Prof Sugata Bose makes an intervention on The Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018

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But I wanted to just correct an error in the listing of the business at number 15 because it’s such an important Bill, it says that this Bill is being moved to persecute offenders. I am sure this is probably a typographical error but it could also be a Freudian slip since so many vulnerable people are being persecuted in our country. I know that Shrimati Maneka Gandhi is a very kind-hearted person, she would not wish to persecute anyone, so before we proceed any further I think we should make a correction at number 15 of the List of Business, to say that this Bill will prosecute offenders. There is a big difference between persecution and prosecution.

Ratna De Nag asks a Question on ODF villages/districts

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Thank you very much, Madam. It is pertinent to point out here that out of 23 districts in Bengal, 14 have been declared Open Defecation-Free districts and out of 38,000 villages, 33,525 villages have been declared Open Defecation-Free villages with the active initiative of our Chief Minister.

Through you, Madam, I would ask the Hon’ble Minister, has the Ministry tried to find out, since the programme came into being, the impact of the programme on the health of the people? Have the toilets been made disabled-friendly? If yes, the details thereof.

Derek O’Brien makes a Point of Order on Special Mentions being rejected

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Sir, My Point of Order is regarding Rule 180 (B). Special Mentions. Everybody must get a chance, specially our colleagues in the last row.

My point is, the MPs are representing a State. When they give a Special Mention, they want to bring out something important, which may be related to the State and the Centre. But many of these Special Mentions are being rejected at the level of the under-secretary.

This concerns everyone in the House. Special Mentions are being rejected under Rule 180 (B) (2). This is a serious issue.

Dola Sen speaks on the plight of tea garden workers in Bengal

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West Bengal Government has fully exempt tea gardens from agricultural income tax for the years 2018-19 and 2019-2020. There are 2.72 lakh workers in Bengal’s tea gardens and 8 lakh dependants living in tea gardens. The Bengal Government is committed to ensuring the welfare of tea garden workers and has allocated more than 1000 crore since 2011 for this. The West Bengal Government gives 35 kg rice at Rs 2 per kg, provides electricity and water supply to tea gardens, and raised their wages.

In the midst of politically motivated trade unions strikes, tea garden owners have gone to court to declare their tea garden as ‘abandoned’. As a result, workers are suffering. The West Bengal Government is proactively taking action against organisations who are not paying Provident Fund and gratuity. The lease of abandoned tea gardens which had been shut down are being cancelled and auctioned.

On the other hand, the Centre has failed to fulfil its promise of taking over 7 tea gardens. The promise was made by a Union Minister during 2016 Assembly election campaign. Tea estates in other parts of the country such as Assam need urgent attention of the Union Government. Other states and Centre must take inspiration from the Bengal model to uplift the conditions of tea farmers. Many tea workers still work at low wages and poor working conditions. The Centre must work towards ensuring better working conditions for tea workers to promote the industry.

Looking back at Ekushe July

The July 21 Martyrs Day rally (Ekushe July Shahid Dibas) is organised by All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) in remembrance of the 13 political activists shot dead by police in Kolkata during a protest march led by Mamata Banerjee on that day in 1993.

The current Chief Minister, who was a firebrand Opposition leader back then, had organised Writers’ Chalo Abhijan (March to Writers’ Building), demanding that the voters’ identity card be made the only valid document to verify voters in order to stop the rampant ‘scientific rigging’ perpetrated by the Left Front Government. Writers’ Building was then the State Secretariat.

Bloody history

The party workers gathered at five different points across Kolkata on that fateful day. They began marching towards their destination along Brabourne Road, when they were stopped by a large contingent of police officials near the office of the Tea Board, barely a few minutes away from Writers’ Building. The police force started beating up the crowd mercilessly in order to drive them away from the vicinity of the State Secretariat.

The youth activists, who were peacefully marching, refused to stop and walked ahead. Many rounds of teargas shells were fired but the supporters kept moving forward. The police went berserk and did not even spare Mamata Banerjee while beating the youth activists black and blue. People started running across Curzon Park. Then phe police opened fire, killing 13 supporters and leaving hundreds severely injured.

Since then, an annual rally has been held on this day every year, dedicated to the memory of these 13 martyrs.

The list of the persons who died on July 21, 1993:

Srikanta Sharma
Bandhan Das
Dilip Das
Asim Das
Keshab Bairagi
Biswanath Roy
Kalyan Banerjee
Pradip Roy
Ratan Mondal
Murari Chakraborty
Ranajit Das
Abdul Khalek
Inu

 

Now kochur loti from Bengal to capture European markets

Soon, another vegetable is going to be added to Bengal’s export list – yam stem, or kochur loti in Bengali.

A popular vegetable among Bengalis, kochur loti has managed to create a certain market in Europe. Taking advantage of that, the State Government has decided to facilitate large-scale export of the vegetable.

The Government is encouraging growers to grow more yams. It is also planning to construct more modern packhouses so that the exportable items can be properly stored, as the standards for exports are very high.

Already yams (the roots, which are also popular as foods) are being exported to USA in record quantities. Efforts are now also being made by the Government to get permission for the export of yam stems to that country.

With the help of some major initiatives, the Trinamool Congress Government has made Bengal a major source for the export of fruits, vegetables and fish across the world – Europe, USA, the Gulf countries, south-east Asia, Japan, etc.

The exports of fruits and vegetables together have increased by 57 per cent. Taking only vegetables, exports have increased by 67 per cent.

Source: Sangbad Pratidin

Image source

Mamata Banerjee flags off Rath Yatra in Kolkata

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today flagged off this year’s Rath Yatra in Kolkata, organised by ISKCON.

Starting from Hungerford Street opposite the ISKCON temple on Albert Road, the raths, or chariots, moved through some of the most important thoroughfares of the city – AJC Bose Road, Sarat Bose Road, Hazra Road, SP Mukherjee Road, ATM Road, Exide crossing, Jawaharlal Nehru Road and Outram Road – to reach the Brigade Parade Ground, where arrangements have been made for daily special darshan of Lord Jagananth, till July 22.

Special prasad will be distributed at the site of the rath on the Brigade Parade Ground every day till July 22, the day of Ulto Rath Yatra. Various cultural programmes will be held during the festival.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said:

  • Rath Yatra is celebrated with a lot of fanfare here. Besides by ISKCON in Kolkata and in Mahesh, it is also celebrated in many other places in Bengal in big or small forms. In fact, the Yatra is celebrated all over the world.
  • We should remember that religion is an integral part of our lives, whatever that religion may be. And festivals are for all to celebrate together.
  • Rath Yatra is for everyone. Devotees purify themselves by pulling the raths of Lord Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra.
  • Lord Jagannath is considered the ‘nath’ or ‘lord’ of the world by many believers.
  • There is a close connection between Maa Kali’s Temple and the Jagannath Temple of Puri.
  • Today, I am praying to Lord Jagannath for the good of all of you, to keep you and your families happy and healthy.
  • I am also praying for peace to reign in Bengal as well as in the entire country, and the whole world.
    Wishing all of you to remain healthy and happy.

 

Bengal performing very well on crucial forest health parameters

The State Forest Department’s exemplary work has resulted in significant improvement of three crucial parameters – forest and tree cover, amount distributed to Forest Protection Committees (FPC) and revenue collection.

Forest and tree cover: 21.35% of the total area during financial year (FY) 2017-18, from 17.27% during FY 2010-11.

The amount distributed to Forest Protection Committees (FPC): Rs 167.25 crore from FY 2011-12 to 2017-18, from Rs 66.17 crore from FY 2004-05 to 2010-11.

Revenue collection: Rs 135.33 crore during FY 2017-18, from Rs 75.49 crore during FY 2010-11

The forest cover in Bengal, as a percentage of the total geographical area, has been growing over the last seven years. Currently, the total forest cover stands at 12,102 square kilometres (sq km).

Another related data is that, between 2010 and 2015, forest cover went up by 3,810 sq km, or 4.29 per cent, which was one of the highest in the country (according to Forest Survey of India data), and this trend continues. This is the result of the large amount of afforestation work, both inside and outside the forest areas, undertaken by the State Government.

From FY 2011-12 to 2016-17, the Forest Directorate has afforested 72,697 hectares (ha) of forest area, besides extensive soil and moisture conservation work. During FY 2018-19, approximately 10,000 ha of plantation will be taken up. One hundred modern nurseries have been created, and the work for 20 tall seedling nurseries will be taken up in different forest divisions.

As per the numbers stated above, the amount distributed to Forest Protection Committees has seen an increase of more than 2.5 times. Also, FPCs are rewarded for their invaluable contributions.

According to the revenue collection data mentioned earlier, the revenue collection by the Forest Department in Bengal has almost doubled, enabling more resources for developmental activities.

The Forest Department has also prepared a Vision and Mission Document for the period from 2017 to 2030.

Source: 7 Years: Chronicles of Bengal’s Progress

Weeklong Vanmahotsav begins today in Bengal

The annual seven-day ‘Vanmahotsav’ begins today in Bengal. The theme for this year is ‘Aranya o banyapran/ Prakriti mayer sabuj daan’, which translates to ‘Forests and wildlife/ Mother Nature’s green gifts’. The slogan has been penned by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself.

On this occasion, the State Forest Department will distribute 50 lakh saplings – to State MLAs, and educational and other institutions across Bengal. Fifteen per cent of the 50 lakh would be fruit trees.

All the 294 MLAs of the State will be given 1,000 saplings to plant in their own areas. Schools, colleges, clubs, and various institutions and offices which have space to plant would also be given saplings.

Saplings would be sold from the counter of the Forest Department too. Anyone can go and buy them, at a rate of Rs 2 per sapling. Forest Department products like honey and citronella oil would be sold at a discount of 10 per cent.

As a part of Vanmahotsav, neem trees would be planted across Kolkata – for shade as well as for the fact that they are strong enough to withstand strong winds.

The Forest Department has decided to reward those show good results in taking care of trees, including Forest Department officials and workers – first prize of Rs 1 lakh, second prize of Rs 75,000 and third prize of Rs 50,000.

A special edition of the Forest Department magazine, Banabithi would be published on the occasion of Vanmahotsav.

Source: Aajkaal

Bengal CM flays Centre for not fulfilling promise of taking over 7 tea gardens

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today chaired a meeting regarding the condition of tea gardens in north Bengal. The meeting was held at Uttarkanya.

At the end of the meeting, she announced that the government has given clearance to the wage-hike of workers and formed a committee to find a solution to the problems facing tea industry.

She also attacked the Centre for failing to fulfill its promise of taking over 7 tea gardens. The promise was made by a Union Minister during 2016 Assembly election campaign.

Highlights of the Chief Minister’s press meet:

  • We have allocated more than 1000 crore for the welfare of tea garden workers since 2011.
  • We need a permanent solution to the problem of tea gardens.
  • Some trade unions are calling bandhs for their vested political interests
  • Centre had promised to take over 7 tea gardens before 2016 elections. It was a lie for garnering votes. The tea garden owner went to court, got the tea garden declared ‘abandoned’ and workers are suffering. Centre must withdraw the notification.
  • Some owners open their ‘abandoned’ tea gardens for some days, and close it down again.
  • We have formed an expert committee under the leadership of our Chief Secretary. They will submit a report within 3 months.
  • There are 2.72 lakh workers in tea gardens and 8 lakh non-workers who leave in tea gardens.
    We give 35 kg rice at Rs 2 per kg, electricity, water supply to tea gardens.
  • We have increased wages of tea garden workers after coming to power. The cash component has now become Rs 159. We have given interim relief of Rs 17.50.
  • Lease of abandoned tea gardens which are closed, will be cancelled and they will be auctioned.
  • We will take action against organisations which don’t pay PF and gratuity.
  • We will focus on ICDS through community development programmes.
  • Non-workers in tea gardens will be given skill development training. They will be given training in poultry farming, rearing hens, ducks etc.
  • Tea tourism is also under consideration.
  • Peace prevails in the Hills. People are happy and in peace. We will observe the birth anniversary of Bhanu Bhakta Acharya in the Hills tomorrow.