Tag: governance

The next general election will be one where voters will reject the BJP: Mamata Banerjee

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Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today participated in the India Today Conclave East in Kolkata.

Excerpts from her talk:

Why should the name ‘Agnipath’ be used? Since it is about the Indian Army, why not choose a name related to the Army?

Many posts have been done away with in the Railways and other Central government organisations.

I have seen many governments but never such a vindictive one.

The next general election will be one of protest; it will be the one where voters will reject the BJP.

My only interest is in the good of the country, in the progress of the country, in seeing a smile on each and every citizen’s face.

 

 

Modi Govt following ‘divide and rule’ policy: Didi

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Bangla Chief Minister and Trinamool Chairperson, Mamata Banerjee, speaks about her views on CAA, NRC, NPR, the situation in Kashmir and the misinformation campaign by BJP.

Here are excerpts from the interview:

Q: The Prime Minister recently visited Belur Math where he said that the Opposition was misleading people on CAA

Didi: The Prime Minister went to Belur Math on a personal visit. We have great regard for Ramakrishna Mission. We have never seen anyone use the stage for political speeches. I am thankful to the monks of Ramakrishna Mission for protesting against it.

Instead of paying respect to Swami Vivekananda ji, he did a mischievous thing – he did political propaganda. We don’t agree with his political vision. He wants to fulfill his political agenda. We don’t agree with that. In parliamentary committee, we opposed this from the beginning.

Everyone with documents like the voter ID card, PAN card, Aadhaar card, passport etc are citizens of the country. If the Opposition is misleading the people, why are people protesting in BJP-ruled States? Why are States like Assam against NRC? We support their protests. Actually, BJP is misleading the people.

They are following a divide-and-rule policy through CAA. It depends on their choice. They are in power. They must ensure ‘roti-kapda-makaan’ and not promote politics of hate. This policy is being criticised worldwide. We love our country and he is dividing the country.

The country’s economy is a disaster now. Prices are skyrocketing, unemployment is rising, industries are shutting down. Walmart is closing down their chapter in India. Instead of giving attention to these problems, they are trying to discriminate (among people).

Swami Vivekananda never said divide the country. He worked for the downtrodden people. He said unity is strength and weakness is death. Divide and rule is BJP’s manifesto, their agenda and they want everyone to follow them. This will destroy the secular fabric of the country.

Q: So, you are opposing CAA, NRC, NPR

Didi: At first we thought NPR is related to census. But now we know it is connected to NRC. There is no convention or provision that discriminates among refugees. India is a vast country, with so many languages, cultures. There are even different dialects in Bengali in every district. Even if we do not understand their language, we respect and love them. That’s the beauty of our country.

Q: So, you are saying refugees must not be discriminated against

Didi: It is not a matter of refugees. People will have to surrender their citizenship for five years. Everything will be lost. There are many discrepancies. Why have they not included Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka? It is our neighbouring country.

Q: So, you are saying NRC is anti-Bengali

Didi: Obviously it is anti-Bengali. But most importantly, it is anti-India. You can see how Bengali migrant workers are being treated in other States. Some of them were brutally murdered in Kashmir. So many migrants work in Bengal. We do not discriminate among them. How can you divide them like this?

Q: Centre claims there is normalcy in Kashmir

Didi: Kashmir is our heart. We love Kashmir. If the situation is normal, why are so many leaders under house arrest for such a long time? Why is there internet shutdown? People are suffering. Problems can be solved by taking people into confidence. But if you bulldoze your views on others, there will be issues.

Words and vision are the credibility of a politician. Your character is your credibility. Your character is your credential.

Kashmiris should have been taken into confidence. Why were political parties not called for a meeting? I want to visit Kashmir and visit Farooq (Abdullah) Ji, Mehbooba (Mufti), Omar (Abdullah). I don’t want to go as a Chief Minister but as an individual, as the Chairperson of All India Trinamool Congress. Foreign dignitaries are welcome (in Kashmir) but Indians cannot go. That is the problem. I want to go and see how Kashmiri brothers and sisters are.

Our party’s delegation is not allowed in Assam, Lucknow, Kashmir. This is the condition.

Q: Political dynamics has changed. Trinamool, DMK, Shiv Sena, SP, BSP didn’t attend the meeting (in New Delhi). The message is loud and clear – regional parties want to play on their own terms

Didi: Regional parties are feeling isolated. Why local leaders in Tamil Nadu are blaming Stalin? Shiv Sena is in a government with them, but they are also feeling isolated. Same with Arvind Kejriwal. Only meetings won’t help. This is a public movement. Let everyone carry on the protests in their own way.

We are all together.

Q: Do you mean the Congress is unreliable?

Didi: I don’t have any comments. Words are silver and silence is golden

Q: BJP accuses Trinamool of appeasement politics. In 2005, you raised your voice against illegal immigration but now you have changed your stand

Didi: BJP is misinforming, misleading, disinforming the people. My protest was ‘No ID card, no vote’. Only that can prove the genuineness of voters. Why would one name appear in 50 places? Names of genuine voters were missing. I was fighting for voting rights of genuine voters. For this movement, 13 youth workers were killed in firing by the Left Front Government. Why was I not allowed to speak in the Parliament? What BJP is saying is fabricated. Our movement started in 1991.

Invest in Bangla, where there’s scope for the future: Didi’s call at Bengal Business Conclave, Digha

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Bangla Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today inaugurated the Bengal Business Conclave at Digha. Held at the newly inaugurated Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, the two-day programme is being attended by industry representatives and diplomats from around 20 nations.

Here are the excerpts from her inaugural speech:

In Kolkata, there is a big convention centre. I am proud to say that it is one of the biggest convention centres in the world. It is a destination for industry leaders and everything related. Digha is not too far away from Kolkata. Road connectivity is there for tourism and industry. What we have started today will work for tomorrow. Adjacent to this convention centre is a hotel with 70 rooms. Corporate houses, industrial houses can organise seminars or their office meetings here.

Digha is a beautiful place. You will appreciate that within these 8 years, Digha has been developed like anything. I am proud to say that a promenade like Marine Drive is coming up. The road is already complete. Two bridges are being made. It is adjacent to Puri. Puri has a famous temple. A temple is also coming up here, the Mashibari Temple. A port is coming up at Tajpur.

Representatives of 20 countries are present here. They are from the UK, Poland, Australia, the Netherlands, Argentina, South Korea, Singapore, UAE, USA, Australia, France, Russia, Italy, Thailand, Germany, Japan, China, Bangladesh and Bhutan. Also present here are representatives of the United Nations and a team from the World Bank. The Asian Development Bank also gave us Rs 150 million for a project. We want to congratulate them. Industry depends on the economic situation. Economic situation is something very important nowadays.

After 34 years of Left misrule, our State has overcome the situation. Now if we see the GDP growth, in the second quarter of 2016-17, it was 8.87 %. But in the second quarter of 2019-20, the rate dipped to 4.55%. Industry growth has also gone down. In 2015-16 it was 9.58 %, which in 2018-19 dipped to 6.86%. Manufacturing growth rate also went down from 13.06% in 2015-16 to 6.94% 2018-19. Industrial production growth rate went down. In September 2018, it was 4.63% while in September 2019 it is -4.27%. FDI growth rate is also down from 22% in 2014-15 and 35% in 2015-16 to 1% in 2018-19. Even unemployment rate is also highest in last 45 years.

But I am proud to say that in Bangla, we have decreased unemployment by about 44%. It depends on attitude, working capacity and government policies.

Why you should come to Bangla? If you compare, you will see that Industrial production IIP of India was only 30.6% in 2018-19, exactly double that of India. Poverty rate decline in Bangla is highest among all the states. Through the social security scheme, poverty has declined by 6%. This means that we have worked hard. State Plan Expenditure is six times higher. Social Sector Expenditure has grown by 4.5 times. Physical Infrastructure Expenditure has grown by 5 times.

We are No. 1 in this country. We are the No. 1 in lending by banks to MSME, skill development, in rural connectivity and rural housing, in generation of 100 days’ work for the poor people, in expenditure outlet for 100 days programme. We developed in so many areas because of our intention and integrity.

We want you to invest in Bangla. Choose your place where you have the scope and future. We will get the opportunity to employ people. We are not only proud of Bangla because we stay here. Bangla is not only the gateway for Bangladesh, Bhutan and North-Eastern countries; it is the lifeline for the business of the nation. It is the lifeline for the Asian countries also. Bangla has potential enough to do business.

Anyone can say anything politically. But no one can deny the fact that we have done for Bangla in the last 8 years. Bangla is now a model for the industrial development and every other development. We don’t divide the people. We never utter a single word against any cast, religion or community. We believe in togetherness. We feel we are the same family.

More than 13 lakh people are already employed in the tourism industry. My young generation is getting employment. In the hotel industry, the investment was about Rs 39,800 crore. Every year almost 16 lakh tourists are coming up in Bangla. And 8 crore domestic tourists are coming up. Our airport has grown by 178 %. International passengers have grown by 135 %. You can see the highest growth rate of passengers at Bagdogra Airport.

Our workforce is very good. In the last 8 years we have set up about 300 polytechnic and ITI colleges. We have all that you need to invest. We agree to cooperate. We have Land Bank. We have also Land Utilization Policy. We have IT Policy and Tea-tourism industry too.Along with all these we have talented students. Our young generation is working from Uk to USA to NASA to Japan, everywhere.

I will request you to invest in Bangla. We promise to give you full assistance. More than 200 acres we have allotted for silicon valley, IT sector. Our transport sector is a very potential sector.

I have the readymade business in every corner of the State. You have to use it. Invest your money for the betterment of the future. I can tell you that the Bangla will be the NO 1 destination for the world one day.

One country had said, I will not take the name that the Bangla will be on NO1 within 20 years.

We have set up 26 helipads already. We are trying to make the Air connectivity better also. I will request my UK friends to give some direct flights. There was British Airways previously. Now we are giving the fuel subsidy too. I will request you, if there is any opportunity you can pursue the matter. Airports at Balurghat, Malda, Coochbehar Airports are also coming up. Airport in Durgapur is almost ready.

There are so many areas where you can invest your money. You can enjoy our hospitality and friendship. Bangla loves all of you.

Bangla is the cultural capital of India. You can experience good culture, good behaviour, good transparency and good accountability from us. Our credential is our credibility.

I welcome all my friends from 20 different countries , my diplomats, my counsellor general and all. Thank you so much for coming here. Enjoy our hospitality. You give us business, we will offer you our all support with smile. Our country is your country too.

The next summit will be on 15-16th December, 2020 in Kolkata. I extend my open invitation to all of you.

State Govt to create forests across Bangla using Miyawaki Method

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The State Panchayats & Rural Development Department has decided to create forests across Bangla using the Miyawaki Method, a Japanese method of tree planting that helps in building dense, native forests. The government would be using the 100 Days’ Work Scheme to implement it..

The Miyawaki Method involves planting dozens of native species in the same area, which becomes maintenance-free after the first three years. This method ensures plant growth is 10 times faster and the resulting plantation is 30 times denser than usual.

The first such forest would be coming up on 1,000 acres in the village of Shibganj, in Shyampur-I block in Uluberia subdivision in Howrah district. This forest would be named after the famous Swedish environment activist, Greta Thunberg.

Besides Howrah, the other districts where such afforestation has been planned are Purulia, Birbhum, Murshidabad, Bankura, Jhargram, Malda, Uttar Dinajpur, Purba Bardhaman and South 24 Parganas.

According to the plan for the pilot project, 3,280 saplings would be planted on 1,000 acres, which would be able to increase their sizes by 30 times in just seven months with the help of the Miyawaki Method. The plants to be planted are native species species like bahera, bael (wood apple), jamun (blackberry), mango, haritaki, babla, banyan, palash, shirish, tal, karamcha and mahua.

Preparations for the pilot project are on in full swing. A 10-day workshop was organised in Shibgunge where 36 officials from various districts participated. A private organisation conducted the workshop.

Ten-fold decrease in trafficking in Bangla

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The latest National Crime Records Bureau report (crimes for 2017) has revealed that the number of cases related to trafficking in Bangla has undergone a ten-fold reduction.

From 3,579 in 2016 the number of trafficking cases reduced to 357 in 2017. Consequently, the number of victims below18 years who were trafficked has also decreased significantly – from 3,113 in 2016 to 319 in 2017.

Programmes like Swayangsinddha, mass awareness and active participation of the police at all levels are the primary reasons for these achievements.

C40 World Mayors Summit applauds Bangla’s innovative Sabujshree Scheme

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The Bangla Government has created another milestone with the Sabujshree Scheme, the latter having received an overwhelming response at the recently-held C40 World Mayors Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The mayor of Kolkata (also the State Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister) had gone to Copenhagen to accept the C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Award for the city’s environment-friendly electric public transportation project.

Sabujshree aims at planting a sapling with the birth of every child in the State. Under Sabujshree, a sapling is given to the mother of every child born in a government hospital anywhere in the State.

The saplings given to the mothers are usually of commercially viable trees like mahogany or sal. The parents are requested to nurture the tree like their own children. When the child becomes an adult, the parents are allowed to sell the tree and spend the money on the child’s education.

It is this aspect of the scheme that received widespread recognition at the conference. Mayors of several cities showed interest in how trees can become an asset to a family.

The scheme is the brainchild of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and was introduced in 2016.

Source: Millennium Post

 

Fire license fees reduced by 92%

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The Bangla Government has announced its decision to reduce the fire license fees by about 92 per cent. This decision was announced by the Finance and Industry Minister, Dr Amit Mitra recently.

The minister said that during the administrative review meetings held across the State, small and medium-scale business-owners had been requesting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for reducing the mandatory fire license fees to make it easier for them to set up their businesses.

Mamata Banerjee kept her word, and now the fees have been reduced by approximately 92 per cent, in comparison to the last fee structure that was decided in 2017. And the reduction has been across all categories of buildings. This decision was taken after a detailed meeting with the Fire and Disaster Services Department.

There are four categories of fees:

Buildings above 14.5 metres (m) in height (including residential complexes, dharamsalas, educational institutions, art galleries, libraries and museums): Reduced from Rs 53.80 per sq m or Rs 25,000, whichever is higher, to Rs 4.35 per sq m – reduction of 91.91%

5,000 sq m buildings (hospitals, nursing homes, resorts and guest houses): Reduced from Rs 80.70 per sq m or Rs 30,000, whichever is higher, to Rs 6.52 per sq m – reduction of 91.92%

Ports, airports, terminals, shopping complexes, offices and market areas: Reduced from Rs 107.60 per sq m or Rs 50,000, whichever is higher, to Rs 8.70 per sq m – reduction of 91.91%

Hazardous buildings like godowns and warehouses: Reduced from Rs 161.40 per sq m or Rs 1 lakh, whichever is higher, to Rs 13.05 per sq m- reduction of 91.91%

Kolkata Police ensuring security of the elderly during Durga Pujo

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As part of Pronam, Kolkata Police’s initiative for senior citizens, special instructions are being issued to the elderly so that they can keep themselves safe during the period of Durga Pujo.

While the people are involved in revelry, miscreants can take the opportunity to attempt to steal from houses. Elderly people are especially vulnerable, and hence certain measures are being taken.

Last year, the police had distributed leaflets across the city to make people aware. To make the exercise more effective this time, police personnel have started interacting directly with senior citizens to make them aware of the issues.

Among the instructions being given are –

* Not to keep too much money or costly jewellery at home
* Keep any valuables in bank lockers
* Keep house properly locked if going out, and even otherwise, especially at night
* Inform local police station when going out of the city

Like last year, this year too Kolkata Police would be organising trips to local puja pandals for the members of the initiative, Pronam. Additionally this time, the trips would also include those who are not members of Pronam.

Centre must not divest profit-making PSUs, merge banks: Didi

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The Indian National Trinamool Trade Union Congress organised a meeting of its members at the Netaji Indoor Stadium today. Trinamool Congress Chairperson Mamata Banerjee addressed the attending members.

Highlights of her speech:

Sometimes we have to come together to fight. We many not always get the results we want, but we have to try anyway.

In 2012, 6 Trinamool ministers had left the Manmohan Singh Government in protest against its decision to implement 100% FDI in retail because we believe the cause of the people is more important than holding on to ministries.

Plans are being made to close down Bengal Chemicals; 42 PSUs are being divested; banks are being amalgamated and their headquarters moved elsewhere. Due to this, many bank workers would lose their jobs. Nobody is sure these days of the state of their jobs and of the value of money in the future.

The post offices have no work other than distributing letters about the Central Government’s achievements. Their work is getting reduced.

Even after demonetisation, bank officials worked their hearts out. So what happened to all the money collected? Nobody knows.

After making the banks do its bidding, is this how the Central Government will treat them? The whole banking sector is in a mess.

The armed forces are the best means for protecting the country. Instead of protecting, they are being used to threaten people. People are in the dark about many things. The Centre also wants to privatise the ordnance factories.

Coal is the pride of Bangla; if Coal India is divested 100 per cent, electricity production will be hit hard.

We fear that the Indian Railways, the largest public sector undertaking in the world, will be fully privatised in the coming days.

A conspiracy is being hatched to divest a profitable company like Air India.

It is the duty of the Government to be beside the people in times of hardship. Nobody is paying heed to the people’s problems nowadays.

The television and print media, which have the power to take up the issues being faced by the people, have become deaf and dumb; they are just parroting the Centre’s instructions.

The Centre is trying to incite the people and spreading hatred, just to improve its TRP. And those who love the people are constantly working for their benefits.

SAIL, Hindustan Paper, Chittaranjan Locomotives, Life Insurance Corporation, Haldia Port, Kolkata Port, BSNL are all being planned to be privatised. Things are in a terrible mess.

People have lost their right to speak. That’s why there is a need for them to come together to speak up. Social media platforms should be used to mount protests. People need to think differently in order to launch protests because there is great value in it.

Democracy is our asset. There is democracy in Bangla but many States are suffering for the lack of it.

You saw from the Jadavpur University incident what their attitude is. You cannot use force to keep people in the dark forever.

The people of Asansol and Durgapur voted wholesale for the BJP, yet now the Centre is planning to privatise Chittaranjan Locomotives, ECL, BSNL.

On the part of the State Government, we merged only those companies which were running at a loss. We didn’t take away people’s jobs.

Politics and love for the people of the country are not one and the same in most cases now. One should work for the people once elected, whatever their political affiliations.

Continue your fight the way you are doing it. The hunger strike has been going on for 25 days. There are ordnance factories and banks in other States too but the people are afraid to protest.

Since others are not protesting, it is the people of Bangla who will speak up for the people. Bangla will show the way.

If our fight helps people in other States, we will be happy because we want to progress taking everyone along.

There are three protest programmes before Durga Pujo. I am creating a core group that will coordinate all the protests and meetings, and will also take up the issues in Parliament. The members are Subrata Bakshi, Dola Sen, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Saugata Roy, Derek O’Brien, Subrata Mukherjee, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, Partha Chatterjee, Pradip da, Malay Ghatak and Purnendu Bose.

She announced the following protest programmes:

Sep 26: Protest meeting in front of Gun & Shell Factory, Cossipore
Sep 27: Protest meeting in front of Coal India headquarters at 1pm
Oct 18: Protest march from Sealdah to Fairlie Place via Esplanade from 1.30pm
48-hour dharna in New Delhi
Post-Oct 18: Protest meetings in Chennai, Mumbai, Bihar and other places across the country

NRC is nothing to be afraid of; it won’t happen, assures Didi

I am requesting you to enlist your names in the electoral rolls so that you are able to vote. There will be no NRC anywhere.

Some people are wrongly bringing a communal angle to NRC, and saying that it is meant to divide Hindus and Muslims. Yet despite that the NRC in Assam has excluded 13 lakh Hindus.

Do not fear NRC. Some TV channels are spreading false news. Don’t watch those channels.

There will be a protest against in the NRC in those places where people have died in fear of it.

We have to fight this battle together. My Pujo greetings to all.

 

Achievements of Youth Services and Sports Dept

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On the occasion of International Day of University Sport, let us take a look at the primary achievements of Bangla’s Youth Services and Sports Department over the last eight years, when Trinamool Congress has been in power.

* Bengal Football Academy (Khardah)

* Bengal Archery Academy (Jhargram)

* Bengal Tennis Academy (Salt Lake)

* 27 youth hostels (with facility for online booking)

* 15 youth hostels under construction

* Multi-gyms in 3,565 schools and colleges

* 684 mini indoor games complexes

* Development of 398 playgrounds

* Financial aid provided to 25,425 clubs and other organisations

* During the regime of this Government, 20 mountaineers have successfully climbed Mount Everest