State Govt has created tree cover of more than 5,000 hectares

State Govt has created tree cover of more than 5,000 hectares

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

The effort of the State Forest Department has enabled the creation of more than 5,000 hectares of tree cover across Bangla – 5,422.62 hectares to be exact – in financial year 2018-19. This fact was stated by the Forest Minister recently in the Assembly.

The tree cover in the State currently amounts to 15.50 per cent of the total area of the State and the total forest cover is 13.38 per cent.

Saplings of trees like sal, segun, mahogany, mango, jamun, haritaki and others, totalling 1,08,28,000, have been planted to create the cover, he said.

It needs to be mentioned in this context that during the week celebrating Van Mahotsav (for seven days from July 14) and at other times all through the year, lakhs of saplings are distributed for planting. Then, as part of the Sabujshree Scheme, saplings of commercially valuable trees are given to mothers of newborns to plant so that the trees can be sold after 18 years and the money used to fund the child’s higher education.

The minister also informed the Assembly that forest preservation is being done in the Sundarbans using the process of GIS tagging. Mangrove trees are also being planted.

Centre not sending 100 Days’ Work funds on time: Mamata Banerjee

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

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in the Assembly recently that the Centre is not giving the money to the State Government for paying the workers under the 100 Days’ Work Scheme on time.

She said that Bangla is the best in 100 Days’ Work, rural road construction and housing for the poor. She said that the Irrigation, Forest, Environment and Fisheries Departments are providing a lot of work in this regard. Three lakh ponds have been dug.

Suggestions of Mamata Banerjee to the Centre:

· If workers under 100 Days’ Work are employed for planting trees, it would increase their incomes
· Those working in the Mid-Day Meal Scheme should also be brought under 100 Days’ Work

Water conservation: ‘Jalatirtha’ scheme going strong

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

Jalatirtha, one of the flagship schemes of the Trinamool Congress Government, was launched by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on this day in 2015 to run water conservation projects across the red laterite zone that comprises the districts of Bankura, Jhargram, Purulia, Paschim Medinipur, Paschim Bardhaman and parts of Birbhum.

The Jal Dharo Jal Bharo Scheme, announced in 2011, received a boost with the Jalatirtha Scheme, which is the signature scheme for the red laterite zone. Under both the schemes, water retention structures like ponds, tanks, rivulets have been created to hold water. Steps have been taken so that evaporation does not take place.

The Water Resources Investigation and Development (WRI&D) Department runs both schemes. It has taken up schemes linked to water conservation across a total area of 1.45 lakh acres. The water level is extremely low in these zones and water extraction is very difficult.

Under Jalatirtha, as many as 13,945 projects have been taken up in the last eight years (since 2011) in the red laterite zone, of which 141 are solar-powered.

Among the almost 14,000 projects, more than 900 – structures like watersheds and check dams – have come up under Jalatirtha, including 176 in Bankura, 57 in Birbhum, 75 in Jhargram, 427 in Purulia and 224 in Paschim Medinipur.

The Department has now extended Jalatirtha to the saline zones, particularly in pockets of the Sundarbans, which include both South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas.

Honouring the legacy of Swami Vivekananda

Posted on September 11, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The great follower of the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is, she has named various schemes and places after this great son of Bangla. She has also ensured the renovation of buildings that have a historic connection to the great sage.

Here is a list of works of the Bangla Government done to preserve the legacy of Swami Vivekananda:

* Making Swami Vivekananda’s famous Chicago address part of the syllabus for schools under the Madhyamik Board

* Giving autonomy and special status to educational institutions run by Ramakrishna Sarada Mission

* Allotting 5 acres and allocating Rs 10 crore for the Centre for Human Excellence and Social Sciences being built by the Ramakrishna Mission in New Town, as a replica of the Art Institute of Chicago, where Vivekananda delivered his famous speeches in 1893; it has been named ‘Vivek Tirtha’ by Mamata Banerjee

* Acquiring and handing over of the premises adjoining Vivekananda’s ancestral house to Ramakrishna Mission

* Renovating ‘Mayer Bari’ in Baghbazar, Kolkata, where Maa Sarada, the wife of Sri Ramakrishna lived, at a cost of Rs 30 crore

* Acquiring Sister Nivedita’s house in Baghbazar and handing it over to Ramakrishna Sarada Mission, and giving it heritage status

* Allocating Rs 2 crore for the renovation of Roy Villa in Darjeeling, associated with Sister Nivedita, and handing it over to Ramakrishna Mission

* Building a skywalk connecting Dakshineswar railway station to the famous temple there; it was named Dakshineswar Rani Rashmoni Skywalk by Mamata Banerjee

* Renaming Yuba Bharati Krirangan after Swami Vivekananda, as Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan

* Naming the self-employment scheme run by the Self-Help and Self-Employment Department as Swami Vivekananda Swanirbhar Karmasansthan Prakalpa

* Naming the scholarship for students from economically disadvantaged families as Swami Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means Scholarship

* Organising Vivek Chetana Utsav from January 10 to 12 every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda across the State (January 12 is celebrated as National Youth Day, being the birthday of Swami Vivekananda)

* State Assembly passing Bills for the setting up of two private universities – Sister Nivedita University (Bill passed in 2017) and Swami Vivekananda University (Bill passed in 2019)

State Govt introduces luxury houseboat for corporate events

Posted on September 11, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The State Tourism Department has introduced a luxury houseboat for hosting corporate events while floating on the Hooghly. Apart from business meetings, the houseboat is also ideal for hosting birthday parties or similar social functions that do not involve a very large gathering of people.

The houseboat has a capacity for 30 people, and has facilities like a conference hall and a dining space for providing corporates a unique experience. West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Limited (WBTDCL) will be managing the whole operation.

A senior official of WBTDCL said that the Government is giving special emphasis on river cruising in an effort to boost the waterway sector.

The official added that the booking tariff is Rs 5,000 per hour with the minimum chartering duration being three hours. In the beginning, there will be a discount of 15 per cent except on weekends and national holidays.

The reporting place for availing the houseboat is the Babughat jetty while the place for booking the same is the booking office located at the Tourism Centre in BBD Bagh. WBTDCL will soon introduce online booking facility.

Besides the houseboat for corporates, WBTDCL also operates a vessel for conventional cruises called Sumangal. It can also be booked at and boarded from the same spots. Sumangal can carry 80 people, and the cost per person and minimum chartering duration are the same as that of the houseboat. Sumangal has an additional facility in the form of a kitchen, the charge for which is Rs 1,000.

The official said that WBTDCL will soon go for a massive publicity campaign about the houseboat as well as their conventional cruise, Sumangal.

Slums in Kolkata to be developed as model slums

Posted on September 11, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to gradually improve the infrastructure of all the slums within its jurisdiction to transform them into model slums.

Till now, only selected slums were being developed as model slums. But now it has been decided to encompass all the slums in Kolkata under the scheme.

The first slum developed as a model slum was Hatgachia-1 in Ward 58, the work for which started in 2015. The work for redeveloping several more slums has started.

Since the areas and geography of slums are not uniform, the development would take place according to the conditions available.

In the current phase, 20 slums in the northern part of the city have been selected – 15 in Ward 3 (Belgachhia) and five in Ward 32 (Maniktala). Rs 1 crore has been allotted for each slum.

Among the aspects to be given stress are toilets, sewerage system (drains), drinking water, roads and pavements (using paver blocks) and lighting system (using LED lights). Gardens would be created to beautify the slums.

Bangla Govt celebrates anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s historic Chicago speech

Posted on September 11, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

Today, September 11, marks the 126th anniversary of the famous address by Swami Vivekananda at the World Parliament of Religions, held at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1893. This address set the tone for the worldwide fame of Swami Vivekananda and the spreading of Vedanta philosophy across the world.

The Bangla Government is organising programmes to mark this historic day, in association with the Ramakrishna Mission. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee would be leading the celebrations.

Various programmes including seminars in public halls and schools would be held to uphold the ideals of Swami Vivekananda, which are relevant for all times.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE HISTORIC SPEECH DELIVERED ON SEPTEMBER 11, 1893, AS WELL AS THE FIVE OTHER SPEECHES DELIVERED AT THE PARLIAMENT OVER THE COURSE OF 16 DAYS

Green City Mission: Smart LED street lamps being installed in municipalities

Posted on September 10, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The State Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department has started installing power-saving LED streetlights in municipalities across the State as part of the Government’s Green City Mission. The Department has tied up with a reputed private company to instal the streetlights.

As a first step, the Minister in charge recently announced that around one lakh LED streetlights will be installed in the areas under Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation. He said that this was another milestone towards achieving an energy-efficient State.

Approximately 60,000 LED lights are being installed in Bankura, Beldanga, Budge Budge, Khardah and Durgapur.

The lights will reduce carbon emissions by 8,500 metric tonnes and will save 12.2 million units of electricity annually. Citizens will also get better service as the maintenance will be through centralised control and monitoring system (CCMS) technology, which will be provided by the private vendor.

Source: Millennium Post

Sundarini Naturals’ organic sweets to become widely available through franchises

Posted on September 10, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

For the last few months, the State Government’s brand, Sundarini Naturals, has been selling organic sweets in Kolkata. The sweets have started earning a name for themselves for their taste and quality.

Being organic, that is, free from chemicals, the cost of manufacturing and consequently, the prices of the sweets are a little more but they are definitely worth the while.

To make these sweets widely available, the Government has decided to adopt the franchise model. Advertisements have been placed in newspapers, asking interested parties to become franchisees.

The franchisee model would also open up an avenue for people to set up their own businesses, selling first-rate products. Initially, permission for five more stores in Kolkata would be given – at Haltu, Diamond Park, Muchipara, Lake Market and Santoshpur.

The brand is owned by Sundarban Cooperative Milk and Livestock Producers’ Limited (SCMLPL), which is an initiative of State Animal Resources Development Department.

A speciality of the cooperative society is that it is run by women, and all of them are poor villagers from the Sundarbans region. The setting up of the brand, a brainchild of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has enabled them to become self-sufficient. Packaged milk, ghee, honey, rice, sona moong dal, eggs, paneer and several other products are sold under the brand name.

It is worthwhile to mention that on June 1, 2018, on the occasion of World Milk Day, Sundarini Naturals was awarded by the National Dairy Development Board for its superior quality of dairy products.

Source: Ei Samay

State Govt gives traditional treatment methods a fillip

Posted on September 6, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is creating more avenues for traditional methods of treatment to contribute towards health care delivery. The State Government has taken several more initiatives recently in this regard.

Hospitals and courses

A yoga and naturopathy degree college and hospital will be set up in Belur in Howrah district at an estimated cost of Rs 67 crore. It will have 100 beds with an annual intake capacity of 60 students.

A 50-bedded integrated AYUSH hospital is under construction in Medinipur town. It will become functional in this financial year.

The State Government has also given consent to provide 10 acres in the premises of Kalyani TB Sanatorium for a Central Research Institute on Yoga and Naturopathy at Kalyani in Nadia.

Pathological and biochemical tests are now being done free of cost at Viswanath Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya and Hospital in collaboration with private laboratories.

Two new postgraduate courses have been started, each with six seats – ‘Practice of Medicine’ at Calcutta Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital and ‘Materia Medica’ at Mahesh Bhattacharyya Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital.

Benefits

The Trinamool Congress Government has laid enormous stress on the development of infrastructure in the AYUSH (ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha, homoeopathy) sector. The AYUSH method of treatment is also cost-effective.

The Government created the AYUSH Branch under the Health and Family Welfare Department. Many AYUSH hospitals have also been constructed in different parts of the State.