Comprehensive plan for improving healthcare for mothers & infants in Bangla

The Bangla Government has taken up a comprehensive scheme for the upgrading of maternal, newborn and paediatric services at 68 tertiary and secondary healthcare facilities across the State with an aim to provide better treatment to expectant mothers and infants.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has laid great stress on infrastructure-building at various healthcare facilities run by the State Health Department in the districts.

Infrastructural upgrades

The 68 tertiary and secondary healthcare units that have been selected for infrastructural upgrade are all ones that conduct more than 3,000 deliveries in a year.

The plan includes upgrading of labour rooms, operation theatres, toilets, and power backup and drinking water facilities.

Mother and Child Hubs

The Health Department has also initiated the process to setting up 14 Mother and Child Hubs (MCH) at different facilities across the State for ensuring qualitative and quantitative improvement in maternal and child services at various hospitals. Out of the 14, nine are operational.

The remaining five are coming up at Chittaranjan Seva Sadan, Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, Silampur Block Primary Health Care, Sujapur Primary Healthcare Centre in Malda district and Anupnagar Rural Hospital in Murshidabad in the current financial year.

Waiting Huts

Twelve Waiting Huts for pregnant women have been set up to facilitate safe delivery of infants in remote areas. All of them are currently functioning. The Health Department has a plan to set up five more Waiting Huts.

Waiting Huts have turned out to be extremely essential for the people, who had to travel long distances to reach hospitals.

Significantly, the Committee on the Empowerment of Women, a parliamentary committee for studying women’s issues, in a report titled ‘Women’s Healthcare: Policy Options’, tabled in Parliament on January 3, 2018, had proposed the creation of Pre-Delivery Hubs across the country, on the lines of Waiting Huts.

IMR and MMR going down, institutional delivery going up

Both the infant mortality rate (IMR) and maternal mortality rates (MMR) in the districts have gone down considerably in the past seven-and-half-years due relentless efforts taken by the State Government. This new set of projects will bring down the rates further.

It may be mentioned here that the maternal mortality rate in the State has reduced from 113 per 1 lakh mothers in 2011 to 101 in 2018 which is much below the national average of 130.

Infant mortality rate has reduced to 25 per 1,000 live births, which is also much lower than the national average of 34.

What is also significant is that the state government has increased institutional delivery from 65 per cent in 2010 to 97.5 per cent in 2018-19.

Budgetary allocation gone up

The Bangla Government has increased the budgetary allocation for Health Department from Rs 8,773.52 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 9,556.69 crore in 2019-20.

Source: Millennium Post

Political vendetta and agencies should not destroy the future of the country: Mamata Banerjee

Following the incident relating to the death of V G Siddhartha, founder of the Cafe Coffee Day chain, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in a post on social media, termed the incident as sad and unfortunate.

Below is the text of her full post:

 “I am deeply shocked by the incident relating to V G Siddhartha, Cafe Coffee Day founder. It is indeed very sad and very unfortunate.

From what he has expressed, it appears that he was greatly depressed due to harassment and pressure from different agencies for which he could not run his business in a peaceful manner. This he could not resist.

I hear from different sources that captains of industry in the country are under pressure; some of them have left the country and some are contemplating to move out.

All the opposition political parties are afraid of horse trading and harassment with political vendetta.

On one hand, the economic growth of the country has nosedived to as low as 5.8% in the fourth quarter of 2018/19, the lowest in the last 5 years, and unemployment has increased to the highest level in the last 45 years.

On the other hand, central government is actively pursuing disinvestment of government assets, from Ordnance Factory Board to BSNL, from Air India to Railways, from Chittaranjan Locomotive Works to Alloy Steel Plant, Durgapur and about 45 more public sector undertakings.

The overall economy is in bad shape with the common people suffering the most.

Industry and agriculture and creation of employment is the future of our country. If industry is demoralised, then there will be no economic and employment growth. As a result, more and more people will become jobless.

My appeal to the government is that when you have been elected, you have to work in a peaceful manner so that people are confident and that political vendetta and agencies do not destroy the future of the country.

I express my deep condolence to the family members of Siddhartha. I feel really sad to hear the news.

I thought of sharing my feelings and thoughts with all of you.”

 

Kalimpong: New district created for comprehensive development

For better reach of developmental activities, the Trinamool Congress Government carved the subdivision of Kalimpong into a new district. Ever since, a lot of new activities are being carried out by the government.

New district: On February 14, 2017, Kalimpong became the 21st district of Bangla.

Health: 1 fair-price medicine shop, 1 fair-price diagnostic centre, free beds, 1 SNSU, 1 HDU

Scholarships: More than 11,000 students under Kanyashree, more than 5,000 students under Sikshashree

Higher education: 2 government degree colleges; 2 ITIs; 1 polytechnic college

100 Days’ Work: More than 58 lakh man-days created

Housing: About 2,800 people benefitted from housing schemes, including rural housing

Industry: 1 industrial park; 6 MSME clusters; 1 IT park; bank loans worth Rs 50 crore given for small-scale industry

Self-employment: 1,700 self-help groups under Anandadhara and 140 projects under Swami Vivekananda Swanirbhar Karmasuchi Prakalpa

Roads & bridges: 350 km of roads built/repaired/widened

Tourism: 8 tourist cottages built within the compound of the tourist lodge, Morgan House; Cultural Tourism Centre in Kalimpong-1 block being set up

Development boards: 16 development boards created for 16 communities in the district for the communities’ social development and cultural well-being

Samajik Suraksha Yojana: 10,000 unorganised labourers enlisted

Karmatirtha: 6 Karmatirthas built

Sports: Himal-Terai-Dooars Spots Festival being held every year with a lot of enthusiasm

 

2019 will see the end of the BJP Govt at the Centre: Abhishek Banerjee at Rajganj

Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee today addressed a public meeting at Belakoba Public Club Ground at Rajganj in the Jalpaiguri Lok Sabha constituency.

Highlights of his speech:

I am warmly welcoming to all of you for coming here to attend our meeting.

Vote for Bijoy Chandra Barman, but remember that you are actually voting for Mamata Banerjee. I am confident when the counting will be done with on May 25, the people will see the BJP wiped out from Jalpaiguri.

Remember that there is a big difference between the 2014 election and this election. In 2014, we had asked you to vote against the corrupt Congress, communal BJP and violent CPI(M).

This time, the entire country has bowed down in fear to the BJP. However, Bangla has remained steadfast in its opposition to the communal-minded BJP.

Mamata Banerjee has proved again and again that Bangla is very strong and in fact, it has always been so – right from the days of the freedom movement, when the people of Bangla have showed their character. The people of the State cannot be swayed by false propaganda.

Since they cannot fight us politically, they have taken the refuge of religion.

I do not believe in dividing people on the basis of religion. I believe in real Hinduism, in the Hinduism preached by the likes of Swami Vivekananda, not in the fake Hinduism of Yogi Adityanath, Amit Shah and Narendra Modi.

I follow the tenets of Hinduism, worship Durga and at the same time, stand beside my Muslim brothers and sisters during Eid and ask for Allah’s blessings.

As a person, I can pray to any god I want, but a an elected representative of the people, my only religion is humanism, and therefore my duty is to see to it that every person receives the benefits of the developmental schemes that form the basis of our rule in the State.

They have been fooling the people over the last five years in the name of ‘Achhe Din’.

There has been no development done in the villages of Bangla by the Central Government. The BJP has only been indulging in communal politics.

Swami Vivekananda had said, “Bohurupe sammukhe tomar, chhari kotha khunjichho Ishwar,/ Jibe prem kore jei jon, sei jon sebichhe Ishwar” [translated as “Where are you looking for God – when he is in front of you in every living being, in many different forms? Those who serve mankind (and any other living being) are serving God”]

Five years ago, Narendra Modi had asked for votes in the name of Swami Vivekananda. If he was really a saviour of the Hindu religion, as he claims to be, why didn’t he give Belur Math the recognition it deserved?

All over the country there are no jobs and so people have no money, but in Bangla, because of Mamata Banerjee, you have everything.

I will say again and again, “Chowkidar chor hain”. I dare Modi to arrest me.

All criminals have only one address, and that is Bharatiya Janata Party. The BJP candidate from Cooch Behar is involved in smuggling, for example.

The BJP has said that it will win 22 seats in Bangla but I can bet that we will win all 42 seats, and that will be revealed on May 25.

I am daring the BJP to win even a single seat here.

I have always worked for the good of the people by constantly being by their side, and not been like the BJP leaders, who are only interested air-conditioned comfort.

We have seen that the prime minister is neither a chaiwallah nor a chowkidar – but Mamata Banerjee has always remained genuine, still living in that humble house of hers while managing the welfare of 10 crore people of her State.

The BJP calls itself the saviour of Hindus, but what has it really done?

We used to say the Congress is corrupt from the sky to the ground – referring to the 2G Scam and the Coal Scam. The same can be said of the BJP – there is the Rafale Scam and the Namami Ganga Scam, and others in between.

You have always supported Mamata Banerjee and she has paid you back – Jalpaiguri circuit bench, engineering and medical colleges, ITIs and so many other benefits have come solely as a result of her efforts.
.
I can see 30,000 people here – can any of you say that you have received Rs 15 lakh in your bank accounts? Of course not.

But all of you can say that you have received the benefits of schemes like Kanyashree, Yuvashree, Sabooj Sathi, Rupashree, Sabujshree, Baitarani and others – this is what the government of Mamata Banerjee does.

On Apr 18, when you go out to vote, remember to vote for the right person, vote for the respect and culture of Bangla.

In Gujarat, which is Modi’s State, the BJP won all 26 out of the 26 Lok Sabha seats in 2014, but in the 2017 Assembly elections, they lost so many seats. Therefore, if Gujarat can do it, so can you.

Netaji had once said – give me blood and I will give you freedom; now Mamata Banerjee has given the call for Bangla – give me 42 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats, and I’ll give you a progressive and secular India.

Remember that voting for the CPI(M) or the Congress would be a waste of your money, because the fight this time is between Agnikanya Didi and the communal Modi.

All the surveys are saying that Modi is not coming back to power.

The prices of cooking gas, kerosene, petrol and diesel had gone up by several times a few months back, but over the last two months, as the BJP started losing in State elections, the prices have come down. The price of platform ticket has also gone up – from Rs 2 to Rs 20.

From June 1, after the new government is formed in May, the prices of all these items would come down further and become affordable for the common man once again.

The prime minister is shamelessly using the Army for getting votes. A few days back, he asked the people to vote for his party so that he could protect the army. This is just shamelessly using the soldiers’ deaths as a result of the Pulwama massacre for one’s own advantage.

Do you know the name of any of the people who have stood against Modi in his constituency? You haven’t, because the media is scared to report.

I will say again and again, chowkidar chor hain. I dare Modi to arrest me.

Let me tell you who has stood against Modi. It is the same person, then a BSF jawan, who had released a video that had gone viral, showing the pathetic quality of the food being served to them. He was sacked as a result. He is the person who is fighting Modi.

The prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan has said that he wants Modi. And Pakistan is supposed to be our enemy. Therefore our enemy wants Modi as the prime minister. The ISI, Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Vijay Mallya, rioters and smugglers – all want Modi as the prime minister.

And all the hard-working people want Mamata Banerjee as the prime minister. This is the difference between them.

I exhort all the first-time voters of Jalpaiguri to vote for a better Bangla, a better Jalpaiguri, and for the unity and culture of Bangla.

Mamata Banerjee has not imposed a single rupee of extra tax because she can feel for the poor.

Modi doesn’t really feel for the poor. At his rallies, he just repeats word ‘garib’ like some chant, just like he chants the word ‘sena’ without really thinking of their good.

We want air and water as basic elements for survival. The BJP, on the other hand, thrives on creating divisions, and on instigating riots and communal troubles.

The BJP has realised that chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ is no longer working in their favour.

By calling themselves Ram bhakts, the BJP people are actually insulting Ram. The real Ram did a lot of sacrifice, including spending 14 years in exile.

Last year, our government had decided to give Rs 10,000 each to 28,000 Durga Puja committees in the State. Instead of supporting this decision, the BJP, CPI(M) and Congress went to court the next day, terming the move as Hindu appeasement. This is the kind of care and concern they have for the people of the State.

We give ‘imam bhata’ (stipend for imams) and ‘moazzem bhata’ (stipend for moazzems) taking from the Waqf board, as per the directions of the Supreme Court, and not from the tax you pay us.

The money you give as tax we spend for your own welfare, in the form of various development schemes that have changed your lives for the better so much.

The BJP has not sent greetings even once to the people of the State on the occasion of Durga Puja, the biggest festival in the lives of Bengalis.

If you have your Ram, we have our Durga. But your Ram is now all alone, with only the CBI and ED by his side, while by our Durga stands the entire country, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Your Ram is on his way out, being chased by our Durga.

2019 will see the end of the BJP Government at the Centre.

The two Lok Sabha seats that the BJP had won in Bangla in 2014, they will lose even those two this time.

Darjeeling and Asansol will reject the BJP. True to its form, the BJP has created unrest in both Darjeeling and Asansol.

Prove your true credentials of standing for a united Bangla, by voting out the BJP. Don’t leave even a square inch of space to the opposition.

Like the BJP, I too say ‘Bharat mata ki jay’, but I say it because of my pride for my country, not for achieving narrow communal ends.

Vote for Bijoy Chandra Barman, but remember that you are actually voting for Mamata Banerjee, and therefore for the development of Jalpaiguri and of Bangla in general.

I request everyone to go out early in the morning of April 18 to the polling booths and vote for Trinamool Congress.

I end my speech by paying my respect to everyone – the elderly, the youth, the party workers, the mothers and the sisters.

Jai Hind, Vande Mataram, Trinamool Zindabad, Mamata Banerjee Zindabad, victory to Jalpaiguri, victory to Bangla

 

State Govt promoting herbal colours for a safe Dol Jatra

The State Food Processing and Horticulture Department is promoting the use and sale of herbal colours for Dol Jatra celebrations.

The herbal aabir, as the colours used in the festivities are called, are manufactured by a self-help group (SHG) and are being sold at Mayukh Bhavan in Salt Lake, which houses the Horticulture Department.

The counter will remain open till today (March 20). The price of the herbal colours has been fixed at Rs 30 per 100 grams.

The members of the SHG responsible for manufacturing the herbal colours have received training from Jadavpur University. The colours are extracted from flowers and mixed with talcum powder and arrowroot to manufacture the finished product, said the head of the SHG.

There are five varieties of aabir – green, orange, pink, yellow and violet, extracted from rose, marigold, palash, aparajita and balsam, respectively.

If the schemes for the poor not continued, then they will suffer: Mamata Banerjee

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed the media at Nabanna today.

Here are the salient points that she said:

* Have instructed the chief secy to request EC to allow development programmes started before the poll dates were announced.

* Told to carry out relief work in storm affected areas. Permission sought to give relief to the families of deceased and severely affected
* If the schemes for the poor not continued, then they will suffer
* Among them are Khadya Sathi scheme, pension and health schemes, tea garden schemes
* These are public schemes and the people will suffer if they are discontinued for almost three months

This is a fight between communal Modi and Bengal’s Agnikanya: Abhishek Banerjee

National President of Trinamool Youth Congress and MP Abhishek Banerjee today addressed an organisational meeting in Bankura.

Highlights of Abhishek Banerjee’s speech:

Subrata Mukherjee is a veteran politician and an able administrator

My humble pranam to the women present here today. Those who have the support of women, can never be defeated

This election is a fight between communal Modi and Bengal’s Agnikanya Mamata Banerjee. We have to fight unitedly

Block leaders should manage the blocks. Those who are district-level leaders, have to manage the district. Those in-charge of the booths must carry out their responsibility.

Those who perform well, will be rewarded and given charge of the organisation in the future.

Those who promised Achhe Din five years ago, have not spent a penny for the development of Bankura

Water supply projects worth Rs 1100 crore have started in Bankura. This was possible because of Mamata Banerjee

Roads have been developed. Multi super speciality hospitals, SNSUs have been set up

People receive uninterrupted supply of electricity in the villages

UN has recognised Kanyashree scheme as the best in the world. Utkarsh Bangla has also received international recognition

The talent that this land has, is unmatched in rest of the world

We have never seen Modi selling tea, but we have seen Mamata Banerjee lead a simple life even after becoming CM

BJP is trying to destabilise Bengal by fomenting communal tension

From hike in fuel prices or the rollback of subsidies on cooking gas, we have always hit the streets to protest

BJP thought they can intimidate Trinamool by using agencies like CBI and ED. Trinamool will never allow the pride of Bengal to be sullied

Mamata Banerjee has called for a united India. She has given a clarion call for the formation of a progressive, democratic, secular government

Bengal will show the way to India in the future

Modi is doing now, what Mamata Banerjee has already successfully implemented

Budget of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao is Rs 100 crore for the entire country, while the budget of Kanyashree is Rs 5000 crore in Bengal alone

He has no funds for women’s safety, 100 days’ work and other schemes for the welfare of people. He only spends money on foreign travel, statues and PR

Those who used to carry red flags while torturing people in the past, now don the saffron robe

After the BJP lost power in three states, prices of fuel, cooking gas and GST on items decreased

People of Bankura will give a fitting reply to the BJP

BJP only engages in politics of religion. They have no developmental agenda

BJP survives on religion, riots and fake nationalism

BJP’s end is near. The arrogance and audacity of the PM will be defeated soon

Remember, you are not voting for Subrata Mukherjee or Shyamal Santra. Your vote is for Mamata Banerjee

We will not concede any space to the BJP. We will fight to save the culture of Bengal

Jalpaiguri circuit bench a new feather in Bangla’s crown: Mamata Banerjee

Today Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the Jalpaiguri circuit bench of the Calcutta High Court. Through this, a long-standing dream of the people of north Bengal has been fulfilled.

Highlights of the chief minister’s speech:

This new circuit is a historic landmark; it was planned in 1988 and has come to fruition today.

I had laid the foundation stone in 2012; it might have been completed much earlier, but I don’t want to go into any controversy; I am happy that it has at last started functioning.

Justice must be dispensed on time, and for that new courts, more judges and better-informed judges are the necessity.

Therefore I ask all in the legal fraternity to continue to sharpen their legal skills.

I would also request judges and lawyers to try and do at least 10 per cent of their work for the poor.

There are 88 fast-track courts in Bangla, of these 55 are for women only.

These fast-track courts are all run by the State Govt, as the Centre had stopped its funding.

Democracy must be strengthened and the media must be more responsible to save the Constitution.

Another important thing I want to say is that judges and lawyers should be allowed to speak in regional languages too in court, and not just in English; the regional sentiment must be respected.

Knowing regional languages – be it for officials or judges – is very important as communication with local people happens more smoothly in local languages.

 

Theft of Rafale files – Mamata Banerjee calls it ‘tamasha’

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on March 7 said the theft of Rafale files from the Union Ministry of Defence was a matter of concern and demanded an enquiry into it.

She also sought the central government’s version about the theft and asked who was the ‘chhuppa rustam’ (hidden person) behind this act.

In a tweet in Hindi, Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress Chairperson, described the entire matter as ‘tamasha’ (farce) and hinted that its fallout would be known after the Lok Sabha elections.

“What farce is going on in the country? Documents are being stolen from the Ministry of Defence itself. This is a very dangerous situation for the country,” she tweeted.

“What would the government say on this? Who is the hidden person behind this? There must be an enquiry into it,” she added.

The chief minister asked the people to “wait for some time as general election results would come out soon”.

Bangla Govt ensuring farmers’ welfare with old-age pension

Besides the recent announcements of the Krishak Bandhu Scheme and the full payment of subsidies for crop insurance by the State Government, and the earlier announcements of the waiving off duties on mutation and of agricultural tax, another announcement has been made – pension for farmers.

The pension amount would be Rs 1,000 per farmer.

Listed below are the rules for the pension, as recently published in a government advertisement:

  • Minimum age should be 60 years, and for differently-abled farmers, 55 years
  • Must be a resident of Bangla for the preceding 10 years
  • To be a farmer, must own a maximum of 1 acre, and to be a bargadar, must own a maximum of 2 acres, or can be a landless labourer
  • Should not have any other source of income or not have anyone to take care of
  • Should not be drawing any emoluments or pension through any other scheme of either the State or the Central Government