If the schemes for the poor not continued, then they will suffer: Mamata Banerjee

If the schemes for the poor not continued, then they will suffer: Mamata Banerjee

Posted on March 18, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed the media at Nabanna today.

Here are the salient points that she said:

* Have instructed the chief secy to request EC to allow development programmes started before the poll dates were announced.

* Told to carry out relief work in storm affected areas. Permission sought to give relief to the families of deceased and severely affected

* If the schemes for the poor not continued, then they will suffer

* Among them are Khadya Sathi scheme, pension and health schemes, tea garden schemes

* These are public schemes and the people will suffer if they are discontinued for almost three months

This is a fight between communal Modi and Bengal’s Agnikanya: Abhishek Banerjee

Posted on March 18, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

National President of Trinamool Youth Congress and MP Abhishek Banerjee today addressed an organisational meeting in Bankura.

Highlights of Abhishek Banerjee’s speech:

Subrata Mukherjee is a veteran politician and an able administrator

My humble pranam to the women present here today. Those who have the support of women, can never be defeated

This election is a fight between communal Modi and Bengal’s Agnikanya Mamata Banerjee. We have to fight unitedly

Block leaders should manage the blocks. Those who are district-level leaders, have to manage the district. Those in-charge of the booths must carry out their responsibility.

Those who perform well, will be rewarded and given charge of the organisation in the future.

Those who promised Achhe Din five years ago, have not spent a penny for the development of Bankura

Water supply projects worth Rs 1100 crore have started in Bankura. This was possible because of Mamata Banerjee

Roads have been developed. Multi super speciality hospitals, SNSUs have been set up

People receive uninterrupted supply of electricity in the villages

UN has recognised Kanyashree scheme as the best in the world. Utkarsh Bangla has also received international recognition

The talent that this land has, is unmatched in rest of the world

We have never seen Modi selling tea, but we have seen Mamata Banerjee lead a simple life even after becoming CM

BJP is trying to destabilise Bengal by fomenting communal tension

From hike in fuel prices or the rollback of subsidies on cooking gas, we have always hit the streets to protest

BJP thought they can intimidate Trinamool by using agencies like CBI and ED. Trinamool will never allow the pride of Bengal to be sullied

Mamata Banerjee has called for a united India. She has given a clarion call for the formation of a progressive, democratic, secular government

Bengal will show the way to India in the future

Modi is doing now, what Mamata Banerjee has already successfully implemented

Budget of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao is Rs 100 crore for the entire country, while the budget of Kanyashree is Rs 5000 crore in Bengal alone

He has no funds for women’s safety, 100 days’ work and other schemes for the welfare of people. He only spends money on foreign travel, statues and PR

Those who used to carry red flags while torturing people in the past, now don the saffron robe

After the BJP lost power in three states, prices of fuel, cooking gas and GST on items decreased

People of Bankura will give a fitting reply to the BJP

BJP only engages in politics of religion. They have no developmental agenda

BJP survives on religion, riots and fake nationalism

BJP’s end is near. The arrogance and audacity of the PM will be defeated soon

Remember, you are not voting for Subrata Mukherjee or Shyamal Santra. Your vote is for Mamata Banerjee

We will not concede any space to the BJP. We will fight to save the culture of Bengal

Scared BJP trying to control the media: Mamata Banerjee

Posted on March 13, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

Trinamool Chairperson Mamata Banerjee today met the party’s Lok Sabha candidates at her Kalighat residence. She addressed the press after the meeting.

Here are some highlights of the press meet:

Reaction to BJP’s demand of declaring every booth in Bengal as super sensitive

I am really astonished. What is the reason for such a demand? This is an insult to the people of Bengal. Why are they so afraid? Why are they scared?

I have seen statements of BJP about law and order situation in Kerala. But there elections are being held in single phase.

During the panchayat elections in Tripura, 98% seats were uncontested. Now they have become saints? They are saying absolute lies, blatant lies, about Bengal.

99% of those who were killed during panchayat elections in Bengal were Trinamool workers. BJP is killing our workers.

Bengal is a peaceful state. All festivals are held peacefully here.

They are targeting Bengal because we are raising our voice against Modi and Amit Shah.

More than 40 lakh people came to Gangasagar for the mela. Not a single untoward incident took place. Durga Puja was held peacefully.

Even during the bypolls held last year, conducted by CEC, we won by 50,000 votes.

There must be a limit for everything. BJP wants CISF and CRPF to guard their leaders, not the country.

They want the media to be controlled also. This is a matter of shame, shame, SHAME.

They have lost their credibility. They want to control Trinamool, the forces, and even do not want collectors to work.

Does the BJP think there is President’s Rule in Bengal? We believe in federal structure. What audacity they have.

We must ask, is there any democracy in the country? Where is the freedom of press? They started persecuting N. Ram because he exposed the Rafale case. Now they want to control Bengal media.

Bengal is an intellectual land. This is the land of culture, unity. People of all castes, creed, communities live here in harmony.

We respect the Election Commission. They have to take care of the demands of all the political parties, not just BJP.

What is happening in Uttar Pradesh? How many people have been lynched in the name of gau-raksha? Mother of thieves shouts the loudest.

BJP wants to control me? They are so afraid of me?

They want to control the media. Next, they will ask the EC to ensure all votes go to BJP. They have become a laughing stock. Their expiry date is over.

I want to advise the BJP – go home and take rest. Media cannot be controlled by anybody.

They want to destroy the Constitution. Dalits, tribals, minorities, women and even Hindus have been persecuted.

In the name of NRC, names of 22 lakh Hindus have been removed. What is the motive behind Citizenship Bill?

I condemn the attitude of BJP leaders. Some vagabond leaders of the BJP are using money power, scaring the agencies.

I feel the press fraternity must rise against the BJP’s attempt to control the media.

Reaction to fake news on social media

Fake news is created and spread by the BJP. They are spending crores for running fake propaganda on social media.

The Election Commission must seriously look into the expenditure of the BJP.

BJP should not misuse their power.

BJP is using photos of the prime minister and the armed forces in political hoardings. We have complained against them.

Reaction to BJP’s charge of some police officers in Bengal being close to the administration

I respect all police officers, whether they belong to the State or the Centre.

I want to ask Ravi babu, Asthana owes his allegiance to whom?

There is undeclared super-emergency in the country.

Comments on Trinamool’s candidates for Lok Sabha election

41% candidates of Trinamool are women. We have not given them a ticket for the sake of it. All of them will win. We are confident.

Trinamool’s ideology is we are of the people, for the people, by the people.

We will work for the people. We will serve the people. We have to protect the Constitution. We have to restore the freedom of institutions. We have to maintain peace and harmony

Comments regarding non-payment of salaries to BSNL employees

BSNL employees are not getting their salaries. Many industries have closed down, and employees are not getting benefits. I have written a strong letter to the Prime Minister.

Comments on mahagathbandhan

We want United India. Our aim should be to defeat the BJP and remove Modi as the PM. We want a democratic government to be formed at the Centre.

For five years, the Prime Minister has not addressed a single press conference. The PM must answer what he thinks of this demand to control the media. He must answer.

Message to media

Don’t bow down your head. I am giving you my support. Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high… Be fearless. BJP has become very scared.

Theft of Rafale files – Mamata Banerjee calls it ‘tamasha’

Posted on March 7, 2019 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on March 7 said the theft of Rafale files from the Union Ministry of Defence was a matter of concern and demanded an enquiry into it.

She also sought the central government’s version about the theft and asked who was the ‘chhuppa rustam’ (hidden person) behind this act.

In a tweet in Hindi, Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress Chairperson, described the entire matter as ‘tamasha’ (farce) and hinted that its fallout would be known after the Lok Sabha elections.

“What farce is going on in the country? Documents are being stolen from the Ministry of Defence itself. This is a very dangerous situation for the country,” she tweeted.

“What would the government say on this? Who is the hidden person behind this? There must be an enquiry into it,” she added.

The chief minister asked the people to “wait for some time as general election results would come out soon”.

State Govt creates mega-plans for sustainable solar power

Posted on March 1, 2019 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

To increase the share of sustainable energy in its total energy production, the Bangla Government has set up plans to produce a total of 120 megawatt (MW) of solar energy per year.

The work for building the solar power plants would start from the financial year 2019-20. They would be spread all across the State.

Spreading out the locations of the power plants would also help in bringing solar power to the remotest regions of the State.

Each power plant would produce 6 to 10 MW, and would cost of at least Rs 50 crore to build. All of them would be set up on land belonging to the State Government, with each occupying 30 to 40 acres.

All these solar power plants would be run by the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Corporation Limited (WBSEDDCL).

File Image

Bangla Govt to develop ‘theme cities’ under PPP model

Posted on March 1, 2019 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Bangla is set to develop six ‘theme cities’, covering approximately 50 acres of land in total, on a public-private partnership (PPP) model. Bids from private investors are being seeked.

This was announced by the chairman of the development agency, Hidco (who is also the additional principal secretary to the Information Technology and Electronics Department) at a seminar organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Kolkata.

It may be mentioned that New Town near Kolkata, under the stewardship of Hidco, has been developed as the first smart city of the State, and is considered a model worth emulating in the country.

In addition to this, he also said that the construction of the hardware parks in Naihati, Falta and Sonarpur are going on in full swing, and on completion, these would add a new dimension to the IT infrastructure of the State.

Source: Ei Samay

File Image

72 lakh farmer families to get cheques under Krishak Bandhu Scheme

Posted on March 1, 2019 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

The State Government has aimed for a target of 72 lakh farmer families for paying the grants under the Krishak Bandhu Scheme, announced by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on December 31.

The handing over of the cheques had begun on January 30 at a programme in Rampurhat in Birbhum district, which the Agriculture Minister presided over.

For now, the Agriculture Department has listed the names of 15 lakh farmers as beneficiaries, with the rest of the names to be finalised soon. The Finance Department has allotted Rs 4,500 crore to the Agriculture Department for the purpose in the first week of February.

The grant for each farmer amounts to Rs 5,000 for an acre of land, to be paid through cheques. The amount would be handed over in two instalments of Rs 2,500 each.

Those owning less than an acre would received a proportional amount. However, in the first phase, each farmer would get a minimum amount of Rs 2,000. The first instalment would be given now and the next, six months later.

The beneficiaries are being selected only after showing proper documents for the plots in question. For those who do not have the documents, special camps have been opened in every panchayat office for making them. Officers of the Land and Land Reforms Department are also present in these camps.

Valid documents include property deeds for owned plots and lease deeds for leased plots. Sharecroppers or bargadars and owners of pattas are also eligible to receive payment under Krishak Bangla Scheme, the relevant ownership documents for them being record of rights (ROR) document and patta record, respectively.

Source: Ei Samay

File Image

Swasthya Sathi: Bangla beats Centre’s target by 28 lakh families

Posted on February 22, 2019 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

When the memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Bangla Government and the Central Government for family health insurance, for combining Swasthya Sathi and Ayushmaan Bharat, the target set was to enlist 1.12 crore families.

However, when the scheme started to be implemented, the Centre started sending letters to the families with the prime minister’s photo on the letters, despite the State’s Swasthya Sathi playing a crucial role in building up the number of beneficiaries.

This rightly prompted Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to withdraw from the agreement and make the Bangla Government entirely responsible for the health insurance scheme. In terms of department, the scheme is run by the Health and Family Welfare Department.

Not only is the State entirely responsible for the scheme now, it has also increased the total number of beneficiary families to 1.5 crore, thus beating the Centre-set target by 28 lakh. There were already 54.76 lakh Swasthya Sathi beneficiary families in Bangla.

This has made the Bangla Government the first State Government to have so many families enlisted under a government health insurance scheme.

With the number of families increasing to 1.5 crore, the number of individual beneficiaries has now increased to about 7.5 crore. To pay the entire premium for these new families, the State Government would be spending more than Rs 850 crore additionally.

The benefits of Swasthya Sathi are available at 1,300 hospitals (including 745 private ones) registered under the scheme.

Another facility under the scheme, as part of the State Government’s efforts for the empowerment of women, is the providing of Swasthya Sathi smart cards to female members of the beneficiary families.

To know all the details regarding Swasthya Sathi, including how to get the smart cards, contact the nearest BDO or municipality office, or call the toll-free number, 1800 345 5384, or visit the website, swasthyasathi.gov.in.

Source: Bartaman

File Photo

Equal respect to all languages by Bangla Govt

Posted on February 21, 2019 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

The Trinamool Congress-led Bangla Government, as a policy, gives equal respect to all languages. The government has given several languages the status of official language to give them credibility and make people aware of them.

Last year, the West Bengal Official Language (Second Amendment) Bill, 2018 was passed to make Kamtapuri, Rajbongshi and Kurmali official State languages. Earlier, Kurukh had achieved the status through the West Bengal Official Language (Amendment) Bill, 2018.

The Ol-Chiki script is widely promoted by the government as the medium for writing the Santhali language. Santhali-speaking students can now write their State board secondary and higher secondary exams in the Ol-Chiki script.

Both Santhali and Urdu were introduced as subjects in the State Eligibility Test (SET) conducted by the WBCSC in 2015.

At the undergraduate level, Arabic is being taught in 42 colleges, Nepali in 10 colleges, Persian in three colleges (under the University of Calcutta), Tibetan in one college (Darjeeling Government College, under North Bengal University).

Hindi-medium general degree colleges have been set up in Banarhat (Jalpaiguri district), Asansol (Paschim Bardhaman) and Hatighisha (Darjeeling district).

At the postgraduate level, Arabic is being taught in 10 universities, Nepali at North Bengal University and Tamil at the University of Calcutta.

File Image

Total loan amount to farmers by State Govt to see substantial increase

Posted on February 2, 2019 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

The Bangla Government has decided to increase the total amount of loan it provides to farmers for farming-related purposes by a significant Rs 3,000 crore. While at the end of financial year 2018-19, the estimated amount would stand at Rs 5,000 crore, in financial year 2019-120, the government would be providing a total of Rs 8,000 crore.

About 90 lakh families would be benefitted as a result of the disbursal of the loans, to be disbursed by agricultural cooperative banks at a rate of interest of 7 per cent.

As a big incentive to farmers, those who would pay repay the total amount, consisting of the capital and interest, within the stipulated time frame, would have 3 per cent of the interest paid back to them. The amount of 3 per cent would be transferred electronically to the farmer’s bank account as soon as the total amount is repaid.

In terms of amount, loans are provided depending on the crops. As examples, for aman rice cultivation, Rs 15,000 per acre is provided, for boro paddy cultivation, Rs 45,000 per acre is provided, while for potato cultivation, Rs 60,000 per acre is provided.

In terms of types of loans, there are three types: one-year loans, short-term loans and long-term loans. For one-year loans, as the name suggests, the loan, along with the interest, has to be repaid within one year. Short-terms loans are for a period less than one year. Long-term loans can span several years; for example, for buying a tractor, a farmer can get a loan whose repayment period can span from seven to nine years.

To ensure that farmers get the loans through Kisan Credit Cards (by adopting which means loans can be transferred electronically), in financial year 2018-19, the State Government has set up banking infrastructure at 3,000 primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS), including setting up micro-ATMs. Rs 400 crore has been allocated for the purpose.

For leasing of farming machinery on easy terms, the government is creating machinery hubs at total cost of Rs 1,000 crore. Tractors, paddy cleaning machines and several other machines and tools crucial for making farmers’ work easier can be hired from these hubs.

Then, on December 31, 2018, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced a few other crucial measures meant to make farmers’ lives easier. These were her New Year gifts to them.

The Krishak Bandhu Scheme was introduced, which is made up of two components. Krishak Bandhu 1 is in the form of an assurance model, wherein if a farmer dies between the ages of 18 and 60, due to any cause, the family would receive a one-time grant of Rs 2 lakh. Krishak Bandhu 2 is in the form of a yearly grant to farmers’ families, of Rs 5,000 per acre per annum in two instalments.

Besides these, another announcement was also made. The full premium under the crop insurance scheme, Bangla Fasal Bima Yojana (BFBY) would henceforth be handled by the State Government, which means that the 20 per cent paid by the Centre too would now be paid by the State. The latter was already paying the farmers’ share of the premium for the last few years besides, of course, its own share.

Source: Aajkaal