Tag: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

What happened at JNU was an absolutely fascist surgical strike: Mamata Banerjee

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Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today spoke to the press about the merciless beating up of students at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and accused the BJP of whipping up an atmosphere of hatred and violence across the country, and targetting educational institutions especially.

Highlights of her interaction:

Today I am a full-time politician. But I started my political career as a student leader, as a student worker, and so I know student politics very well.

I am seeing now how they are torturing students, and even professors. It is shameful.

Whoever speaks against them, they paint the person as if they are an enemy of the country.

Pakistan is not a democratic country but I can proudly say India is. But look at what happened at JNU, JMI, IIT, Vishwa-Bharati, etc.

Then, there is the issue of the CISF being used for individual security. They are supposed to protect industrial installations, institutions, etc. They are meant for protecting the assets of the country.

But now so many BJP leaders in my State have CISF as their personal security, and these leaders do not work in the interests of the country.

Delhi Police is not in Arvind Kejriwal’s hands so the Centre is doing whatever it likes. It keeps them inactive and lets the BJP party people do whatever they feel like. This is absolutely wrong, this is an absolutely fascist surgical strike.

We have seen this type of situation elsewhere too – Lucknow, Moradabad, etc. Look at what is happening at Shaheen Bagh.

In politics, governments come and governments go. But even if in the majority, no party has the right to do whatever it feels like. We all have to work according to the Constitution.

I will appeal to all student communities to be together, and to fight together against this Government. What we have said about CAA, NRC and NPR, that is their main concern too. So let us fight together. We all are with the student community.

I have told my team that has gone to Delhi to first meet the students of JNU, and then will go to ShaheenBagh to meet the people.

You have seen what they did at Jadavpur University (JU), how even the holder of a constitutional post interacted with students. In fact, not just JU; they are targeting all institutions. I think such types of things should not be done.

Now it is a very dangerous situation in the country. I do not know what will happen tomorrow. It is just like we are seeing a second freedom struggle.

Bangla Govt distributes Rs 160 crore to Bulbul-affected farmers

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The State has provided compensation to 4.66 lakh farmers, affected by cyclone Bulbul, so far. The State Government has spent Rs 160.28 crore for this, till date. The cheques have been prepared for another batch of 6.28 lakh farmers, for which the amount of compensation will be around Rs 219 crore.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had instructed the administration to expedite the process of compensation for the affected farmers belonging to the districts of North and South Parganas, East and West Midnapore, Howrah, and Hooghly. Accordingly, the Finance Department issued the required funds to the Department of Agriculture.

A sum of Rs 13,500 has been fixed as compensation per hectare of land. A minimum of Rs 1,000 (for small land) and a maximum of Rs 27,000 is being given to the affected farmers. The money is directly transferred to the bank account of the farmers.

It may be mentioned that a delegation of the central government had visited the State on December 6-7 to inspect the Bulbul-affected areas. After a meeting with them, the Chief Secretary had submitted a request for compensation to the tune of Rs 23,811 crore. However, the Centre is yet to give a penny.

Source: Bartaman

Won’t allow detention centres in Bangla as long as I am alive: Didi

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Bangla Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday said that as long as she is alive the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will not be implemented in the State.

None can snatch away the rights of the people of the country, like citizenship, the Trinamool Congress Chairperson said at the inauguration of Naihati Utsav.

Supporting the students’ protest across the country against the contentious CAA, she wondered why they can vote to elect a government on turning 18 but not have the right to protest.

‘As long as I am alive CAA will not be implemented in Bengal. No one has to leave the country or the state. There won’t be any detention center in Bengal,’ she said.

‘Why can’t students protest against a draconian law? The Centre is taking action against protesting students and is rusticating them from universities,’ the CM added.

She also said, “When I became the MP of Jadavpur I promised my refugee brothers and sisters that they will be provided land deeds unconditionally. I kept my word. I fought for it in Parliament. After coming to power, we recognised 94 colonies officially. Everyone who came to India on or before 1971 are citizens.”

Mamata Banerjee slammed the Centre on the issue of Aadhaar, saying that until a few years ago the government made us link everything from telephones to bank accounts with Aadhaar. And now they are saying Aadhaar is not a proof of citizenship. Why did the Centre force people to link Aadhaar, she asked.

“Democracy means we all are citizens. There is no king. Everyone has equal rights. There will be no detention camps in Bangla as long as I am alive. They could that in Assam because they are in power there. They cannot do it in Bangla,” she thundered.

She also maintained that Bangla will not carry out any work for National Population Register (NPR).

Fair price shops to sell onions in city at Rs 59/kg from today

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Fair price shops across the city will sell onions from today to make the vegetable available to the common people at a reasonable price.

“Onions will be available at all the 935 fair price shops at Rs 59 per kg per family from Monday in Kolkata.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had instructed the state government’s supply chain and sales point known as Sufal Bangla to market onions at a maximum of Rs 59 per kg.

The state government will not only subsidise the price of onion but also bear the cost of transportation, distribution and losses in transit.

NRC & CAB two sides of the same coin: Mamata Banerjee

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Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said the NRC and the CAB are two sides of the same coin and the TMC will oppose it till the end.

Speaking at the annual Sanhati Dibas rally at Mayo Road, she said the National Register of Citizens and the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill were being taken up by the Centre to divert attention of the people from the economic slowdown.

“If you give citizenship to all the communities, we will accept it. But if you discriminate on the basis of religion, we will oppose it and also fight against it,” the chief minister said.

CAB is another trap like NRC to make legal citizens refugees: Didi

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lashed out against the BJP government at the Centre on Monday for planning to introduce the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in Parliament and said the proposed legislation is a “trap” like the NRC to exclude Bengalis and Hindus as legal citizens of the country.

The CAB, 2019 is expected to be introduced in the winter session of Parliament, which began Monday, as the previous one had lapsed as it was not tabled in the Rajya Sabha after being passed by Lok Sabha on January 8.

She also criticised the Centre for failing to revive the Indian economy, Banerjee said the government is only interested in selling out PSUs like Air India instead of taking steps to revive it.

“The Centre is planning to bring in CAB but let me tell you it is just another trap like the NRC. It is a trap to exclude Bengalis and Hindus from the list of legal citizens and make them refugees in their own countries,” Banerjee said.
The bill seeks to provide Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis and Buddhists from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after seven years of residence in India even if they do not possess any document.

“After our government came to power we had taken steps to grant citizenship to refugees of enclaves in Coochbehar district. But we had never imposed any condition that they have to be in this country for six years,” Banerjee said.
The proposed implementation of National Register of Citizens in Bengal has turned into a flash point in West Bengal with the Trinamool Congress government vehemently opposing it.

It had created a panic claiming 11 lives in the state following the omission of about 19.6 lakh names from the final NRC list in Assam.
Majority of the names omitted from the list were allegedly those of Hindus and Bengali Hindus.

Grand ceremony concludes 25th KIFF

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The 25th edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) got over today. A grand ceremony was held at Nazrul Mancha to conclude the festival.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee handed over the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Awards for the best film and the best director and the Hiralal Sen Memorial Award for the best film in an Indian language.

Some of the top personalities from the film industries of Mumbai and Kolkata, and actors, directors and producers of several of the foreign films that were shown at the film festival graced the glittering closing ceremony. Shabana Azmi was the chief guest at the programme. The KIFF was inaugurated by Shah Rukh Khan on November 8.

List of all the awards presented today:

Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for …
Best Film: The Weeping Woman
Best Director: Vaclav Marhoul (for The Painted Bird)
Best Indian Documentary Film: Abridged
Best Indian Short Film: Summer Rhapsody

Special Jury Award (among international films): Aga’s House

Hiralal Sen Memorial Award (for Indian language films) for …
Best Film: Mai Ghat: Crime No 103/2005
Best Director: Indrashis Acharya (for Parcel)

Special Jury Award (among Indian films): Run Kalyani

NETPAC Award: Devi Aur Hero

Excerpts of the chief minister’s speech:

My congratulations to the media for covering KIFF very well. My congratulations also to all the concerned officials. We have to start thinking from today on how to improve on this for next year’s KIFF.

I appreciate the freedom of expression that Shabana Azmi ji talked about. This is essential for everyone, more so in these times. This is our constitutional and democratic right.

I will request everyone to come back every year. Consider this as your ‘home state’; without you this film festival is not possible. Remember, Kolkata is the ‘sweetest part of the world’. We love everyone irrespective of religion, race and culture because humanity is the most important pillar of democracy.

I love films. I request all those related to films to ensure a connection between different film industries as that would enrich us and help us achieve greater things. Advance greetings to everyone for the New Year. Thank you!

State will take action against those selling vegetables at exorbitant prices: Didi

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Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said today that the State Government will take strong action against all those selling vegetables at exorbitant prices.

She was addressing the media after chairing a meeting of the Agriculture Department at Nabanna.

Excerpts:

Many sellers are selling at prices up to four times that at which they are buying from farmers. We have spoken to the sellers’ associations and chambers of commerce to correct this aberration in the next few days.

The cyclone has caused devastation for sure, but vegetables are grown all over the State. So we will be able to tide over the difficult situation. Only onions is a problem. The Centre imports onions. The Centre had an agreement with our organisation, NAFED to supply onions at Rs 25 per kg. But the Centre is violating that agreement.

Potatoes are harvested in January. Since there have been unseasonal rains, farmers are taking out potatoes from storage and selling at Rs 13 to 14 per kg. But open market some sellers are taking up unscrupulous means to sell it at much higher rates. We will take up measures to stop this.

For cauliflowers and cabbages, we are making arrangements to pick up in trucks directly from the fields and sell.

We are hoping the supply situation would become normal in seven to eight days. Till then I have instructed the police to keep a strict watch so that sellers don’t over-charge.

It’s important to stand beside the people in times of distress: Didi

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Today Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited Basirhat and other places to supervise the cyclone relief activities taken up by the State Government. After that, she discussed the relief and rehabilitation efforts with the concerned officials. She handed over cheques of Rs 2.40 lakh to each of the families of the dead.

Excerpts from her press interaction:

The cyclone has destroyed a large area of cultivated paddy, to the tune of 15 lakh hectares. Vegetable and mustard cultivations were also destroyed. Arrangements have to be made quickly to properly store rice. Alternative farming should be encouraged. The Agriculture Department has to become more proactive.

The mangrove forests of the Sundarbans blunted the effect of the cyclone to a large extent. More efforts must be made to conserve the mangroves. Grasses must be planted on riverbanks to prevent the soil from eroding.

Ponds and roads must be cleaned and cleared up; uprooted trees must be removed. Dams have broken down in several places; they need to be repaired as quickly as possible. Pumping machines must be deployed to drain away the water from the vast areas of farmlands that have been flooded.

Many areas are still inundated. The Education Department must ensure that students, especially examinees are able to resume school. Destroyed books, writing copies and other essential things must be replaced immediately.

The affected people must be supplied with adequate amounts of foods like dry foods, crushed rice (chire), puffed rice (muri), potatoes, pulses, biscuits, drinking water, tents, etc. each family would be supplied with 12kg rice, baby food, milk powder, etc. already six lakh water pouches have been distributed, another 50 lakh have to be kept ready.

Mobile medical camps have been opened in every area. Among other things, they must keep anti-snake venom (ASV), medicines for fever and stomach ailments ready.

Every family would be given hurricane lamps and 5 litres of kerosene for lighting them.

In North 24 Parganas, 1,200 electric poles and in South 24 Parganas, 6,000 electric poles would be installed.

Five people died in North 24 Parganas. About 6 lakh people have been affected by the cyclone and more than 5 lakh houses were destroyed. The latter would be repaired. All kinds of help will be provided to the distressed people.

The administration must make much more efforts to solve the problems of the people. More aid must be given. I request all concerned officials and others to not skimp on aid and to not do politics with regard to aid activities.

Properties and crops worth a few thousand crores of rupees have been destroyed. This is a big disaster. The administration’s taking of many pre-emptive measures prevented what could have been a bigger disaster.

It’s important to stand beside the people in times of distress. I am requesting everyone concerned to undertake relief efforts to the utmost of their capabilities so that this becomes a model for the rest of the country.

Within the next 10 days, the affected families will be supplied with six lakh kit bags.

Cyclone Bulbul: Mamata Banerjee monitors situation all night from Nabanna

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Bangla Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself monitored the preventive measures being taken from the control room at Nabanna. She was present at the State Secretariat all night. The State administration had taken all measures to tackle any contingency in view of Cyclone Bulbul.

She had earlier appealed to citizens to maintain calm and not to panic. “Cyclone Bulbul is about to pass through Bengal. Our state administration is closely monitoring the situation 24×7. We are taking all measures to tackle any contingency. Special Control Rooms have been set up and NDRF-SDRF teams are deployed,” Mamata Banerjee said in a tweet.

Schools, colleges and anganwadi centres have been closed and more than 1.2 lakh people have already been rescued from the vulnerable coastal areas, she added.