Tag: Murshidabad

Cruise service connecting Kolkata to Murshidabad flagged off by WB CM

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on Cruise service connecting Kolkata to Murshidabad flagged off by WB CM

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee flagged off the Ganges Voyager-II cruise at the Millennium Park from Salboni through video-wall connectivity on Wednesday. The cruise will start from Kolkata and go to Murshidabad, stopping at historical spots dotting the banks of the river.

This cruise has been started to attract prospective investors who come to the state. The seven-night and six-day trip will offer amenities like spa, bar, lounge, cafe, restaurant and a library. The ship with 28 luxury cabins of ethnic theme will be of international standard. The first commercial cruise will set sail on January 14. It is already houseful with all foreign tourists on board. Operators said their travel partners from abroad have already booked their tickets for the first four years. The cruise is slated to be the main highlight of foreign investment at the three-day Bengal Global Business Summit starting from Thursday.

The ship is built at BN Bose Shipyard in Ghushuri, Howrah. The shipyard itself is a part of the state’s heritage. It was built for Rs 25 crore.

In Bengal, Ganga has two other similar cruises – from Kolkata to Allahabad and from Kolkata to Varanasi. Such cruises are very popular at Alleppey in Kerela where tourists enjoy a cruise through the backwaters on luxury houseboats.

WB CM launches Sabuj Sathi scheme in Murshidabad district

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on WB CM launches Sabuj Sathi scheme in Murshidabad district

West Bengal Chief Minister today launched the Sabuj Sathi scheme for Murshidabad district at a government programme held at Dhamua Sports Complex in Sagardighi. She also inaugurated the 500 MW third unit of the Sagardighi Power Project.

The Chief Minister inaugurated a bouquet of developmental projects for the district ranging from two super specialty hospitals at Jangipur and Sagardighi blocks, a number of health centres, government buildings, youth hostels, water supply projects to model schools and Karma Tirthas.

A number of projects like new roads, Government and school buildings, arsenic-free water supply projects were initiated by the Chief Minister by laying foundation stones. Besides, cycles of Sabuj Sathi, the Chief Minister will distribute benefits and grants including Kanyashree, Sikshashree and Kisan Credit Cards.

Highlights of her speech:

Today we have inaugurated the 3rd phase of thermal power plant at Sagardighi which has capacity of 500 MW

Fourth phase of Sagardighi power plant with 500 MW capacity will also happen soon in future

We make promises which we can fulfill. We have inaugurated two multi super speciality hospitals in Murshidabad district today

We are also inaugurating a mother and child hub in Murshidabad district. Gone are the days of load-shedding.

Bengal has become self-sufficient in power. We are developing a power bank.

Lakhs and lakhs of students in Murshidabad district will get cycles under Sabuj Sathi scheme.

Students and youths are our future. They will make us proud before the whole world.

We have made healthcare free in Bengal. Beds and medicines are free at govt hospitals.

We have unleashed a surge of development across the State. 41 new multi super speciality hospitals coming up across Bengal.

There were 6 SNCUs in Bengal till 2011. We set up 50 new units in four years.

100% schools are covered under mid-day meal scheme in this district.

We have created 25000 new beds at hospitals in the last four years.

We have set up fair price medicine shops and diagnostic centres that offer discounts up to 70% on medicines.

Procedures like dialysis can be performed at minimal cost at fair price diagnostic centres.

We are setting up 22 Kisan Mandis in Murshidabad district. Has so much work happened in this district before?

30 lakh people have received land pattas in the last four years.

We had a target of creating 50000 ponds under Jal Dharo Jal Bharo scheme. We have already created 1.3 lakh ponds.

In Swachh Bharat scheme, 3 out of top 4 districts are from Bengal.

3.2 crore out of 9 crore people in Bengal receive rice at Rs 2/kg. From 27 Jan, additional 3 crore people will get rice at Rs 3/kg

84 lakh students from minority communities & 14 lakh SC/ST students have received scholarships in the last 4 years.

30 lakh girls are registered under Kanyashree scheme. 40 lakh students will get cycles under Sabuj Sathi scheme.

500 Karma Tirthas are coming up across the State. Unemployed youths will get shops there.

Tourism is flourishing in the State. A lot of tourists are visiting Murshidabad district. We are very happy.

We want to reach people’s hearts with our developmental work.

We follow the path shown by Rabindranath, Nazrul, Swami Vivekananda, Ramakrishna. For us there is no difference in Maa, Mother, Ammi.

The Left Front incurred huge debt and now we are paying for their sins.

We increased our revenues from Rs 20000 Cr to Rs 41000 Cr. But Centre is taking away major share of our revenue.

Our earning is Rs 40000 Cr and Centre is taking away Rs 30000 Cr. How will we continue with our developmental work?

There can be no politics over development. I challenge the Opposition to counter me on development plank.

There are a lot of talented gold zari workers in Murshidabad. We have to promote their talent. We cannot let them go to other states.

Tyag ka naam hai Hindu, Imaan ka naam hai Musalman. Pyaar ka naam hai Isaai, Mera Bharat Mahaan.

Our motto is to work for people of all faiths. We do not discriminate among people. We will not allow divisive forces in Bengal.

We will not allow Bengal to be insulted. We will fight for our rights.

 

 

 

ADB loan push for state corridor

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on ADB loan push for state corridor

The Mamata Banerjee government has got another big boost before the chief minister’s London visit on July.

The screening committee of the Department of Economic Affairs under the union Finance Ministry has cleared loan approval of receiving $500 million Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan to the West Bengal government for setting up the 231 km long North South corridor from East Midnapore to Murshidabad that will cross six districts and move parallel to NH-34.

This is the highest amount of ADB loan granted for any ADB-assisted single project in the country. The total cost of the project, to be executed by the West Bengal Highway Development Corporation Limited (WBHDCL) is estimated as Rs 4,696 crore.

The corridor would help to remove the critical bottlenecks in freight movement not only from the northern parts of the state and north eastern states of the country but also from the neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Nepal to Haldia and Paradeep.

About the corridor

According to the plan, the corridor will run across six districts on the western side of the Ganges parallel to NH-34 and would serve at least 40% of the total population of the state, connecting a 231 km stretch from Mechogram near Haldia in East Midnapore to Morgram near Jangipur in Murshidabad.

The corridor will connect the important national highways of NH-6, NH-2, NH-60 and NH-34. The corridor will also reduce travel distance of Morgramm – Haldia port for about 60 km and will reduce about three hours of travel time in comparison to NH-34.

Kharagpur and the south west part of the country will get shorter connectivity to north east in addition to the faster connectivity to Haldia from states like Bihar, Jharkhand and the north eastern states along with Nepal and Bhutan.

 

The story was originally published in The Times of India on 10 June, 2015

Tourism gets special focus under Trinamool Government

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on Tourism gets special focus under Trinamool Government

The West Bengal Government under the leadership of Ms Mamata Banerjee has made developments in every sector in every districts of the State. The Chief Minister has visited each district, chaired meetings across the State with the district officials from Darjeeling to Sundarbans to take stock of ongoing projects and plan newer ones. Identifying new tourist spots and creation of infrastructure for tourists have been one of the agendas of the Chief Minister during her numerous district visits.

The Trinamool Government under Ms Mamata Banerjee had rightly identified that West Bengal with its varied natural beauty has the capability to attract tourists from national and international sphere, and thus earn huge revenue. However, after 34 years of Left misrule, the tourism infrastructure in the State was in tatters. So, firstly, it was decided to renovate the existing to a quality standard and then identify the newer options.

Increased planned expenditure In Tourism under Trinamool Government

In the four year, from 2007-08 to 2010-11, the planned expenditure in Tourism under the Left Government was on an average Rs 16.88 crore only. In the first four years of the West Bengal Government under Trinamool Congress, the planned expenditure in Tourism rose to a total of Rs 331.93 crores, which is Rs 82.95 crores on an average per year. In the years 2011-12 the the planned expenditure on tourism was Rs 30.64 crores. It was increased to Rs 52.62 in 2012-13 and in 2013-14 it further increased to Rs 81.16 crores. In 2014-15, the planned expenditure (revised) was Rs 167.50 crores.

It is observed that while the past Left Government was downsizing the planned expenditure on Tourism year after year, the present Government under Trinamool has been instrumental in increasing the same.

Completed Tourism projects under Trinamool Government

As published on the Economic review2014-15, the following tourism projects have been completed since May 2011:

• Construction and renovation of cottages in different locations at Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong

• Tourism centres in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts

• Tourism centres in Cooch Behar

• Construction of Maldah Museum

• Motijhil tourism centre in Murshidabad

• Chupchar project, Batukeshwar Dutta project and Gopinath Sabji project in Bardhaman

• Ballavpur-Sharmbati project in Birbhum

• Gadiara tourism centre in Howrah

• Furfura Sharif and Chandannagar tourism centres in Hooghly

• Kashipur Mahashram, Kolkata Maidan, Police Museum, College Street, Eden Gardens and other such projects in Kolkata

• Malancha Tourist Lodge in North 24 Parganas

• Tourism projects in Gangasagar and Basanti in South 24 Parganas

• Digha Tourist Lodge in Purba Medinipur

Newer tourism projects are coming up in Bengal

The West Bengal Government has taken up a ne Tourism Incentive Policy in 2015. Under the initiative of the West Bengal Chief Minister, Eco-tourism, Home Tourism and Tea Tourism have been included under this policy.

New projects that are coming up include the Gajaldoba Mega Tourism project, Jharkhali Eco-tourism project, Sabujdwip Eco-tourism project and Jhargram Rajbari Heritage project. Besides, facilities of home-stays are being identified at Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Mukutmanipur and other places of scenic beauty.

Bottomline

The West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee has time and again given suggestions regarding different tourism projects and providing proper facilities to the tourists. The State Government is following the suggestions and also taking part in different tourism fairs nationally and internationally in order to promote Bengal and attract tourists. From Gangasagar in the south to Darjeeling in the north, special focus is being given to tourism and this will be a major success for the State in the coming years.

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

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on 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.