Tag: darjeeling

New dawn for education sector in Kurseong: WB CM

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Dubbing it “a new dawn in Kurseong in the education sector” chief minister Mamata Banerjee laid the foundation stone for a world class Presidency University campus in Kurseong. From laying the foundation stone for an education hub to upgrading two govermnent ICSE schools to ISC, it was an educational day out for the chief minister.

“Centres of learning, skill development and research will come up here, which will attract students and researchers from all over the country and abroad,” said Mamata amidst applause from hundreds of students who were present at the foundation stone laying ceremony at Dow Hill, 4 km from Kurseong town.

Anuradha Lohia, vice-chancellor, Presidency University, who was also present at the ceremony in Kurseong , quoting Nepali poet Bhanubhakta Acharya, said, “Yo Sansar ma hamu orko swarg banau” (let us create a new heaven on this earth). She said the campus in Kurseong will have a world class astrophysics observatory and will teach courses and research in climate change, Himalayan biodiversity, conservation of natural resource, and social anthropology documentation.

Mamata announced the upgradation of the Victoria and Dowhill Government Schools from ICSE (class 10) to ISC (class 12) and allotted a grant of Rs 2 crore to the two schools for repair and renovation.

She later interacted with the students of the two schools, asked their names, from where they hail and what they had for lunch. “Study hard you are the future of the world” was her message. A polytechnic college and medical college is also on the anvil announced Mamata.

 

WB CM posted on Twitter:

WB CM expected to visit the Hills in September

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Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will be in Kurseong on September 16 to oversee the preparations for a local unit of Presidency University , which she has announced last month from both Kolkata and Darjeeling.

Government officials told reporters that the Chief Minister is expected to be in Kurseong on September 16. However, the itinerary is yet to be finalised.

During her convocation speech at Presidency University recently, WB CM had announced formation of the varsity’s Himalayan Center at Dow Hill in Kurseong which she also reiterated during the launch of the Clean and Green Project in Darjeeling.

WB CM would also attend the programmes being organized by members of Lepcha and Tamang communities on September 17 and 18 respectively in Kalimpong.She is expected to move down to Siliguri on September 19 where she will attend a programme by Bar Council.

WB CM announces the formation of a Bhutia Development Board

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After the formation of separate development boards for the Lepcha, Sherpa and Tamang communities, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced the formation of a separate development board for the Bhutia community as well.

She further announced during the Clean and Green Darjeeling programme held at Chowrastha that Rs 5 crore will be provided for the Bhutia Development Board.

“Initially I had formed development boards for the Lepcha, Sherpa and Tamang communities, now I have formed a development board for the Bhutia community as well,” Mamata Banerjee said.

“They have been living here since a long time. With regard to the other communities, we have incorporated them in the Tamang board. Everyone will work united. After all everyone lives in the hills,” she added.

WB Govt to set up world class tourism centre at Jalapahar, Darjeeling

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As part of the initiative of West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee, the State Government is planning to develop Jalapahar as a world class tourism centre in Darjeeling district.

The family of the deceased Hill leader Madan Tamang has proposed to donate his ancestral house to the State Government for setting up a tourism centre. This house, Rhododendron Dell, will be the central point of the planned centre.

The State tourism department is planning to initiate facilities of village tourism and home-stay in this estate.

The State Government may also go setting up training institutes for home tourism and guides in the same estate, which is adored for showcasing varieties of rhododendrons.

The West Bengal Chief Minister had taken numerous initiatives for the growth of tourism in the Darjeeling Hills which include Lamahata, new Darjeeling and many more such places. Jalapahar will be another addition to the bouquet.

WB CM launches ‘Clean and Green Darjeeling’ project

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is currently on a 3-day Darjeeling visit today launched the ‘Clean and Green Darjeeling’ project at a function. 53000 toilets will built in Darjeeling as part of the project.

The ‘Clean and Green Darjeeling’ project is an edition of Nirmal Bangla, and in Darjeeling, it will be launched for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) areas.

The West Bengal Chief Minister said that Bengal is No. 1 in Swachh Bharat campaign as three out of the top four districts in India are from the State. “I want Darjeeling to also become No. 1 in cleanliness drive” she said.

“We will employ 250 people under 100 Days’ Work scheme for cleanliness drive. This model is successful in Kolkata,” the CM added.

She also announced that Presidency University will set up a campus at Dow Hill and Kurseong will be developed as an educational hub.

“I have visited Darjeeling more than 50 times in the last four years. Darjeeling is smiling. My best wishes to all,” the CM said.

AITC Women’s Cell to hold workshops across the State

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AITC Chairperson Ms Mamata Banerjee has asked Trinamool Congress Women Cell State President and Chandrima Bhattacharjee to hold workshops of elected Trinamool women representatives in different civic bodies, gram panchayats, panchayat samities, zilla parishads.

She said respective MPs and MLAs would also be present in such workshops. The AITC Women Cell State President said that Trinamool Congress will hold these workshops in all 20 districts along with 18 notional districts. She said it is expected the workshops would be completed by 15 September.

She said that the main objective of these workshops is to create awareness among these women representatives, especially newly elected, about the different state government projects on women and children. She said she would ask the elected people’s representatives to meet the public with humanitarian approach.

The AITC Women Cell State President said: “I will also discuss at length about the women’s property right, right to residence, right to inheritance. They are people’s representatives and they should be aware of the women rights. Only then can they solve such problems in their respective area.”

“We will also make them aware of different government projects related to women and children like Kanyashree, Shikshashree, health care of mother and child, especially pregnant women (Janani Suraksha),” the minister said. Workshops would be held in Singur,Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar in August and Darjeeling plains in August. She would probably hold workshops in Malda, North and South Dinjapur in mid week of August.

“We will explain the function of Sick Neonatal Care Unit (SNCU), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Nicu) and how our government has increased the number of SNCUs and Nicu not only in tertiary hospitals but also at district and sub division levels,” the AITC Women Cell State President said.

 

German consul praises Mamata Banerjee

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Outgoing German consul Rainer Schmiedchen lauded Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, appreciating her role in controlling situations in Jangalmahal and Darjeeling.

“Her governance made it easier for me to promote German tourists to the hills. She made honest efforts to solve the Gorkhaland situation and now there is a solution to bandhs. Tourism cannot prosper with bandhs and this was a success for Mamata, which the earlier government could not solve. I find her success in Jangalmahal a major achievement. as well,” Schmiedchen said.

“The CM is trying to boost investment in Bengal in a novel way, which started with Bengal Leads. She is trying her best to attract foreign funds, however the results are awaited,” he added.

The German diplomat was all praise for state finance minister Amit Mitra too.

“I do not hear any more about the dire financial straits of the state exchequer — this suggests that Mitra must have done something to solve the crisis. The CM is not seeking moratorium from the Centre anymore.”

The consul general added that his four-year stay in the city would remain a pleasant memory. “I requested the foreign office to extend my stay by a year since I liked Kolkata. It is a warm city and helped me to feel at home. My wife, an Indologist, also enjoyed her stay here. She was even awarded the Padma Sri this year.”

Schmiedchen said “I did not witness any hindrance in investment due to land hurdle here.” He admitted that there was no mega investment in Bengal as he had envisaged, but several German companies have started operations in Bengal.

WB CM monitors relief work in the Hills for the second successive day

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West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee monitored the situation of the Hills for the second successive day.

At Sukna, Darjeeling, the Chief Minister said that the District Magistrate is monitoring the workings of the relief camps. Three community kitchens have been set up for the hundreds of affected people yesterday.

The Chief Minister said that she took the landslide affected routes to witness the extent of damage first hand. She said that she had instructed for the roads to be rebuilt. She said that she had also requested the GTA so that they restore the water connectivity in Kalimpong at the earliest possible time.

The Chief Minister said that key necessities of the Hills like water supply, power supply, bridges are being tried to be restored at the earliest.

Earlier today, the West Bengal Chief Minister said on Twitter:

Dead bodies found in Darjeeling Hills: Earlier 29, yesterday 1, today 2 from Mechi River. Total 32. Life is too precious

Each and every new construction should be monitored in the Hills: WB CM

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West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee on Thursday warned the authorities of the Darjeeling hills not to allow rampant construction that was clearly behind the landslides and the death of so many people, standing at the Ground Zero of the landslide disaster zone.

On Thursday, the CM reached Tingling tea estate near Mirik, traveling for more than four and-a-half hours from Siliguri. It was here that at least 19 people were buried by the landslips. On Thursday, the death toll rose to 29 with 10 more still missing.

“I travelled more than six hours to reach Mirik from Siliguri because of landslides on the way. On my way, I stopped at relief camps. We are with our brothers and sisters,” she said on social media.

The Chief Minister also sounded a note of caution. She said, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) would soon be asked to study the fragile hills and come up with suggestions. “Houses and tall buildings should not come up in an unscientific manner,” she said, adding, “I have asked authorities of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration to monitor each and every new construction.”

The Chief Minister said that Darjeeling’s quaint wooden bungalows have given way to concrete high-rises and the results are there for all to see. The September 2011 earthquake in Sikkim and April 25, 20015, quake in Nepal that killed thousands should be an eye-opener, she said.

The Government will take immediate steps to redress the situation, WB CM said. “The State authorities would write to the Centre to send a GSI survey team to Darjeeling,” she said, demanding that the central government should generously contribute towards rebuilding roads and homes.

On Thursday, the chief minister called for strict monitoring of all construction activities and said all building rules should be strictly followed.

The West Bengal Chief Minister also visited landslide affected areas of Mirik on Thursday. After halting for an hour she departed for Sukna at 4 pm where she will be spending the night. She will be returning to Kolkata on Friday.

WB CM takes stock of relief operations in landslide affected locations of the Hills

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West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee visited the relief camps in the landslide affected locations of the Darjeeling district.

She handed over cheques of Rs 4 lakh to the families of the victims.

It took six hours for the Chief Minister to reach the locations, which usually takes an hour, as the roads were in extreme bad condition after the rain and landslide.

The State Government has also set up three community kitchens for the landslide affected villagers.

She visited the relief camp in Sukhiapokhri and took stock of the relief operations.

The Chief Minister said that the State has written to the Centre so that the Geological Survey of India (GSI) performs a special survey of Mirik.

The West Bengal Chief Minister said on Twitter:

It has been a long road journey. Now am minutes away from the most affected location of the landslide.

Earlier handed over cheques of Rs 4 lakh each to families of some victims. Life is too precious.

After visiting the affected areas the West Bengal Chief said on Twitter:

Visited the spot where landslide was worst. Met families of victims and those affected in the area. Handed over more cheques to families.

Distributed relief and visited community centres where affected families are. The 3 community kitchens are open .

Met more people affected there. The Chief Sec, Home Sec, DG Police also visited.