WB CM confers Khel Samman on sports legends

WB CM confers Khel Samman on sports legends

Posted on December 1, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee today felicitated exceptionally talented sportspersons of the State who have excelled in various fields of sports. The felicitation ceremony was held at Netaji Indoor Stadium earlier today.

The West Bengal Chief Minister conferred lifetime Khel Ratna awards to legendary footballer and former Indian captain PK Banerjee and Tennis ace and former captain of India in Davis Cup, Akhtar Ali.

Thirty one players were felicitated with Khel Samman while 11 coaches were honoured with Krira Guru awards.

Speaking on the occasion, West Bengal Chief Minister said that sports sector in Bengal was on its path of resurgence. Twenty six new stadiums were being set up across the State, she said.

“We are proud that the U-17 World Cup is being held in Kolkata. We must bring back the glorious days of Bengal’s football,” the CM added.

“The world of sports will come to Bengal once all the stadiums and infrastructure is in place. What Bengal thinks today the world thinks tomorrow,” she said.

WB CM announced that a new indoor stadium will come up on 20 acres of land near Eco Park in Rajarhat. She sought help from the corporate sector to run the Jalpaiguri Sports Village under PPP mode. She also requested the CAB to build a new cricket stadium in Kolkata.

Image: Khel Samman Awards, 2013

Tabu gives away Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Awards at KIFF closing ceremony

Posted on November 21, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

After the star-studded opening ceremony and week-long screenings of world cinema, City of Joy was witness to a gala closing ceremony of the 21st Kolkata International Film Festival.

Veteran actors Sharmila Tagore and Tabu graced the event, to be held at Nazrul Mancha at 5 PM, along with delegates from all over the world. Honourable ministers Firhad Hakim and Aroop Biswas will be present on the occasion while Subrata Mukherjee will preside over the function.

As many as 149 films by 137 directors from 61 countries were screened across 12 venues in the week-long extravaganza. This year for the second time, the KIFF was a competitive event. The competition focussed on films helmed by women filmmakers.

Headed by Sharmila Tagore, the jury comprising well-known Chinese-American actress Bai Ling, Polish director Filip Marczewski, Israeli filmmaker Samuel Maoz and Sri Lankan actress Swarna Mallawarachchi, selected the Best Film and Best Director from 14 short-listed movies.

WB Govt allocates Rs 100 Cr for the welfare of tea garden workers

Posted on November 7, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

A group of ministers (GoM) formed by chief minister Mamata Banerjee has decided to extend a series of benefits in the areas of food, health, power and education for the employees of not only closed or abandoned tea gardens but also of the stressed ones.

The GoM has decided to allocate a Rs 100 crore Tea Garden Employees’ Welfare Fund (formed in early 2015) as corpus for the benefit of the ailing tea garden workers.

The GoM headed by finance and industries minister Dr Amit Mitra had an hourlong meeting with the officials of education, food, health, PHE and power departments on Friday to discuss the strategy and modalities.

The other members of GoM also include power minister Manish Gupta, rural development minister Subrata Mukherjee, education minister Partha Chatterjee, north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb, labour minister Moloy Ghatak and agriculture minister Purnendu Bose.

It was decided that a task force will be formed under the district magistrates of Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar to oversee the implementation of the relief measures on a day-to-day basis. The state government has set a deadline of seven days to supply power directly to the workers houses in all the 234 Dooars gardens.

Besides free power, the state is organising a free kitchen in over 30 stressed gardens in Dooars.

UNICEF all praises for Nirmal Bangla Mission

Posted on November 6, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Bengal will become completely open defecation free by 2019, a delegation from UNICEF led by Chief of Section for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Sanjay Wijesekera was told by West Bengal government.

Representatives of UNICEF on Thursday held a meeting with the State Minister for Panchayat and Rural Development, Subrata Mukherjee where they were shown a presentation on Nirmal Bangla Mission.

The delegation from UNICEF was impressed by the progress of Nirmal Bangla Mission. Mr Wijesekera assured full cooperation to West Bengal government in this regard.

Subrata Mukherjee said, “Not only Bengal, Nadia is the first district in the entire country to be declared open defecation free. Several districts like Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, West Midnapore have performed exceptionally under Nirmal Bangla Mission. These districts have almost achieved their targets.”

“We have taken the initiative to build toilets in every household. We are discouraging people from open defecation should awareness campaigns. This will usher in a social revolution,” he added.

A booklet and music video on Nirmal Bangla Mission was launched by Subrata Mukherjee on the occasion.

Nadia, North 24 Parganas to be arsenic-free by next year: PHE Minister

Posted on September 1, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

West Bengal Government has taken initiative to make the districts of Nadia and North 24 Parganas arsenic-free by next year. Out of the 83 arsenic-affected blocks in the state 38 are in these two districts.

State Public Health Engineering Minister Subrata Mukherjee said the measures are being taken to complete the work by next summer. By this time, all the blocks in these two districts could be connected with pipelined arsenic-free drinking water. The PHE Dept is also working on making the ground and surface water arsenic free.

The PHE dept has allotted Rs 561 crore for the 17 blocks of Nadia district and Rs 738 crores for the 21 blocks of North 24 Parganas in this purpose.

Eight districts of the State have arsenic-related problems. The Government has given maximum importance to fight this cause.

The prime responsibility of the PHE Dept is to supply pipelined drinking water to all the villages and fight arsenic-related problems, the PHE Minister said.

CPM trying to stall growth through bandhs: Trinamool

Posted on September 1, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

The ruling Trinamool Congress on Monday asked the people of West Bengal to “foil” the Wednesday’s nation-wide strike called by several central trade unions, including the Leftist trade unions — All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), even as the state government on Monday made it mandatory for all its employees to be present in office on the bandh day.

“The CPM and Left Front during its 34 year-old rule had pushed state backwards with its militant trade unionism. Now, when the state is moving fast on the path of development, they are trying to stop it either by violence or through shutdowns,” Senior TMC leader and state Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee told reporters.

“We condemn this culture of bandh. It adversely affects the economic condition of the state and country. We would not get into a fight with those who have called a strike, but instead ask members of respective unions to continue with their normal vocation. Those who drive autos, or work at jute mills or mines should continue to do so, without any fear,” he said.

He further alleged that some union leaders have called this bandh for their own political interest.

“The goondaism that they had let loose few days back on the streets of Kolkata by attacking police. They must realise that those who had talked about fights in the past had been rejected by the people in general and that is what will happen to those political parties once again,” he said.

“We believe in peaceful agitation and taking along the masses with us,” he added.

WB Govt launches packaged drinking water ‘Pran Dhara’

Posted on August 31, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Subrata Mukherjee, Bengal’s minister for panchayat and public health engineering department launched — Pran Dhara — a packaged drinking water which is cheaper than any other bottled water. Bengal’s PHE department is producing the bottled water and will be marketing it through a private agency.

Subrata Mukherjee said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had named the brand and had wanted that PHE should go for commercial production.

The minister said that the bottle will cost Rs 7 for 500 ml and Rs 10 for 1 litre, so it is much cheaper than other packaged water selling companies.

He said that the water will be available at train stations and all stalls. He said that soon pure drinking water of PHE will be available at water kiosks and by paying a coin of Re 1 one can get 1 litre of water.

The government also intends to set up water ATMs across the state, the minister said.

CPI(M) wants to derail development: Subrata Mukherjee

Posted on August 31, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Senior Trinamool Congress leader Subrata Mukherjee on Sunday said the CPI(M) will “cease to exist if it continued with goondaism” and the state government will help the people “foil” the September 2 strike called by Left trade unions.

“We are against the bandh…. The administration will work to maintain peace in the state. If someone wants to go to office and faces trouble, the administration will help them,” Mukherjee, also a state Panchayat minister, told reporters.

“I think if they continue to do such things this party (CPI-M) will cease to exist and only few people will remain there,” the TMC leader said.

Mukherjee said the Left parties were “actually trying to derail state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s development works” through this bandh.

Trinamool slams CPI(M)’s politics of violence

Posted on August 28, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Trinamool Congress blamed CPl(M) for the violence on Thursday. TMC vice-president Subrata Mukherjee said Marxist leaders were carrying stones in their pockets and provoked the police into a lathicharge.

“CPI(M) is trying to regain lost ground by indulging in violence. Their ploy will not be successful,” said Mukherjee.

“We strongly condemn the chaos created by the CPI(M). Common people were severely affected, ambulances with patients were held up due to the demonstration,” he added.

We will administratively & politically stand up against such anarchist activities in the coming days, said Subrata Mukherjee.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was in north Bengal, went to the state-run SSKM Hospital straight from the airport on her return to the city to see the injured police personnel.

WB CM forms 9-member committee to free land of closed industrial units

Posted on August 22, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

The Mamata Banerjee government has formed a group of ministers (GoM) to find out ways to free land of closed industrial units in areas near Calcutta so that fresh investments can be invited.

“The nine-member GoM will look into different aspects of the closed industries in the state. But the primary objective will be to free land of closed industrial units and invite fresh investments on the prime plots,” a minister told reporters.

Senior officials said the chief minister was trying to pave the way for new industries before the Assembly elections next year as she could face questions on the lack of investments in Bengal.

The committee would include Dr Amit Mitra (Finance & Industries), Firhad Hakim (Urban Development), Partha Chatterjee (Education), Chandrima Bhattacharya (Law), Manish Gupta (Power), Subrata Mukherjee (Panchayat), Malay Ghatak (Labour), Purnendu Bose (Agriculture) and Sudarshan Ghosh Dastidar (Environment).

The government had recently freed nearly 200 acres in Nadia’s Kalyani from 11 closed units.