Govt to construct budget hospitals across the State

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has recently announced plans to set up budget hospitals across the State. A similar service was opened more than a year back at the Woodburn Ward of SSKM Hospital, where a set of cabins charging rates lower than top-quality private hospitals were made available.

The State Health Department has written to the district magistrates to look for land at their district headquarters for the proposed budget hospitals.

The project would follow three models. First, cabins that already exist at district hospitals would be remodelled after Woodburn Ward. Second, new cabins would be built where building space is available. And third, new hospitals would be constructed where there are neither cabins nor building space, and these would be full-fledged budget hospitals, that is, paid services but at reasonable rates.

Since they would be located in the districts, the cost per cabin would be less than the costs at Woodburn Ward.

It has been decided that 75 per cent of the earnings of a hospital would be ploughed back for the development of that hospital and 25 per cent would be distributed as incentive among the doctors employed there.

The State Government has to spend Rs 925 crore every year for the Swasthya Sathi group medical insurance scheme. If those who can pay for services pay, then that would lessen the load on the Government, which would then be able to provide better services for the poor.

Source: Bartaman

State setting up viral hepatitis treatment centres in districts

The State Health Department has taken up a project to set up dedicated viral hepatitis treatment centres at 15 government-run hospitals, including some medical college hospitals, across the State, with the aim of helping patients detect the disease early through proper screening.

This is a significant project as millions of people in the country suffer from hepatitis but it can be cured through early screening and proper treatment.

All these dedicated viral hepatitis treatment centres will have facilities for screening a large number of patients through various tests. In Kolkata, the centre will come up at the School of Tropical Medicine.

The project will be completed in phases, with the maximum number of treatment centres planned to be set up by the end of the current financial year.

This effort by the State Government is in consonance with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) aim of eliminating hepatitis from the world by 2030, as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015.

Viral hepatitis has been recognised as a serious public health problem in India by the WHO, with 40 million people chronically infected with hepatitis B and 6 to 12 million people chronically infected with hepatitis C.

It needs to be mentioned here that West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE), or Madhyamik Board, has decided to make students aware about hepatitis elimination, for which purpose the curriculum of the class VIII syllabus has been modified.

Source: Millennium Post

KMC gets good corporate credit rating

The well-known global analytical company, CRISIL has reaffirmed its rating on the debt programme and corporate credit (CCR) of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) at A+/Stable.

The ratings reflect the KMC’s stable financial performance, thanks to sustained support from the State Government.

Due to the stable financial performance, the revenue receipts are expected to increase from Rs 2,599 crore in financial year (FY) 2018-19 to Rs 3,290 crore in FY 2019-20. The grants from the State Government have contributed to about 49 per cent of the total revenue receipts in the current fiscal.

KMC’s own revenue has grown over the years, primarily due to an increase in property tax collection. Property tax has gone up to Rs 822 crore in 2018, from Rs 655 crore in 2014.

Source: Millennium Post

1st Supusti Dibas and Annaprasan Dibas being celebrated today

The State Government is celebrating the first Supusti Dibas (Nutrition Day) and Annaprasan Dibas today.

While the fourth Friday of every month will be celebrated as Supusti Dibas, the fourth Friday every three months (that is, every quarter) will be celebrated as Annaprasan Dibas.

The celebrations will be organised by the Women and Child Development Department.

Supusti Dibas is meant for pregnant women, while their husband and mother-in-law will be invited to join the programme as well. The community-based programmes will be held at the Anganwadi Centres (AWC).

Annaprasan Dibas is an initiative for complementary feeding in children aged from six to nine months.

These two projects have been taken up following the initiative taken up by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to combat malnutrition, which poses a serious threat in the third world countries.

To make these projects, which are basically supplementary nutrition programmes, a success, awareness campaign at the community level is very important.

The early years of life are very crucial as the foundation of holistic development of a child is laid during this time, which in turn helps in shaping their future. In the formative years, care, nutrition and joyful learning experiences are required.

Source: Millennium Post

Research scholars to help State Govt increase foodgrain productivity

The Bangla Government has roped in research scholars from various agricultural universities in the State to help increase productivity of rice and other foodgrains.

The research wing of the State Agriculture Department has tied up with two State-owned agricultural universities – Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya and Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya – to carry out the research work.

As part of the collaboration, officials of the department will hold meetings with the researchers involved at regular intervals to determine future steps that need to be taken to increase productivity.

The Agricultural Department is also preparing a road map to ensure that the suggested steps coming out of the collaboration are followed through.

One of the main objectives of the initiative is to impart expertise to farmers on how to sow seeds in a more scientific way.

According to the Agriculture Department, overall paddy cultivation has increased in the last couple of years due to the introduction of various social schemes for the farmers and of advanced and sturdier varieties of seeds, and of cultivation of rarer varieties like tulaipanji, gobindabhog and kalonunia over larger areas.

The State Government has also introduced vocational training courses in different aspects of agriculture, such as soil testing and other things to widen the options of job-oriented skill development programmes.

As a result of these, compared to financial year 2010-11, the income of farmers has increased by three times. The State has also won the national-level award, Krishi Karman for five consecutive years.

Source: Millennium Post

File Photo

State Govt comes up with Energy Action Plan

Bangla has seen a rapid growth in electricity consumption, both industrial and domestic. This is the result of the Trinamool Congress Government’s push, under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, towards excellence of Bangla in all matters.

As per the government’s calculations, this is only expected to rise. To cope with that and in line with the current stress on non-conventional energy across the world because of environmental issues, the State Electricity Department has come up with an ‘Energy Action Plan’.

This is the first time that a State Government has decided to come up with a policy dedicated to exploring unknown areas on how power can be generated from unconventional sources. Power generation from non-conventional sources (also called renewable sources) like sun, wind, tides, etc. reduces emission.

This is also in line with India’s declaration at the 2015 Paris Convention that it would achieve 40 per cent power generation through renewable sources by 2030.

A senior official of the department said through the development of the ‘Energy Action Plan, the department aims to produce the best quality electricity, at par with the Western countries, in the next two to three years.

In the future, there will be a paradigm shift from conventional energy to renewable energy, and hence the government is taking all necessary steps to make the whole process more sustainable, said the official.

Stressing on the generation of hydroelectricity, the Bangla Government has taken up a number of new initiatives. Several hydroelectric projects are coming up on the Teesta River, namely Teesta-I, Teesta-II, Teesta-V, Teesta Intermediate State and Rammam Stage-I (on the Rammam River, a tributary of the Teesta) in Darjeeling, each having a capacity of 80 to 84 megawatts (MW).

In the solar energy sector, Bangla has already seen a great deal of improvement. To this end, solar panels have been set up on the rooftops of various government buildings, schools, colleges and other offices by the Power Department.

The government is also firming up plans for electricity generation from tidal energy and wind energy.

The main challenge is putting the energy produced from renewable sources into the grid. Unless the energy is supplied into the grid, the utilisation of power on a large scale cannot be possible. The Energy Action Plan would enable solutions to this issue.

In the renewable energy sector, according to another senior official of the State Power Department, Bangla has produced around 71 gigawatts (GW), and the department has set a target of reaching 175GW in the next two years.

He also said that with the increase in the demand for power in the State, hundreds of substations have been constructed in the past few years. In the last one year alone, 10 extra high voltage (EHV) substations have been constructed. Many 220 kV substations are also coming up.

Source: Millennium Post

Anti-fraud cell to protect cooperative banks

The State Government is coming up with an anti-fraud cell headed by a judicial magistrate to check incidents of fraud at cooperative banks across the State.

This was stated by the Cooperation Minister in the State Assembly on Monday, November 19.

He said that during the Left Front regime many cooperative banks were involved in financial irregularities. The Trinamool Congress Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has been taking various preventive measures in this regard.

Referring to the FRDI Bill, he said, “This Bill is destructive. The savings of common people are no longer secure in banks. People will face economic insecurity. We must strengthen the protests against FRDI Bill.”

Later in the day, the minister told the Assembly, “In the current fiscal the cooperative banks have disbursed short-term loans worth Rs 5713.27 crore and long-term loans worth Rs 230.34 crore. That apart, more than one lakh families have been given Rs 180 crore for animal rearing. More funds will be allocated for the same.”

Source: Millennium Post

Monthly stipend under Swami Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means Scholarship doubled

The State Government’s Higher Education Department is inviting applications for the Swami Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means Scholarship (SVMCMS) for 2018-19 from meritorious students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Through the scholarship scheme, a monthly stipend is paid to students, the amount depending on the course they are applying for, the minimum amount being Rs 1,000 and the maximum amount being Rs 8,000.

Students need to apply online for the scheme through the SVMCMS website, the last date being November 30.

For any information, people can also call the toll-free number, 1800 102 8014.

The monthly scholarships are as follows:

  • For higher secondary (HS): Rs 1,000
  • For BA & BCom: Rs 1,000
  • For BSc, professional courses, engineering diploma & medical diploma: Rs 1,500
  • For medical degree (MBBS/BDS) & engineering degree (BE/BTech): Rs 5,000
  • For MA & MCom: Rs 2,000
  • For MSc & vocational courses: Rs 2,500
  • For engineering (ME/MTech) & AICTE-accredited professional courses: Rs 5,000
  • For non-NET MPhil: Rs 5,000
  • For non-NET PhD: Rs 8,000
  • For NET-lecturership PhD: Rs 8,000

Criteria for the scholarships:

  • Resident of Bengal
  • For regular courses (not correspondence courses)
  • Annual Family income less than Rs 2.5 lakh
  • Marks required: Min. 75% in HS for any undergraduate course, min. 53% in Hons. course for any postgraduate course, min. 55% in BE/BTech for ME/MTech

 

Consistent higher fund flow for urban development by Trinamool Congress Govt

The Trinamool Congress-run State Government has consistently been provided higher amounts of funds to its Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department to ensure better development of urban areas.

Some important examples are as follows, comparing funds in financial years (FY) 2010-11 and 2017-18:

  • Fund for development of municipal areas (construction and repair of roads, market complexes, crematoria, etc.): 2010-11 – Rs 47 crore, 2017-18 – Rs 485 crore
  • Fund for basic minimum services (construction and repair of drains and culverts): 2010-11 – Rs 44 crore, 2017-18 – Rs 121 crore
  • Fund for water supply: 2010-11 – Rs 24 crore, 2017-18 – Rs 154 crore
  • Fund for social sector (urban wage employment): 2010-11 – Rs 44 crore, 2017-18 – Rs 190 crore

As a result of the higher allotment of funds, there has been huge development in municipal areas across Bangla in just seven years, only a fraction of which the Left Front Government could achieve in its 34-year rule.

Whether it is township beautification, setting up of development authorities, town planning, including in the areas of housing, sanitation and waste disposal, water supply, or administrative reforms, the State Government has consistently provided a much higher level of service.

Bangla Govt committed to the development of large-scale infrastructure

The State Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department has done a lot of work on town planning, including in the areas of housing, sanitation and waste disposal, and water supply.

The primary achievements are as follows:

Flyovers/Bridges/Roads:

  • Construction of “Maa Flyover”, a 7.4 km of the elevated corridor erected to ensure an uninterrupted traffc movement from the heart of the city to ‘Biswa Banga Sarani’
  • Construction of Garden Reach Flyover, Chandannagar Flyover
  • Four Lane Flyover at Kamalgazi Intersection on EM Bypass connector at the starting point of Adi Ganga in Kolkata
  • Construction of Elevated Corridor from Kestopur to Jora Mandir on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue
  • Dakshineswar Skywalk and Jinjirabazar – Batanagar Flyover are going to be inaugurated soon
  • Construction of emergent Road from Chemaguri New Bus Terminal to Gangasagar Mela
  • Emergency Jetty on Battala River for facilitating Pilgrims and local people of Sagar to avail the water route of Namkhana-Benuban
  • Chemaguri within Gangasagar Bakkhali Planning Area, Sulabh complex–cum- night shelter at Bakkhali Tourist Spot, connecting road from Sridam More to Banbibi Mandir via Ganagsagar Mandir at Gangasagar
  • Construction of concrete road from Mandir Road to Burning Ghat at Bakreswar
  • Fourth Mahananda Bridge & approach road is constructed at Siliguri to help in diversifying the tra‑c channel, reducing the distance and the travel time during peak hours
  • Repairing and Strengthening of roads, beautification and other works of the area adjacent to Kangsabati Dam like fountain at triangular park, mini high mast arrangements,15 no of stalls and repairing and strengthening of road from Mukutmanipur to Baraghutu Panchapally Tourist Complex
  • For better traffic management, a Ring Road was constructed around NDITA Area and also a Link Road with New Town is near completion

Housing: Since 2011, 1,22,405 houses have been constructed for those belonging to the economically weaker section (EWS) category; another 53,504 are under construction.

Skill development: Sixty-one city livelihood centres (CLC) have been established in various urban local bodies for providing information on skill and livelihood development programmes to poor and unemployed youth in the urban areas and also to develop linkage between the citizen and citizen-centric service providers like electricians, carpenters, plumbers, etc.

Samobyathi: Under the Samobyathi Scheme of the State Government, from December 2016 to March 2018, 29,165 families in 125 urban local bodies have received various benefits.

Sanitation and waste disposal policy: The ‘Policy and Strategy on Solid Waste Management and Plastics Waste Management’ for the urban areas of the State has been published.

Cleanliness drives: Special cleanliness drives were taken up in 2016 and 2017 for 7 days and 15 days, respectively, in all the urban local bodies of Bangla.

Waste segregation at source: For improvement of waste segregation at source, a 100 per cent door-to-door collection and transportation system has been adopted in all the urban local bodies through the providing of household bins, litter bins, community bins, tricycle vans, compactors, dumpers, tippers, and other vehicles and accessories.

Solid waste management:

  • A trans-municipal solid waste disposal project is in operation across six municipalities in Hooghly district.
  • Ten integrated municipal solid waste management projects for generating compost from waste and energy from waste, under Mission Nirmal Bangla, are operational in 14 urban local bodies – Dum Dum, North Dum Dum, South Dum Dum, Baranagar, Bhatpara, Naihati, Ashoknagar-Kalyangarh, Habra, Krishnanagar, Santipur, Nabadwip, Jalpaiguri, Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Asansol Municipal Corporation.
  • Another 13 solid waste management projects have been initiated in Durgapur Municipal Corporation, Bankura, Purulia, Coochbehar, Bardhaman, Arambagh, Raghunathpur, Kharagpur, Panihati, Kanchrapara, Baruipur, Garulia and Asansol Municipal Corporation

Major water supply schemes:

  • Daily twenty-four hour water supply schemes have been set up for the municipalities in Panihati, Bhadreswar, Budge Budge and Uluberia.
  • Trans-municipal water supply projects have been developed for the municipal towns of
  • Madhyamgram, New Barrackpore, Barasat, Titagarh and Khardah.

To ensure water supply in drought-prone areas during the dry season, the department has provided 260 two-wheeled stainless steel water tank trailers of 2000 litre capacity and 50 tractors to 24 urban local bodies in dry zones