municipal board failed in the last five years. What would you say to that?

Mayor: Opposition will always criticize. People are the ultimate judge. Work has been done in all the departments and in all the wards irrespective of the political background.

AITC Web Team: Some projects of the Corporation are dependant on Central grants. Did you receive cooperation from the Centre?

Mayor: Before the Lok Sabha 2014 elections, we had sent reports to the Centre regarding several projects like JNNURM, garbage compactors, Tala Park etc. Funds from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission were also sanctioned. But BJP dismissed all such allocation after coming to power. However, that could not halt the surge of development in Kolkata.

The Corporation has achieved success in removing garbage dumps from the city with the quick action financial support from West Bengal Government. Kolkata has been made clean with the compactor machines and movable compactors. Kolkata has been made ‘Vat-Free’ without any support from the Centre.

AITC Web Team: What are the other significant works done by the Corporation in the past five years?

Mayor: Developmental work has taken place in every department. The most significant among all would be the supply of drinking water supply to 95% parts of the city. With the one and half crore gallon capacity water purification system at Garden Reach and the booster pumping station at Chetla, almost 12 wards including areas of Chetla, Alipore, eastern areas of Behala, Thakurpukur, Daspara and Joka would benefit directly and indirectly.

The Dhapa Jai Hind project has also been started which is supplying almost 30 million gallons of purified drinking water to Anandapur, Mukundapur, Patuli, JJ Khan Road and seven booster pumping station and 12 overhead reservoirs.

Also, the Kolkata Improvement Trust has done a great work to improve the drainage system, due to which Kolkata did not get water logged despite of having excessive rainfall from 2012 to 2014. Apart from this entire routine road building and repair work has been undertaken. Roads were repaired swiftly on complaints that were received.

AITC Web Team: What work has been undertaken to beautify Kolkata under the current Municipal Corporation?

Mayor: Our Hon’ble Chief Minister wished that the City of Joy be beautified in a single colour theme. In accordance with that, bridges, road railings, etc. have been painted. Out of the 620 odd parks in the city, almost all have been freshly painted; decorative lights have been installed along the roads.

The 2.5 km riverside along the Ganga from Princep Ghat to Babughat has been beautified. Anti-pollution devices have been installed at the crematoriums and the Nimtala crematorium has also been revamped. The Tangra slaughter house has also been modernised using latest technology and standards.

AITC Web Team: What are your expectations about the upcoming Kolkata Municipal elections?

Mayor: Our strength in the Corporation will increase from what it was last time. We have completed every work that was undertaken. Not a single developmental agenda has been left out. All the Councilors are now waiting for the elections.