Water meters to prevent wastage

Water meters to prevent wastage

Posted on September 18, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

To prevent wastage of water, Kolkata Municipal Corporation has decided to instal water meters inside homes and on pipes. The project has been started on a pilot basis.

Six wards in Borough I have been selected for the pilot. About 7,500 water meters have been installed. For each home, there is a meter inside the home and another on the main pipe which is supplying the home.

Through the meters, officials would have a clear idea of how much water is being used by each household and accordingly find out ways to reduce the usage. The meters would also help officials know if there is a crack through which water is spilling out.

According to KMC officials, the ideal usage of piped water per person per day should be 150 litres (l) but 450 to 550 l is being used. So obviously there is a need for conservation of water.

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.

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.

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

1.5 lakh weavers benefitted from State Govt projects

Posted on September 9, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

As many as 1.5 lakh weavers have benefitted through the four integrated ‘Tanter Haat’ projects undertaken by the Bangla Government, said the Commerce and Industries Minister Dr Amit Mitra recently in the Assembly. A total of 5.83 crore person-days have also been created. Mamata Banerjee, right after becoming Chief Minister, has taken a leading role in reviving the fortunes of traditional weavers.

The Minister told the House that sales at Tantuja outlets have increased manifold, transforming it into a profitable organisation. Elaborating, he said that while financial year (FY) 2010-11 saw it incur a loss of Rs 12.6 crore, after eight years under the Trinamool Congress Government, in FY 2018-19, it turned a profit of Rs 14.37.

During his speech in the House, the Minister gave information on several other projects of the Government for weavers and other traditional artisans.

Initiatives for weavers:
5.83 crore person-days created
4 Tant Haats set up to help market products, benefitting 1.5 lakh weavers
6,300 Tant Ghars set up
Project in Bishnupur, Bankura, with 1,800 weavers to revive baluchari sarees
23 common service centres set up
1.02 lakh given skills development training
1.08 lakh weavers given pit looms or frame looms
Baluchari and dhanekhali saree showroom on Park Street

Tantuja becomes profitable:
FY 2018-19: Sales worth Rs 252.58 crore, profit of Rs 14.37 crore
Compared to FY 2010-11: Sales worth Rs 55 crore, loss of Rs 12.6 crore

Handloom clusters:
84,564 weavers integrated into 176 handloom clusters
Number of clusters increased by 6 times in 8 years

GI certification:
Food items: Rosogolla, moa of Joynagar, sitabhog and mihidana of Bardhaman
Fruits: Fazli, himsagar and lyangra mangoes
Foodgrains: Tulaipanji and Gobindobhog rice
Crafts: Dokra, patachitra, wooden mask of Kushmandi, madurkathi
Dance forms: Chhau of Purulia

Source: Millennium Post, Aajkaal

State Assembly passes 2 Bills to set up universities

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

The State Assembly passed the Hindi University Bill tabled by the Government on Thursday to encourage Hindi-medium education in Bangla. The State-aided university will be set up in Howrah.

Commenting during the tabling of the Bill, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the Bill was introduced because “there are several Hindi-speaking people staying in Bangla” and that it “will show us a new path” and “will stand for harmony and unity”.

She also requested the Education Department to quickly initiate the construction of the university on the land that has been already acquired. The name, she said, will be decided after talking to all communities.

A day earlier, the Assembly had passed a Bill to enable the setting up of a university in the name of Swami Vivekananda.

This self-financing private university will be set up in Barrackpore, North 24 Parganas. The proposed university would deal in various specialised fields like science, technology, law, management, social sciences, medicine, education, humanities and performing arts.

Bangla CM to give away Tele Academy Awards today

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

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be giving away the Tele Academy Awards today. The prize distribution will be followed by a colourful cultural programme with performances by television artistes.

Actors and technicians working in the television industry will be awarded for their outstanding performances throughout their career as well as over the last year. A Hall of Fame recognition has also been instituted since 2015.

The West Bengal Tele Academy Awards cover the entire array of television productions, rewarding excellence in production, programming, photography and technology, among others.

Special cell and helplines for backward communities launched by State Govt

Posted on September 5, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The State Backward Classes Welfare (BCW) Department recently launched several initiatives for the redressal of grievances of the people belonging to the backward communities of the State.

A special cell was launched, along with two helplines – a toll-free number and a number for WhatsApp and text messaging. The toll-free number is 1800 5727 730, while the number for text messaging and WhatsApp is 85829 56555.

This measure was adopted in light of the directives provided to the department by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to ensure that the SC, ST, tribal and other backward class communities do not encounter any harassment in attaining their caste certificates.

At a meeting held on July 2, 2019 with the Chief Minister and all 84 SC and ST MLAs, irrespective of their political affiliation, the State Assembly had instructed the concerned officials to expedite the process of disbursement of SC/ST certificates since backward class communities require them for admission into schools and universities as well as for jobs in reserved posts in both the State and Central Government.

It may also be mentioned that the BCW Department has delivered more than 90,000 caste certificates to beneficiaries in the last three weeks, via camps across districts.

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