Tag: North Bengal

Didi’s Janata Durbar in Jayanti

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It is time-tested that West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee is different from most of the political figures and the fact came in the forefront once again at Jayanti, where the Bengal Chief Minister is staying during her visit to the north Bengal districts.

While taking a morning walk, Didi mingled with the local people of the area and also asked for a cup of tea from a local tea stall. She had her cup of tea sitting on the bench of the tea stall and chatted with the problems the local people were facing.

The Chief Minister gave her time to the local people and listed to their grievances, ranging from pattas, river erosion, need of roads, absence of ATMs and even the absence of mobile and internet services in the area.

The Chief Minister took note of each of the problems and asked the Alipuduar DM to take immediate steps to solve them. Bengal is thankful that Didi heads the West Bengal Government.

50% subsidy for new MSME industry in Coochbehar: WB CM

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West Bengal Chief minister Mamata Banerjee batted for Cooch Behar as a possible investment destination urging “industry friends“and invest in this far-flung district. The Chief Minister promised the investors of all help and announced a 50% subsidy to the small-scale industry sector in the district.

Addressing a public meeting in Gumanihat in Cooch Behar’s Mathabhanga sub-division, the Chief Minister said, “Children from Cooch Behar go to Delhi to do some intricate gold jewellery work, they go to Rajasthan to do stone sculptures. Such works have opportunities here too. I will urge my industry friends with folded hands to please come and invest here. I will provide whatever you seek for it. But, please work in these far-flung districts. Please work and generate jobs.“

The State Government has been urging investors to lay stress on MSME. In near future, a business conclave for north Bengal is scheduled to be held. The Chief Minister in her recent visit to Bhutan had invited a Bhutanese delegation to attend the said conclave.

Sabuj Sathi scheme for Alipurduar launched today by WB CM

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West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee, on her 4-day visit to north Bengal, today addressed a public rally at the Parade Ground, Alipurduar, at 3 PM. She launched the Sabuj Sathi scheme in the district, a scheme where 40 lakh cycles were distributed among the students of the State.

Today, the West Bengal Chief Minister flaged off the AC Bus service between Siliguri-Badogra-Alipurduar. She also inaugurated 33/11 KV power sub-station, a helipad near Jayanti, pipelined water supply projects and a motel among many others.

The foundation stone of an Ayush hospital in the district was laid today. The Chief Minister also laid foundation stones for Karma Tirthas, water supply projects, girls’ hostels, the Birpara Fire Brigade, the Toto Cultural Centre at Totopara among a bouquet of developmental projects.

Besides distributing cycles to students under the Sabuj Sathi scheme, the West Bengal Chief Minister gave away several benefits to the people of the district.

No political gain can be achieved by disturbances: WB CM

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Condemning incidents of encroaching on freedom of individuals, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said no political gain can be achieved by creating instability and such elements don’t want development of the country.

“What a person should eat or what he should wear, what he should sing … are all matters of his freedom, independent choice. Everyone in this country has the equal right to profess things of his choice,” the Trinamool Congress Chairperson told reporters at the city airport in Kolkata.

Replying to queries on alleged incidents of creating disturbance and encroaching on individual freedom, Banerjee said she condemned them. The concept of ‘Bharat’ remained within unity in diversity and that was the country’s core strength, she said.

Asserting that West Bengal always stood for unity and amity among all sections of people, the CM said, “If anyone is trying to foment trouble (in the country) that is not the right thing.”

She added, “Had there been the issue of development before them (such elements) they won’t have resorted to such tactics.”

State Fisheries Dept takes steps to boost fish production in north Bengal

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State fisheries department has taken several measures to augment fish production in North Bengal.

Mr Chandranath Sinha, Minister for State Fisheries department said that since fish production in North Bengal is low, the fisheries department has taken up several measures to augment the fish production.

There will be free distribution of the fishlings (small fish) for fish cultivation and already fisheries department has started to put fishlings into rivers and Government ponds. “We would also distribute free food for feeding small fishes. Fish farmers will be trained how to apply scientific methods to cultivate fishes,” he said.

Mr Sinha said that officials of the fisheries department have observed that most of the fish cultivators did not feed the fish sufficiently, so growth of the fishes is not up to the mark. “We shall also set up awareness camps to inform the farmers how to detect diseases of the fishes and boost fish growth,” he said. The department has already chosen some government ponds for cultivating fish.

Fish fry were put into the government ponds in Jalpaiguri, Dhupguri and Maynaguri a few days ago and more government ponds will be used for this purpose. Fish fry were put into the rivers like Teesta, Torsha, Kaljani, Karla, Jaldhaka and Sankosh. Rs 5.25 lakhs has already been spent for this purpose. And Rs 8 lakh was spent for introducing fish fry in government ponds.

Awareness campaigns in local areas has been started where tea gardens exist, so that people learn to avoid using the river water to clean the spray machines after using them for pest control purposes.

Currently, around 6000 ton of fish are produced in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts annually.

WB CM names Gajoldoba tourist hotspot ‘Bhorer Aalo’

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The state government is setting up a tourist hotspot at Gajoldoba in North Bengal to be named ‘Bhorer Aalo’.

The spot, identified by Mamata Banerjee during her election campaign in 2011, is located near Teesta Barrage in Jalpaiguri district. The seven reserve forests are an hour’s drive from there.

Sprawling over 210 acres of government land, the spot is encircled by the Teesta barrage catchment on one side and a bird sanctuary on the other where over 15,000 birds come annually.

“For the last two years, we have been developing the infrastructure of the area with PWD constructing three connecting roads of 31 km, 9 km and 7 km to the spot. A power sub-station has been set up and two huge water tanks are there,” Dr Amit Mitra, State Finance Minister, told reporters.

Several star category hotels, including three, four and five star, would come up along with two budget hotels for the middle class. A nine-hole golf course, too, would come up.

“We would set up a golf training centre and small cottages at the golf course,” Mitra added.

Sterling Holiday Resorts, in joint venture with Thomas Cook, had won the bid for the three-star hotel, while Summit Group, which owns Darjeeling’s Swiss Hotel and Seal Group, that promotes tea tourism in North Bengal, had won bids for two budget hotels.

“One lakh tourists can be served by these three hotels annually and around 1,000 people would get job opportunities,” the finance minister said.

The government would be earning Rs 4.5 crore as annual lease rental and Rs 3.5-4 crore as luxury tax from these hotels.

A crafts and ayurveda village, too, are under construction in the area, Dr Mitra added.

 

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Tea-Tourism in Bengal to get a boost

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Tea Tourism in West Bengal is going to get a boost as the State Government may take steps for easing the processes related to it.

The West Bengal government’s group of ministers recently met the the members of the Consultative Committee of Plantation Association (CCPA) to discuss the health of the tea industry and how to revive it. This will also help to set up Tea Tourism industry to the State.

The Sate Finance Minister Dr Amit Mitra also attended the meeting, where the issue of tea tourism and use of land for alternate crops were also discussed.

There are 377 tea estates in north Bengal employing 2.64 lakh workers. Of these, 87 tea estates are in Darjeeling, 188 in Jalpaiguri and 102 in Terai. The total tea production of these estates is about 330 million kg per year. The State Government may also look at providing some financial assistance to the tea garden workers from the Rs 100 crore corpus for which the Assembly has passed the West Bengal Tea Plantations Employees Welfare Fund, 2015.

Incidentally, West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee has instructed earlier to give special focus to Tea Tourism.

WB CM to visit north Bengal, to monitor landslide situation in the Hills

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West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee has cut short her programmes in the district of Murshidabad and will rush to north Bengal after rain and landslides in Mirik and Kalimpong areas in the Darjeeling district killed more than 10 people.

Under the instructions of the Chief Minister, the State Home Secretary is already in north Bengal and at the locations.

The Chief Minister has urged the tourists in the Hills not to panic and has informed that the State Government will take measures to bring them down to the plains.

The West Bengal Chief Minister said that she was monitoring the situation and will rush to north Bengal after her scheduled programmes in Murshidabad.

The people have been killed in landslides triggered by heavy rains in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong sub-divisions of Darjeeling district since last night.

The landslides have caused extensive damage to NH 10 (old NH 55A) and NH 55, cutting off road and telecommunication link to Darjeeling and Sikkim.

The West Bengal Chief Minister on Twitter said:

“Anguished about loss of lives in Mirik/Kalimpong landslides. Home Secretary already in N Bengal

I am monitoring situation closely and will rush there after meet in Murshidabad “

Videocon to set up mobile making unit in Bengal

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The Videocon Group will invest approximately Rs 50 crore to set up a mobile handset making facility in West Bengal. This was announced after senior functionaries of the company met West Bengal Finance and Industries Minister, Dr Amit Mitra at Nabanna.

According to Anirudh Dhoot, Director, Videocon, the assembly unit will come up at its existing facility at the IT Township of Salt Lake, on the north eastern part of the city.

Another Rs 100 crore, sources said, will be spent in ramping up its Phulbari facility in Jalpaiguri district. The facility located in north Bengal caters to computer peripherals and assembly of devices.

According to sources, around Rs 25 crore has already been invested in the facility. The remaining amount will be spent towards expanding the facility and include manufacturing of mobile accessories and peripherals like batteries and chargers.

ADB loan push for state corridor

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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