Centre needs to address plight of potato farmers in Bengal: Trinamool in RS

AITC Chief Whip in Rajya Sabha, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray raised the issue of plight of potato farmers of Bengal in the Parliament and urged the Central Government for some financial assistance to be given to the State so that some more steps can be taken for the rehabilitation of these farmers.

He said in the House that the Government of West Bengal has taken special measures to arrest the situation after the potato farmers were not getting remunerative prices of potato.

He also raised the issue of the irreparable losses of the farmers due to untimely incessant rain and hail storms in different part of the country, including the districts of South Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Purba Medinipur in West Bengal. This affected vast agricultural lands and huge quantity of crops like wheat, pulses, potato, paddy and fruits which were destroyed.

He urged the Government to announce a financial package towards relief and rehabilitation of the affected farmers without further loss of time.

Toilets for all: Bengal shows the way

West Bengal Government is committed towards Open Defecation Free status for the State by October 2019. Within 2015-16, districts like Nadia, Uttar 24 Parganas, Purba Medinupur will be free from open defecation. Hoogly and Bardhaman will be free from open defecation by 2016-17.

Nadia, Bardhaman, Hoogly feature among the top four districts in the nation, in terms of toilets constructed in the last 2 years.

In the last 2 years, 11.92 lakh toilets have been constructed in West Bengal. In Nadia more than 2.42 lakh toilets have been constructed, in Bardhaman more than 1.5 lakh toilets have been constructed and in Hoogly more than 1.1 lakh toilets have been constructed. Nadia district has been shortlisted for the United Nations global award for public service. Currently toilets have been constructed for 95% of the houses in Nadia district.

In the last 2 years, 11.92 lakh toilets have been constructed in West Bengal.

The allocation has been proposed to be increased to Rs 8500 Crore in 2015-16 Budget, from the existing Rs 7460 Crore of 2014-15.

 

 

Bengal to get 10 more women police stations

10 more women police stations are coming up in West Bengal besides the existing 20.

The West Bengal Chief Minister had targeted to set up 65 such police stations across the State.  The government has approved the establishment of 330 posts under various categories for the new police stations. A woman police officer will head each of these police stations and majority of the other ranks will constitute of women also.

In the first phase 20 women police stations were set up at Howrah, Barasat, Baruipur, Asansol, Jhargram, Contai, Chinsurah, Krishnanagar, Siliguri and Jalpaiguri Sadar, sub-divisional headquarters of Burdwan Sadar, Medinipur Sadar, Purulia Sadar, Bankura Sadar, Darjeeling Sadar, Sreerampore (Hooghly), Suri (Birbhum), English Bazar (Malda), Diamond Harbour (South 24-Parganas) and Barrackpore (North 24-Parganas) have got such stations. Now, 10 new stations have opened at Bidhannagar and Durgapur Commissionerate, Cooch Behar, Balurghat, Raiganj, Berhampore, Kharagpur, Haldia, Uluberia and Arambag.  With these new stations the total number of all women police stations has reached to 30.

WB CM Ms Mamata Banerjee has been working relentlessly for the safety of women across the State. It was her idea to have all women police stations in the state to combat women related crimes. In a police station where women will not only feel free and safe to report criminal cases against them, but where such cases will also be dealt with immense sensitivity and compassion.

In another innovative step, the West Bengal Government is launching a special police cell to deal with highway accidents. This cell will be known as ‘Highway Traffic Police’. Along with investigating accident cases on highways, they will also take prompt action so that accident victims get immediate medical attention and effective rescue missions.