Bangla Govt observing Sanskriti Dibas on the occasion of Rakhi Bandhan

Bangla Govt observing Sanskriti Dibas on the occasion of Rakhi Bandhan

Posted on August 15, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The Bangla Government is celebrating Sanskriti Dibas today. The idea to celebrate the occasion of Rakhi Bandhan as Sanskriti Dibas was initiated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to spread the message of communal harmony.

In 1905, Rabindranath Tagore had observed Rakhi Bandhan as a mark of unity between Hindus and Muslims when the British decided to divide Bengal.

The State Youth Services and Sports Department is hosting the programmes across 342 blocks, 122 municipalities, six municipal corporations and all the 144 wards of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

It may be mentioned here that Mamata Banerjee has time and again spread the message of unity and harmony at various public meetings. She has urged people to uphold the spirit of Bangla which stands for peace, progress and prosperity.

Mamata Banerjee to address students on the occasion of Kanyashree Dibas

Posted on August 14, 2019 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

This day is celebrated by the Bangla Government as Kanyashree Dibas, dedicated to the flagship Kanyashree Prakalpa or Kanyashree Scheme. This much-feted scheme was conceived by Chief Minister Banerjee and it was she who inaugurated it on October 1, 2013.

The scheme has benefitted about 58 lakh girls till now in over 17,000 institutions, including schools, colleges and universities across the State.

Kanyashree Prakalpa has six primary objectives: Incentivising education through scholarships; discouraging early marriage of girls; incentivising education through scholarships; reducing the incidence of dropping out of schools; improving infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate by delaying the age of marriage and consequently increasing the age of first birth; eradicating under-nutrition and malnutrition of female children; and, preventing trafficking and exploitation.

The scheme also pays for the vocational training of girls so that after passing out of schools, they can start earning, if not interested in further education.

On this occasion, Mamata Banerjee will address students at a grand programme. She will also award girls who have achieved in various fields, like education, sports and social activity.

10 facts about Kanyashree Prakalpa

Posted on August 14, 2019 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

August 14 is celebrated by the State Government as Kanyashree Dibas, to mark the celebration of the flagship scheme, Kanyashree Prakalpa. The scheme is run by the Women and Child Development Department.

On this occasion, let us look at 10 facts about this internationally-recognised scheme.

1. Beneficiaries: About 58 lakh adolescent girls as well as college and university-going girls, covering over 17,400 institutions.

2. Scholarship amounts: Rs 1,000 per annum from ages 13 to 18 (K1 level); Rs 25,000 one-time grant after turning 18 and before turning 19 (K2 level), provided she has been a beneficiary of K1 stage; for postgraduate female students, Rs 2,500 per month in science stream and Rs 2,000 per month in arts stream (K3 level)

3. Huge allocation of funds: Total budget since launch is over Rs 7,000 crore

4. Dropout reduced significantly: School dropout rate has reduced significantly, proved by an increase by 73% (from 5.62 lakh to 9.74 lakh) in the admission of girl students

5. Kanyashree Clubs: Kanyashree Clubs formed and strengthened across the State since 2016, empowering girls through self-defence training, life skills sessions, sports training, organising awareness campaigns on child marriage, etc., making them confident to voice their opinions and becoming change agents in their communities

6. Kanyashree Dishari: Special educational and awareness (health, etc.) exposure visits of Kanyashree beneficiaries, organised in North 24 Parganas and Howrah districts

7. Swapner Bhor: K2-level Kanyashree beneficiaries, that is, those who have crossed the age of 18 years, given technical training to make them employable

8. Kanyashree Swabalambi: As part of this project, training provided in tailoring, nursing, handicrafts, etc.; buildings in each block headquarters named ‘Kanyashree’ coming up, which have books, computers with high-speed internet and training centres for vocational skills

9. International awards: United Nations Public Service Award in 2017 and the WSIS Prize 2016 (given by the ITU, an agency of the United Nations) in the ‘Champion in e-Governance’ category; finalist at the GEM-TECH Awards 2016, organised by ITU and UN Women

10. National awards: National e-Governance Award for FY 2014-15, Skoch Order of Merit Award 2015 in the ‘Smart Governance’ category, CSI-Nihilent Award for e-governance for FY 2014-15

Appeal to the authorities not to impose such tax or TDS or ‘Jijia’ tax on any puja committees or any festival: Mamata Banerjee

Posted on August 13, 2019 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to social media to inform that CBDT has issued a Press Release clarifying regarding notices to Durga Puja Committees for puja tax, which is popularly known as ‘Puja Jijia Tax’. She appealed to the authorities not to impose such tax or TDS or ‘Jijia’ tax on any puja committees or any festival.

Here is the text of her full post:

“I have come to know just now that CBDT has issued a Press Release clarifying regarding notices to Durga Puja Committees for puja tax, which is popularly known as ‘Puja Jijia Tax’.

I would like to share with all of you that in the name of so-called Press Release, they have made certain claims which themselves prove that they are factually incorrect.

In fact, Income Tax authorities sent notices to Puja Committees last year regarding event management including ‘Dhaki’, ‘Purohit’, small and village artisans engaged in arts and crafts working in pandals for collecting tax from them through puja committees by way of TDS, which is as good as ‘Terrible Disaster Scheme’.

This is, undoubtedly a huge burden on them.

CBDT clarification that no notices have been issued for this year makes little sense. It is only obvious that for pujas held this year, notices will only be issued next year, which is as per their scheme of tax assessment. So, the clarification itself proves that the imposition of tax very much stands. Then, why misleading?

The Press Release is a sheer distortion of facts with an aim to create confusion in the minds of local people and puja committees and perpetrate mental tension.

This is also an attack on our culture and on our Durga Puja festival. I do not know whether this is being done knowingly or unknowingly, but it is certainly of bad taste, especially when people of all religions, caste, creed participate in our Durga Puja, which is just like a national festival. Any such taxation should be totally withdrawn and the festival should be allowed to be celebrated with its usual fervour.

My humble submission and appeal to the authorities would be not to impose such tax or TDS or ‘Jijia’ tax on any puja committees or any festival.”

Here is the link to her Facebook post.

Bangla has always borne ideals of peace, as inculcated by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: Mamata Banerjee

Posted on August 13, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The world’s first museum devoted to the life and teachings of the 16th Century sage Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was inaugurated in the Bagbazar area of north Kolkata today by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The museum will be open to the public from tomorrow (Aug. 14).

The three-storied museum, with over 1,000 square metres of galleries, is aimed at spreading the messages of peace and love as propagated by Lord Chaitanya. The function and the running of the museum was organised by the Gaudiya Mission, Bagbazar.

Highlights of Chief Minister’s speech:

Greetings to all Maharaj, devotees and the Bagbazar Pujo Committee. The Durga Pujo area here is quite well-known, and represents a bridge between all cultures and politics of the country.

I am proud that the world’s first Sri Chaitanya museum has come up in Bangla. I am grateful to all of you. Sri Chaitanya has created a place in our minds over the centuries. He had spoken about the dangers of divisiveness 500 years ago. He spoke about the need for interfaith cooperation, and over the ages, the sages that followed him have spoken about the same ideals.

A lot of people envy Bangla’s talent, culture and humaneness. But Bangla does not envy any other region – this is Bangla’s education, its civility and its tradition. Do not envy Bangla, do not try to intimidate it. Around the time of our Independence, Gandhiji was in Kolkata. Bangla has borne the ideals of peace over the ages, as inculcated in the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Those who sit in Delhi and say Mamata Banerjee does not allow Durga Pujo, I want to tell them that the maximum number of Pujos have come up during our governance; Lakshmi Pujo, Ganesh Pujo are happening in home after home, Chhat Pujo and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Pujo are also carried out. Hinduism is for all – nobody can own it.
The world will continue, and mortals will come and go. But his teachings will remain. One must think big to be big, and tolerate a lot of suffering on the way. Our teachers and elders have taught us to live with all the people.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy had to face a lot of torment before he succeeded in ending the practice of sati.

We are setting up a hub for Sanskrit at Nabadwip, and will award University status to the Sanskrit college there. Clearance for 700 acres has been given for an ISKCON township there.

The Government has given Rs 50 lakh for the museum. In addition, another Rs 50 lakh will be given from the MP’s Local Area Development Fund. Another building across the road will be arranged by the Government. A gate for Bagbazar will be erected by the Kolkata Corporation.

There are plans by the I&C department to make Bagbazar a tourist spot for pilgrims. The Government has done a lot for the development of Hindu pilgrim and religious places.

We believe in humanity, the same humanity that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu believed in. Humanism does not have any caste or religion. It teaches everyone to love one another, to move ahead with one another, so that peace prevails.
India is largely matriarchal, which is why one cannot be humane without respecting mothers and sisters.

I am declaring the residence of Sir Ashutosh Mukhopadhyay a heritage building of Kolkata Corporation today.

Bangla no. 1 in growth rate

Posted on August 11, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

In a Facebook post written today, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee put up the news that according to a report by the Central Government, Bangla has achieved the highest growth rate in the country – 12.58 per cent, in financial year (FY) 2018-19.

Sharp contrast to the national scene

Congratulating everyone concerned, she also noted that this was in sharp contrast to the deep recession and policy paralysis that has engulfed the country, courtesy the policies of the Union Government.

As a result, there has been a significant decline in the overall growth rate in the country as well as the highest rate of unemployment in 45 years.

In recent months, the automobile and leather sectors saw job losses to the tune of 3 lakh.

Disinvestment dampener

On top of so much unemployment, the Centre is actively pursuing the disinvestment of 45 public sector companies. This will lead to further loss of jobs for lakhs of people.

Investments going down

And on the other hand, she wrote, investment in new projects has plunged to a 15-year low in the quarter ending June 2019.

Implementation of new projects worth Rs 13 trillion has stalled, according to the well-respected business and economic data research company, Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). This is the highest value since it began compiling data in 1995.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has shown a negative growth rate of 1.09 per cent in FY 2018-19, as compared to 2017-18.

Figures prove the desperate state of economy

Figures put up in her post point to the desperate state of the Indian economy:

GDP growth: 5.8% in Q4 of 2018-19, lowest in last five years (from FY 2014-15)

Industrial Output growth: 2% in June 2019, against 7% in June 2018

Growth: 3.6% in Q1 of 2019-20, compared to 5.1% in Q1 of 2018-19

Index of Industrial Production: 1.2% in June 2019, compared to 6.9% in June 2018

Capital Goods Sector growth: -6.5% in June 2019, compared to 9.7% in June 2018

Mining Sector growth: 1.6% in June 2019 , compared to 6.5% in June 2018

Unemployment rate: 6.1% in FY 2018-19, the highest in the last 45 years

Number of new projects announced: In Q1 of FY 2019-20, 87% lower compared to Q1 of FY 2018-19 and 81% lower in compared to Q4 of the same FY

Politics trumps development

Mamata Banerjee ended her post saying, for the new government at the Centre, it is all about “politics, politics and only politics” now, rather than economy and development.

She exhorted the people of the country to realise the true situation India has been dragged into by this government.

Classes to start at Diamond Harbour Govt Medical College soon

Posted on August 9, 2019 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

The first academic session at Diamond Harbour Government Medical College and Hospital is set to start soon. It was constructed by the Trinamool Congress Government. As many as 87 doctor professors have been appointed at the medical college.

The medical college has obtained permission for an intake of 100 students per academic year from the Medical Council of India (MCI). With this, the total number of undergraduate medical seats in Bangla for the current academic year has seen a substantial increase by 650.

In 2016, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had taken up a major step to set up five medical colleges across the state, thereby increasing the number of undergraduate medical seats.

Source: Millennium Post

Tech giants investing in the MSME space in Bangla

Posted on August 9, 2019 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Two of the world’s tech giants are firming up plans for providing help to people involved in sectors like MSME, agriculture, education, healthcare and e-governance in Bangla.

Microsoft

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently announced that Microsoft will work towards creating an e-commerce platform for weavers in Bangla, through two projects, named ‘Sangam’ and ‘E-Web’.

The company will impart training to weavers and share its expertise in enhancing their skills. As a result of this initiative, about six lakh weavers will benefit. Their income will increase by 25 per cent.

Amazon

Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud technology service platform of the e-commerce giant, Amazon, will offer learning content and promotional credit worth $100,000 to start-ups in the State, to enable them to develop innovative solutions addressing the requirement of the MSME industry in the State.

This was announced by the State Commerce & Industries and Finance Minister, Dr Amit Mitra, who added that this was the result of the MoU signed between WEBEL and AWS at the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) last February.

Sources: The Statesman, Millennium Post, Livemint

Wipro to go for major expansion in Bangla

Posted on August 9, 2019 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Indian tech major Wipro has been allotted 50 acres at the Silicon Valley Hub in New Town by the Bangla Government, announced Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently.

This would enable the company to go in for a major expansion, generating job opportunities for 10,000 people.

Earlier, the Trinamool Congress Government had allotted 50 acres to Infosys too, which project would generate employment for a total of 1,000 engineers when complete. The company is investing Rs 100 crore in the project.

Source: The Statesman

Comprehensive development of Adivasis

Posted on August 9, 2019 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

The Trinamool Congress Government created the Tribal Development Department to bring about the comprehensive development of the various tribal communities in Bangla.

On the occasion of International Adivasi Day, let us take a look at some of the major developments that have taken place.

Development/Cultural Boards and Advisory Councils

• Six boards – Mayel Lyang Lepcha Development Board, Tamang Development and Cultural Board, Sherpa Cultural Board, Bhutia Development Board, Limboo Development Board and Adivasi Development and Cultural Board – constituted for the welfare and development of these six communities
• Rs 348.32 crore sanctioned to these boards for important developmental activities like construction of environment-friendly houses and toilets, jhora improvement schemes for drinking water, planting of around 80,000 trees and instituting of more than 1,000 individual-benefitting programmes
• Despite the fact that Bangla is not a Schedule V State, the Tribes Advisory Council has been reconstituted and given a meaningful role to play in various aspects of tribal development. Since the reconstitution, six meetings have been held under the chairpersonship of the Chief Minister and follow-up actions were taken up.

Old-age pension and social security

• Old-age pension of Rs 1,000 per month per person provided to 1.5 lakh people below the poverty line (BPL) beneficiaries from scheduled tribes on attaining 60 years of age
• Social Security Scheme instituted for kendu leaf collectors in FY 2014-15, under which 34,743 collectors registered, 447 eligible beneficiaries from among which receive benefits to the tune of Rs 2.26 crore
• To ensure employment in the lean season, more than Rs 17 crore disbursed from the State Plan fund to create nearly 9.5 lakh person-days for kendu leaf collectors

Forest rights

• Community pattas for ‘jaher than’ being distributed, and installation of fencing around thans being completed
• Forest Rights Act, 2006 translated into Santhali and Kurukh, and distributed to all concerned
• 45,818 Individual Rights, 738 Community Rights and 64 Community Forest Resource Rights distributed among forest dwellers
• Formalising of forest pattas taken up and 8,583 pattas formalised through the issuance of Record of Rights

Promotion of indigenous languages

• Trilingual (Santhali-English-Bengali) Santhali dictionary published by the Paschimbanga Santhali Academy for promoting Santhali language
• Booklet published in Bengali, Santhali and Hindi for the dissemination of information on schemes and programmes on tribal development
• Language primer published in Kurukh (Tolong Siki is the script of the Kurukh language) by the Cultural Research Institute (Kurukh is spoken by the Oraon community and is one of the endangered languages of the world)
• Kurukh conferred the status of an official language by amending the West Bengal Official Languages Act, 1961

Healthcare

• Construction of ICDS centres in tribal-dominated areas in convergence with MGNREGA prioritised
• Pilot project conducted by the Institute of Haematology & Transfusion Medicine, Calcutta Medical College for the screening of tribal people suffering from sickle cell disease taken up by the department in 2014-15, after which a wider study covering 4 lakh samples was approved at a cost of Rs 25 crore

Thus we see that the Tribal Development Department has brought about all-round development of the tribal population of the State. Through various schemes and programmes, development is happening at a fast pace.