Tag: Minister

Bangla Govt to add 2,000 MW of power in 5 years

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The Bangla Government is planning to add 2,000 megawatt (MW) of power over the next five years and is also planning to incorporate the latest technologies to reduce distribution and transmission losses. These decisions were announced by the State Power Minister at the 9th Energy Conclave organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) recently.

The 2,000MW will be a mix of thermal and hydro, as well as of solar and other alternative sources of power. Part of the 2,000 MW will be 300 MW of solar power.

According to the minister, efforts are also being made to improve the quality of power. Old thermal power plants are gradually being replaced by modern facilities to improve efficiency in power generation.

The State Government has already made a significant improvement in the field of power generation. Renewable energy has been given special thrust since Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee came to power.

The minister said at the conclave that renewable energy has become an important component for achieving energy security. From 1 MW when the Trinamool Congress came to power, solar power capacity of Bangla is now around 200 MW.

Bengal FM hits out at Centre for not releasing any funds for flood relief

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State Finance and Industry Minister Amit Mitra on Tuesday alleged that the Centre has not released any fund for the flood-like situation in the state.

“The state had demanded Rs 6,068 crore but the Centre has not made any financial assistance for undertaking flood relief work. The state alone had spent Rs 772.6 crore from the State Disaster Relief Fund but the National Disaster Relief Fund has not allocated a penny,” Dr Mitra said.

The state Finance minister also hit out at the centre alleging that sending a team from Delhi to the districts having flood-like situation was a mere eyewash.

Dr Mitra reiterated that a total of 254 blocks, 51 municipalities, 1,691 gram panchayats and 15,702 villagers received the state’s aid. “This is testimony to the fact that there has been no discrimination was made on political grounds,” he added.

Two other ministers also raised their voices against the Centre for ignoring the state by not responding to the demands of their respective departments at the state Assembly’s question answer session.

State Law Minister was vocal against stoppage of matching grants for the Centre in the last few years that has posed a hindrance in the setting up of court buildings. State Consumer Affairs and Self Help Group Minister was vocal against the non co-operation of the banks in providing loans to the SHGs.

 

বন্যাত্রাণে এক টাকাও দেয়নি কেন্দ্র, বিধানসভায় সরব অমিত মিত্র 

বন্যাত্রাণে ৬০৬৮ কোটি টাকা কেন্দ্রের কাছে চাওয়া হয়েছিল। কিন্তু ‘ন্যাশনাল ডিজাস্টার রেসপন্স ফান্ড’ থেকে এক টাকাও মেলেনি। কেন্দ্রীয় পর্যবেক্ষক দল রাজ্যে এসেছে। চারদিন ধরে ঘুরে বেড়িয়েছে। ওই পর্যন্তই। পুরোটাই ভেল্কি! কোনও উত্তর কেন্দ্রের তরফে রাজ্যকে দেওয়া হয়েনি। মঙ্গলবার বিধানসভায় ফের কেন্দ্রের বঞ্চনা নিয়ে সরব হলেন অর্থমন্ত্রী অমিত মিত্র।

তিনি জানিয়ে দিলেন, “কেন্দ্র না দিলেও, ওই খাতে রাজ্য ইতিমধ্যিই ৭৮২ কোটি টাকা খরচ করে ফেলেছে।”

এদিন অমিতবাবু ব্লক, পুরসভা ও পঞ্চায়েত ধরে অর্থ খরচের ব্যাখ্যা দেন।বলেন “২৪৫ টি ব্লক, ৫১ টি পুরসভা, ১৬৯৮ টি গ্রাম পঞ্চায়েতকে এই ত্রাণ দেওয়া হয়েছে। প্রায় ১৬ হাজার গ্রামের ৮৪ লক্ষ মানুষ উপকৃত হয়েছেন। বন্যায় অনেক বাড়ি ক্ষতিগ্রস্থ হয়েছিল। আমরা ৪ লক্ষ ৯৭ হাজার ৩৬২ টি বাড়ি সংস্কারের জন্য অর্থ দিয়েছি। ৭ লক্ষ ১৯ হাজার ৫২৪ টি ত্রাণশিবির করা হয়েছে।”

তৃণমূলের বঙ্কিমচন্দ্র হাজরার প্রশ্নের উত্তরে অমিতবাবু এদিন এই তথ্য তুলে ধরেন। তিনি স্পষ্ট বলেন, “রাজ্যের সঙ্গে প্রতারণা করেছে কেন্দ্র।”

WB Govt sets up six ration shops outside closed tea gardens

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The State Food Department has set up six ration shops outside the gates of five closed tea gardens, so that the tea garden workers, along with the people living in the fringe areas of those five closed tea gardens, can get the benefit of procuring ration from those shops.

State Food Minister Jyotipriya Mullick said in the Assembly lobby that these ration shops have been set up by the Food Department, each at a cost of Rs 6.24 lakh. The minister said that ration shops have been set up outside Red Bank, Surendranagar, Dekhlapara, Dalmore and Kathalguritea tea gardens, with two being set up outside Kathalguri.

The Minister alleged that during the Left Front tenure, tea garden managers were given charge of ration shops and “after we came to power we found out that these managers most of the time failed to distribute ration evenly among the closed tea garden workers, which led to starvation.”

The Minister further said that his department has chosen some efficient self-help groups to run these ration shops and that these groups are now effectively running the ration shops outside these closed tea gardens.

At present, 1.03 lakh workers, their family members and those living adjacent to these closed tea gardens are the beneficiaries of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s special package of rice at Rs 2 per kg. He said Rs 1,080 crore is being spent on the special package and a total of 3.28 lakh people are the beneficiaries of this package.

 

Bengal Govt forms 5-member advisory panel for consumer protection

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The West Bengal Government is forming a five-member advisory committee for consumer protection with fresh terms of reference that would include new areas like e-commerce and medicines.

Sadhan Pande, West Bengal Minister of Consumer Affairs, said on Saturday that the proposed panel would have expert representative from IIM Calcutta and IIT Kharagpur.

At a FICCI-organised function on the eve of World Consumer Rights Day, the Minister said the advisory panel would help the government in reformulation of guidelines for consumer protection.

The Centre has already prepared draft amendments to Consumer Protection Act of 1986. “However, since the consumers protection issues are part of the State subjects, the State Government has taken a proactive step for the forthcoming changes in the legal framework,” he said.

The Minister also mentioned that State has planned to file a special leave petition before the Supreme Court seeking direction on civil court’s interference in consumer courts’ justice delivery.

The State Government would also implement “right to public services” through the department. The State Consumers Affairs Department was in the process of setting up a ‘commission’ for redressal of grievances regarding public services rendered by the different government departments as well as civic bodies.

Budget for Education has been slashed by 16.5% : Saugata Roy | Transcript

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Full transcript: 

Today the All India Federation of University and College Teachers Organisation, AIFUCTO, is holding a dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to protest against the Government’s step motherly attitude towards college and university professors long pending demands and to highlight their career problems.

Due to inordinate delay of Minister of Human Resource Development’s concurrence, the University Grants Commission decision for the notification regarding modification in UGC Regulations passed by 497th Commission Meeting held on 10 January 2014 i.e. pending for a year, benefits of career advancement scheme are not being given.

Besides this, there is a drastic reduction in budgetary allocations for HRD. This year the budget for education has been slashed by 16.5%. The Government is not considering their demand, to constitute a Pay Revision Committee as the college and university teachers are not covered by the Central Pay Commission.

The Government is not ready to hear their demands or give them an appointment to meet the Human Resource Development Minister.
We urge the Government to immediately call the Federation, the only All India Organisation of College and University Teachers for a discussion and take immediate steps to give the necessary concurrences set by UGC to MHRD. Otherwise, the College and University teachers may go on an indefinite strike.

Thank you.