Tag: State Government

Bangla Government ensuring sufficient and safe drinking water for all

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Today, September 18, is World Water Monitoring Day. The Bangla Government has taken numerous measures to make drinking water available in every part of the State, and efforts are on towards achieving this. Piped Water Supply Schemes (PWSS) have been taken up across the state to make for healthy and happy lives.

The Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department Minister, in his departmental budget for financial year (FY) 2018-19, has outlined a number of measures to achieve self-sufficiency in generation, storage and distribution of drinking water.

Vision 2020

The Bangla Government has adopted a plan called Vision 2020, which envisages permanent drinking water security at the rate of 70 litres per capita per day (lpcd) in the rural areas of the state.

According to the vision document, to ensure drinking water security, emphasis has been laid on piped water supply schemes with the objective to completely shift from hand-pumped tube-wells to piped water from house to house, in a phased manner.

Rural water supply programme

During FY 2017-18, as a part of the rural water supply programme, 2,411 water-scarce habitations, 610 water quality-affected habitations, 600 water source-less schools and 291 anganwadi centres have been covered with supply of drinking water.

Piped Water Supply Scheme (PWSS)

PWSSs are aimed at reducing the burden on women and children. During FY 2017-18, 114 such schemes at an estimated cost of Rs 1,451.60 crore were sanctioned. For FY 2018-19, 97 PWSSs have been sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs 1,007.42 crore, benefitting a population of 24.61 lakh. This will raise the total number of commissioned PWSSs to 2,091 and rural population coverage to 55.54 per cent.

Water-testing laboratories

During FY 2017-18, 5,22,648 samples have been tested in the 217 laboratories, and through the Government’s On-site Mobile-based Water Analysis System, 11,800 samples have been tested at the source points and the results uploaded on the departmental website’s dashboard.

Bangla Govt to come up with ‘water budget’ for agriculture and industry

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To further augment the progress of the agriculture and industry sectors, the Bangla Government has decided to create a ‘water budget’, arrived at by calculating the block-wise requirements of water for various activities related to the two sectors.

Scientists of IIT Kharagpur will assist the Government. Technology, such as satellite imaging, will be used to ascertain the amount of groundwater, as well as underground water, at any place.

The water budget includes listing of the amount of water resources available. According to a senior State Government official, there is no central database where this information can be accessed. Hence, the need for such a database.

The official pointed out that 7,966 crore square metres of water is available annually in the State, whereas the demand has already crossed 9,100 crore square metres. Moreover, in 33 blocks, the level of underground water had fallen to dangerous levels.

According to the official, there are two ways to increase the pace of industrial growth through a water budget: firstly, where there is less water available, to encourage the setting up of industries that require less water, and secondly, to optimise the requirement of water through the introduction of technology and rationalisation.

Action plan for uplifting farmers through irrigation schemes and water harvesting

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The Water Resources Investigation and Development (WRI&D) Department has been able to mark its footprints in the surge of development in the spheres of minor and micro irrigation, water conservation projects, rainwater harvesting, etc.

Here are the priority areas that the department has decided to focus its efforts on: 

  • Providing assured irrigation to small and marginal farmers through the operation, maintenance and management of minor irrigation (MI) installations
  • Increasing area of irrigated land through implementing of additional MI schemes across the State, including continuing with solar power-based minor irrigation schemes in some districts
  • Implementing micro-irrigation techniques, viz. sprinkler, drip, hydram, etc. for enhancing efficiency of water usage
  • Through Jalatirtha scheme, bringing additional areas under the coverage of irrigation in the arid zone districts of Birbhum, Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram and Paschim Medinipur, in the Sundarbans regions of North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas to address the issue of salinity, and in the hilly areas of Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts
  • Through Jal Dharo-Jal Bharo scheme, implementing large-scale harvesting of rainwater in all kinds of waterbodies, both natural and artificial (implementing techniques artificial recharge of rainwater), in convergence with schemes like MGNREGS, with special emphasis on drought-prone areas
  • Better utilising surface water through implementing major medium and mini river lift irrigation (RLI) techniques, and surface flow minor irrigation schemes (SFMIS), including rejuvenating old SFMISs, constructing water harvesting tanks (WHT) and check dams, etc.
  • Implementing Command Area Development and Water Management (CADWM) Programme to reduce the gap between irrigation potential created (IPC) and irrigation potential utilised (IPU)
  • Improving governance in water management through formation of water user associations
  • Implementing all other aspects of the West Bengal Ground Water Resources (Management, Control and Regulation) Act for the proper utilisation of groundwater

 

Thus, through better utilisation of ground water and rainwater, implementing techniques for increasing irrigation, and improving the management of this natural resource, in general, the WRI&D Department is aiming to fulfil the aspirations of farmers across the State.

West Bengal State Science Fair 2018 begins

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With the inspiration of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the State Youth Services Department is organising the West Bengal State Student Youth Science Fair 2018, a competitive exhibition of science models.

This Science Fair is being organised in association with various departments of the State Government – School Education, Higher Education, Science & Technology and Biotechnology – West Bengal State Council of Science and Technology, Jagadish Bose National Science Talent Search, Birla Industrial and Technological Museum, Kolkata.

The district-level fairs began on September 12 and will continue till September 15. The state-level fair will be held from September 26-28, 2018.

There will be three groups in the competition – A (till Class X), B (till Class XII) and C (for college students).

Eminent scientists of the country will be present at the fair. University students can directly participate in state-level fair. Apart from this, direct entries of exceptional science models, prepared by non-student youth, will be exhibited in the non-competitive section of the fair.

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State Govt boost to research with ‘Gobeshonay Bangla’ scheme

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The State Government has come up with a special scheme for enabling college and university professors to conduct research in subjects of their choice, under which such researchers will get grants and all facilities for conducting their research. The scheme is called Gobeshonay Bangla.

Teachers interested in conducting research have to send detailed applications to the Education Department by September 15. After that, a special committee of the department will decide who would be given the grants.

There are a few conditions for getting the grants. The primary one is that the research has to be conducted in the State.

Topics related to agriculture, fisheries, animal husbandry, biotechnology, vocational and technical training, environment and a few others would be given special stress on while deciding grants.

Opportunities would also be given for travelling to foreign countries for research.

Swapner Bhor scheme to provide employment-linked training to Kanyashree beneficiaries

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The State Government’s flagship Kanyashree Scheme is now being extended, to provide training to the Kanyashree beneficiaries to make them employable.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who had given the name ‘Kanyashree’ has given the name to this scheme too – Swapner Bhor. Under this scheme, K2-level Kanyashree beneficiaries, that is, those who have crossed the age of 18 years, would be given the technical training.

Giving the above details, the State Women & Social Welfare Minister said that the scheme would be implemented soon. The training would be provided in collaboration with the Technical Education, Training and Skill Development (TET&SD) Department.

The K2-level Kanyashree beneficiaries get Rs 25,000, provided they satisfy two clauses – they should remain unmarried and should continue their studies. Now they would be provided technical training alongside their studies so that they don’t face much trouble getting gainful employment.

The training would be provided as per two categories – technical and mechanical. A K2 beneficiary has to apply online for any one branch, through the State Government’s Kanyashree website.

After the applications are accepted, the applicants would be provided counselling – regarding the course contents, benefits and types of employment opportunities available.

Every course would entail 300 hours of training. The trainees would be given a daily stipend of Rs 50. There are currently around 16 lakh K2 beneficiaries. Beneficiaries in the districts as well as in Kolkata would be given the training.

Source: Bartaman

Massive improvement in public library infrastructure in Bangla

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Today is National Library Day. Over the last seven years, the public library infrastructure in Bangla has undergone a sea-change.

The Directorate of Library Services of the State Government has been doing a lot to spread the light of knowledge to students across Bangla. Under the Trinamool Congress Government, the directorate has started several new services and programmes.

Significant achievements:

Public Library Day: Public Library Day in West Bengal for the year 2013-2014 observed in a befitting manner for the first time

Public awareness of Kanyashree: Public libraries raising awareness on iconic State Government projects like Kanyashree

Encouraging women: ‘Women’s Corners’ designated in many government and government-sponsored libraries to increase access to women readers including neo-literates, particularly in areas dominated by minorities and other marginalised segments of population

‘Read Your Own Book’ section: New initiative taken to open ‘Read Your Own Book’ section in State Central Library, where anybody with little or no space to read at home may come to the library with their own books

Improving infrastructure for backward castes: Emphasis being given on improvement of infrastructural facilities in the SC, ST, OBC and minority-concentrated areas, and the Hill Areas of Darjeeling district

Increase in funds for needy regions: Quantum leap in fund released for needy regions – Rs 3 crore for more than 125 public libraries in the Jangalmahal region, Rs 5 crore for more than 135 libraries in the Hill Areas of Darjeeling district, more than Rs 13 crore for libraries situated in the SC and ST-dominated areas

Study centres: Steps taken for opening of study centres in seven government public libraries for availing the study materials of Netaji Subhas Open University and of various competitive examinations; career guidance programmes held

Information centres: Information centres set up in several district, town and sub-divisional libraries

Plan to improve libraries: Long-term planning initiated to improve library services of the State; final report submitted to government recommending the short-term, mid-term and long-term measures that need to be taken up

Computer connection: More than 400 libraries given computers with internet connection for the benefit of the readers

Salary through account transfer on first day of month: Now salaries of all employees of all government-sponsored public libraries disbursed on the first day of every month directly in the individual employee’s name through public sector banks

Improvements in paddy procurement in seven years

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The State Government has brought about a lot of improvement in the procurement of paddy and in the quality control mechanism of the foodgrains bought from farmers. Storage capacity infrastructure has also undergone a sea change.

A significant step has been the institution of NEFT mechanism for directly paying farmers through account transfer against the paddy bought from them. This process has made payment easier and quicker, and for this reason, was recently taken up as a model by the Centre for implementation across all States.

The Food & Supplies Department has notched up quite a few successes in the procurement of paddy and custom milled rice (CMR) during the last seven years.

They are as follows:

Krishak Bazars also as paddy procurement centres: From kharif marketing season (KMS) 2014-15, the purchasing of paddy through Krishak Bazars has become prevalent.

Procurement centres increased: In KMS 2014-15, 46 Krishak Bazars having the required infrastructural facilities were identified as centralised procurement centres (CPC). Over just four seasons, that number was increased to 325 (in KMS 2017-18). At the same time, cooperative societies continue to function as paddy procurement centres for CMR agencies; 950 cooperative societies functioned as such for KMS 2017-18.

Farmers incentivised: In order to incentivise farmers for bringing in their paddy to CPCs, in KMS 2014-15, Rs 15 per quintal of paddy was allowed over and above the MSP of Rs 1,360 per quintal. In KMS 2017-18, it was enhanced to Rs 20 per quintal.

Electronic means introduced for procurement and payment: From KMS 2016-17, it was made mandatory to employ e-procurement software capable of recording all relevant information of the farmers as well as recording the details of transactions and payments.

From KMS 2016-17, the system of payment of the price of paddy directly to the farmers’ bank accounts through NEFT was introduced, and was made mandatory from KMS 2017-18. Significantly, electronic payment through NEFT has been recently taken up as a model by the Centre.

Participation of women’s self-help groups: Participation of women’s self-help groups (SHG) and sanghas in paddy procurement is being encouraged. Till March 2018, 300 SHGs have participated in KMS 2017-18 and have procured 31,217 metric tonnes (MT) of paddy from 9,600 small and marginal farmers.

Distress sale eliminated: As a result of the Food & Supplies Department’s procurement initiatives, no distress sale of paddy has been reported in KMS 2017-18. The market rate of paddy has increased and thus it is above MSP across the entire State.

Enhancement of storage capacity

The Food & Supplies Department has created an additional 7.85 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of storage capacity during the period of 2011 to 2018. As a result, the storage capacity has increased from just 63,000 MT in FY 2010-11 to 8.48 lakh MT in May 2017.

Moreover, the department has taken up an ambitious project for the creation of another 3 lakh MT of storage space within the next two years at a cost of Rs 500 crore. With this project, the department will achieve self-sufficiency in the storage of rice.

Quality control mechanism

In order to keep a check on the quality of the foodgrains bought from farmers and of those available in markets, the Food & Supplies Department has taken several initiatives for upgrading laboratories and constructing new ones, through the Directorate of Inspection and Quality Control (I&QC).

Quality control (QC) laboratories in Kolkata (headquarters), Krishnanagar and Bardhaman have been upgraded and modernised. Specialised laboratory furniture and modern benchtop digital refractometers have been set up in the laboratories in Kolkata and Bardhaman.

Seventy-five mini QC laboratories have been set up in government warehouses and 120 in private warehouses.

A target has been set for the construction of four more zonal QC laboratories in Siliguri, Malda, Suri and Medinipur and 15 more laboratories in the offices of district controllers of food and supplies (DCF&S).

In the agriculture sector, Bangla has been one of the best-performing States, acknowledged by the Central Government several times and awarded the Krishi Karman Award for five consecutive years. The government has ensured that not just in production but in procurement and quality control too, processes are streamlined and modern methods adopted.

Reforms in PDS in Bangla in the last seven years

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To ensure proper distribution and access of essential food, the State Government’s Food & Supplies (F&S) Department has brought about end-to end reforms in the management of the public distribution system (PDS).

The public distribution system consists of the public distribution outlets (PDO), which are basically fair-price shops (FPS) and are commonly known as ration shops.

TPDS through use of ICT

Essentially, PDS has been changed to TPDS, that is, targeted public distribution system. A major reform in this regard has been the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the management of the TPDS.

This includes:

  • Creation of electronic databank of all the stakeholders of the PDS
  • Online allocation of foodgrains up to the FPS levels
  • Doorstep delivery by distributors to dealers
  • SMS-based information to the FPS-wise registered mobile users regarding allocation and availability of foodgrains

 

Other uses of ICT in the PDS

Other aspects of the use of ICT include:

  • Complete online supply chain management
  • Call centre-based public grievance redressal system including voice recording mechanism
  • Online renewal of license for more than 21,000 FPS dealers and distributors, 31,000 superior kerosene oil dealers and agents, and, 10,000 licensees of other petroleum products like LPG, lubricating oil, petrol pumps, etc.
  • Integrated online MIS generation from the level of sub-divisional controller of Food & Supplies (SCF&S) and upwards
  • Publication of new PDS control orders and modified control orders for the distribution of foodgrains in tea gardens through government outlets have been completed

Another major achievement has been the completion of digitisation of 8.59 crore ration card data as on January 31, 2015 and the completion of online supply chain management for the distribution of foodgrains.

Awareness generation regarding PDS

  • The Food & Supplies Department has also undertaken a massive drive for public awareness generation for people’s entitlement through TPDS
  • Regular publicity through audio spots on All India Radio, display of banners, publicity by miking and through skits by local artistes in gram panchayats and municipalities is creating improved awareness among the people
  • Advertisement through print as well as electronic media is being done at regular intervals
  • A monthly periodical named Sanbadnama is being published by the department.
  • Since 2016, January 27 is being observed as Khadya Sathi Dibas

 

Toll-free grievance redressal system

  • A 12×7 call centre (that is, 12 hours a day on all days of the week) equipped with call resource management and document management system has been set up
  • Anyone can get information or lodge complaints using the toll-free helpline numbers – 18003455505 and 1967
  • People can also track the status of grievance redressal online through the portal of the F&S Department
  • In all districts, an additional district magistrate has been designated as the district grievance redressal officer to address PDS-related complaints

 

Budgetary outlay apropos PDS increased

For achieving the above goals, the Trinamool Congress Government has increased the budgetary outlay manifold during its period in power.

Whereas in FY 2010-11, the total outlay for PDS was only Rs 2,199 crore, that in FY 2018-19 was Rs 8,037 crore, an increase by more than 3.6 times.

Hence, it can be said that Bangla’s public distribution system, the lifeline of the foodgrain supply scheme of the government, has improved hugely. Work is constantly going on to streamline the system of distribution as well as that of solving any issue that may arise.

 

Like Volvos, others buses also to install front mirrors

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The State Government has decided that, like in Volvo buses, all buses in the State need to install big rear view mirrors at the front. This would ensure that drivers have a clear view of the vehicles coming from the rear.

The rule would first be imposed on buses in Kolkata, according to the city’s police commissioner at a conference on road safety organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

The Transport Department and the State Police would ensure that the mirrors are fitted within a stipulated time limit.