’Safe Drive, Save Life’ will become a global model: Mamata Banerjee at ‘Jaya Hey’ event

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today showered praises on the state police force. She said they did not get any holidays and cannot even spend time with their families during festivals because of their commitment to work. She also praised the various community development programmes started by the police.

The Chief Minister also said that ‘Safe Drive, Save Life’ will become a global model one day, and asked each and every one to spread awareness about road safety.

Highlights of the CM’s speech:

  • We started this event called ‘Jaya Hey’ in 2011. I hope this event will reach newer heights of glory in the days to come.
  • The police does not have any holidays. They do not celebrate any festival with their festivals. Their work is to serve the country 24X7 for 365 days. People are part of their larger family.
  • From Dol to Eid – during every festival we need them. From social functions to road accidents, police is required. Whenever any disaster takes place in the Hills, the police goes for rescue and relief operations. We cannot spend a second without their help.
  • The police to their work willingly and with earnestness. Their families are their pillars of support. We cannot do anything for them. So we started this function.
  • We all commit mistakes. When we work for 365 days in a years, small slip-ups are bound to happen. We must remember that. Whether it is scorching heat or raining torrentially, even when we do not want to step out, a traffic police personnel has to perform his duty. They are the guardians of the people.
  • Presence of police assures us of our safety. They have to be alert all the time. Their work is not just providing training or maintaining law and order. They also take part in community development programmes. They organise blood donation camps.
  • Like Kanyashree, Safe Drive Save Life will become a global model one day. It is being implemented in other States as well. What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow. Number of road accidents have reduced a lot ever since this project was launched.We all must raise awareness about road safety. We must all participate to save even one precious life.
  • It is the police’s job to save lives, not take them. My best wishes to all police personnel and their families on this special day. My best wishes to all those who are associated with this ‘Jaya Hey’ programme.

 

Some recent successes of the MSME Department

The State Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises and Textiles Department has seen a lot of success over the last seven years of the Trinamool Congress Government.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee take a special interest in this department as the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) form the primary channel for reviving and sustaining the traditional arts and crafts of Bengal. Due to the stress given on helping these types of enterprises, there has been a large-scale economic revival especially across the rural belts and small towns of the State.

Some of the recent successes of the department are described below:

‘Joyee’ footballs by Refugee Handicrafts division: The Refugee Handicrafts division of the MSM Department has been doing exemplary work by engaging women from rural regions in manufacturing football, thus also reviving the football manufacturing industry in Bengal. These superior quality footballs are sold under the brand name of ‘Joyee’, given by Mamata Banerjee herself.

To make the products commercially successful, a decision has been taken to make the footballs available at least at one point in every district, besides in other places. People became well-aware of the football brand after the balls were distributed by the State Government among local clubs ahead of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup last October.

Model farm in Jhargram to help tribal population: A model farm has been set up in Jhargram district to help the tribal population there gain financial independence. The over-20-acre farm will produce vetiver, lemongrass and essential oils. Vetiver is used in making bags and mats, and the bags in which the saplings are given to the mothers of newborns under the Sabujshree scheme.

A distillation unit will also be established there. Over 50,000 people are already associated with the aroma industry in this district. This venture will be a blueprint for more such ventures, which will help in employment generation as well as in making many of the tribal people self-sufficient.

Aroma garden in Baruipur and Jhargram: The aroma industry is coming up in Bengal in a very big way. Towards that end, the MSME Department is setting up two aroma gardens – one on 4 acres at Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district and another on 40 acres in Jhargram.

Oil will be extracted from the plants and trees, even from the roots. Aroma therapy is used in beauty treatment and also to cure some diseases. Lavender, rosemary and lemongrass are being planted in Baruipur.

Message of communal harmony at I-Day celebrations at Red Road

Bangla Government celebrated Independence Day with full honours today. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hoisted the National Flag at Red Road. Parades and cultural functions were held at the venue. The CM was given Guard of Honour.

Bangla Government conveyed the message of communal harmony at this year’s Independence Day parade on Red Road. A tableau based on the theme of ‘Oikotan’ (Harmony) was a part of the parade. Bauls and folk artistes participated in these tableaux which projected the ‘unity in diversity’ in Bangla.

Besides the tableau based on ‘Oikotan’, there were tableauxs on the popular schemes and projects of the State Government, like Kanyashree, Sabuj Sathi, Ruposhree, Sabuj Shree, Khadya Sathi and Safe Drive Save Life.

Mamata Banerjee slams the BJP on NRC issue

Bangla Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack against BJP president Amit Shah on the NRC issue on Tuesday.

Speaking at Nabanna, the state secretariat, she questioned the BJP chief and asked whether his parents had birth certificates.

The brutal attack came after Mamata Banerjee met a delegation from United Bengali Forum who had come from Assam to highlight their plight over the NRC issue.

“I want to ask Amit Shah, does his mother and father have birth certificates? If you ask me, I do not have my parent’s birth certificates. Would Swami Vivekananda have the certificates? Atal ji is ill now, so I cannot ask him, but I wish I could ask him whether he has all the certificates? One family can keep the record, not all. I belonged to a backward family, certificates were not maintained,” Mamata Banerjee said. She also said, “Would Gandhiji’s family have certificates?”

She went on to call the entire NRC exercise as politically motivated. “This is a political move ahead of the elections. Sometimes they (the Centre) will play India-Pakistan, sometimes they will play India-China. I am also hearing that they are getting the currency notes printed outside the country,” the CM alleged.

She alleged that Bengali-speaking population was being targeted. She claimed a majority of the 40 lakh who did not make it to the Assam draft list were a Bengali-speaking people.

“Of the total 40 lakh, 25 lakhs are Bengali Hindus, 13 lakhs Bengali Muslims and 2 lakh Nepalis, Biharis and others. I have shown you so many documents. People in Punjab and Pakistan speak the same language. People in Bengal and Bangladesh speak the same language. Isn’t Hindi and Urdu widely spoken in the country? If you do not like a particular community, you cannot spread hatred like this. Hasina ji (Bangla PM) is welcome, others not? Didn’t Bengal participate in the freedom struggle? What’s wrong in speaking the Bangla language?” she said.

She further said that even cows should now be given certificates to identify whether a cow is a refugee or an infiltrator. “My question is to all the Gau-rakshaks, is cow a refugee or an infiltrators. Make certificates for cows so that we know whether they are refugees or infiltrators. Amit Shah may not eat Hilsa fish. But people in Bangladesh, Bengal, UP and Bihar eat Hilsa fish. Is Hilsa a refugee or an infiltrator? This is super-emergency,” she claimed.

‘Are Hilsa, Jamdani also infiltrators?’ – Mamata Banerjee targets BJP Over Assam NRC

Attacking the BJP-led central government over exclusion of 40 lakh people in the final draft of Assam-NRC, Bangla Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the saffron party of being “anti-Bengali”.

Taking a swipe at the BJP, the Trinamool Congress chief asked if hilsa fish, Jamdani saree, sandesh and mishti doi, which are originally from East Bengal ( in undivided India), would also be branded as “infiltrators or refugees”.

Asserting that these 40 lakh people are “very much Indians”, she questioned the criteria on which they have been excluded.

The CM has been attacking the BJP government at the Centre over National Register for Citizens (NRC) which has excluded names of over 40 lakh citizens in the final draft for want of necessary documents in Assam.

“What is going on in the country is injustice. The BJP with their extremist ideology is trying to create division among the people. I think they are playing the politics of revenge among the countrymen. We are not for this kind of politics,” she said.

She accused the BJP of being “anti-Bengalis” and “anti-Bangla”.

They (the BJP) must not forget that speaking Bengali is not a crime. It is the fifth most spoken language in the world. What is BJP’s problem with Bangla? Are they scared of the intellect of the Bengalis, their culture. They must not forget that Bangla is the cultural mecca of the country,” she said.

IT sector in Bangla: Improving in leaps and bounds

The information technology sector in Bangla has progressed in leaps and bounds under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The Trinamool Congress Government has created a favourable environment for the growth of the sector and its related industries in Bangla.

This is evident from a comparison of the achievements of the Information Technology & Electronics Department in 2010-11, which was the last year of the Left Front rule, and 2017-18:

· Plan Budget of the department: More than doubled, from Rs 93.7 crore to Rs 201.53 crore, signifying an increased focus on the information technology and electronics sector;
· Software export turnover: Grew by almost 2.5 times, from Rs 8,500 crore to Rs 21,000 crore. Bangla is thus gradually turning into a hotbed of cutting-edge technology;
· Employment in IT sector: Significant rise from 90,000 to 1.5 lakh, ushering in a tech-savvy generation
· Investment for creation of IT hardware clusters: Nil earlier to Rs 14.86 crore; thus, the State Government, for the first time, under the direction of Trinamool Congress, is focussing on the creation of hardware clusters
· Investment for creation of IT parks: Grew by more than 16 times, from Rs 37.18 crore to Rs 612.11 crore, thus bringing about an unprecedented focus on infrastructure creation – 15 IT parks have been completed and 10 more are under construction.

Under the direction of Mamata Banerjee, the department is bringing about an all-round development, opening numerous employment opportunities, both in software and hardware.

অমিত শাহ, ক্ষমা চান, নয়তো আইনি প্রক্রিয়া শুরু করা হবেঃ তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস

আজ কলকাতায় বিজেপির সভাপতি অমিত শাহ এক জনসভা করেন। সেই সভায় অমিত শাহ রাজ্য সরকারের ওপর ভিত্তিহীন অভিযোগ আনেন। তার প্রতিবাদে তৃণমূল কংগ্রেসের পক্ষ থেকে সাংবাদিকদের মুখোমুখি হন, তৃণমূল কংগ্রেসের সর্বভারতীয় মুখপাত্র ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন।

তিনি বলেন, “অমিত শাহ আজকে বাংলাকে অপমান করেছেন, বাংলাকে অসম্মান করেছেন। বাংলার সভ্যতা, বাংলার শুদ্ধ সূচী, সুস্থ রুচি উনি বোঝেন না। এসব ওনাকে কি বোঝাব? বাংলার যে একটা সংস্কৃতি আছে, উনি সেটাকে অপমান করেছেন। তিনি ডাহা মিথ্যে দুর্নীতির কথা বলেছেন। উনি যদি ৭২ ঘণ্টার মধ্যে ক্ষমা না চান, অবশ্যই আমরা আইনি ব্যবস্থা নেব। সভ্যতার একটা সীমা থাকে, সম্মানের একটা সীমা থাকে। সেই সীমা অমিত শাহ আজ অতিক্রম করেছেন। অমিত শাহ, আপনি আগে নিজের ইতিহাস দেখুন, হলফনামা দেখুন।”

ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন অমিত শাহের বিষয়ে আরও বলেন, “উনি দুর্নীতির ডাকাত, দাঙ্গার ডাকাত। এইসব ধরনের রাজনীতি আগে যেখানেই করে থাকুন না কেন, এই রাজনীতি বাংলায় চলবে না। একদিনের জন্য আসবেন, বাংলাকে অপমান করে পালিয়ে যাবেন। আমাদের কাছে যথেষ্ট প্রমাণ আছে। সোজা ভাবে তৃণমূলের পক্ষ থেকে বলা হচ্ছে, হয় ক্ষমা চান, আর যদি না চান, আমরা আইনি ব্যবস্থা নেব। ”

সাংবাদিকদের প্রশ্নের উত্তরে তিনি বলেন, “এটি একটি ফ্লপ শো ছিল। মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ের নামে বাংলায় কোনও দুর্নীতির অভিযোগ আনলে, বাংলার মানুষ তা মেনে নেবে না। মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ের বিশ্বাসযোগ্যতা, মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ের প্রতি মানুষের আস্থা-ভরসা প্রশ্নাতীত। সেই মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ের ওপর দুর্নীতির কাদা ছোঁড়ার চেষ্টা করা হয়েছে।”

রাষ্ট্রীয় নাগরিক পঞ্জীর (National Register of Citizens or, NRC) বিষয়ে সাংবাদিকদের প্রশ্নের উত্তরে তিনি বলেন, “এটা শুধু বাংলার বিষয় নয়, এটা পুরো দেশের নাগরিকদের নিরাপত্তার বিষয়। আমাদের রাষ্ট্রীয় নাগরিক পঞ্জীর বিষয়ে বক্তব্য পরিষ্কার, এটা বাংলার একার ব্যাপার না, এটা রাজস্থান, পাঞ্জাব, বিহার, আসামেরও বিষয়। গোর্খা, গরীব, প্রান্তিক মানুষ, বীর সেনা, জনপ্রতিনিধিদের, এমনকি প্রাক্তন রাষ্ট্রপতির পরিবারের মানুষদেরও ঐ তালিকা থেকে বাদ দেওয়া হয়েছে। ভারতীয় নাগরিক বাঁচাও, এটাই আমাদের স্লোগান। এটা কোনও সস্তার দাঙ্গা লাগানোর স্লোগান না। কোনও দাঙ্গার রাজনীতি বাংলায় চলবে না। আমরা আমাদের সীমার মধ্যে থেকে, শান্ত-নম্র ভাবে বলেছি, আমাদের বাংলার পারম্পরিক সংস্কৃতি আমরা ধর্ম-বর্ণ নির্বিশেষে মেনে চলি। আজ অমিত শাহ তাঁর সীমা ছাড়িয়েছেন।”

Bangla Govt introduces GEM portal for more transparency

To make buying by Government departments more transparent, the Bangla Government has introduced a model called Government e-Marketplace (GEM).

GEM is in the form of a portal. Details regarding the purchase of any stationery item by a department costing more than Rs 10,000 would have to be put up on the portal. All vendors of the Government would also have to be registered on the portal.

After the details are put up, online tenders would be issued. As happens with any tender, the vendor bidding the lowest amount would get the tender. About 4 lakh items would be available through this portal.

A special training was organised at Nabanna for officials of all the departments in batches, from August 6 to 10. Officials of the Finance Department provided the training. For each department, a nodal officer and two master trainers have been identified, who were provided the training. They, in turn, would train the colleagues of their departments who deal with procurement.

This is another fruitful step by the Trinamool Congress Government in making e-governance an integral part of the governmental system. Systems like e-tender, Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS), Government Receipt Portal System (GRIPS) and Human Research Management System (HRMS) by the Finance Department are up and running for quite some time.

From January this year, the process was started to make all Government offices into e-offices, whereby all paper documents of all departments are being scanned in a step-by-step manner and stored online, and easy retrieval systems being put in place.

Source: Bartaman

Nadimul Haque speaks on The National Sports University Bill, 2018

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Respected Chairman Sir, thank you for allowing me to speak on this Bill, which seeks to establish and incorporate a National Sports University in the state of Manipur. The significance of sports and fitness in life is priceless. A healthy sports culture leads to an equally healthy society. Sir, sports is a very important and valuable field for the development as a nation as whole which perhaps till now hasn’t been given the importance it was owed.

Sir, ‘Yahan patthar ki imarat ugai kaise? Yahan patthar ki imarat ugai kaise? Jis jagah khel ka maidan hua karta tha.’ Sir, this university will aim to fulfil the void in the sports environment of the country. The Bill raises a few questions and concerns particularly Clause 7. It is pertinent that the university should have autonomy over its functioning and the matters relating to it. Sir, the department of sports should ensure that this provision be in line with other major universities and should not hamper the autonomy of this university.

Sir secondly, Clause 30 of the Bill provides that there should be a university bill for contributions, grants, loans etc. This will provide for the amount received in any other manner from any other source. This will cover any contribution which has not been specifically mentioned in other sub-clauses.

Sir, going into the merits and demerits of the Bill, I have two suggestions. First of all, the NSU should collaborate with premier national institutions like the IITs, IIMs and other such institutes. Sir, since the university will be targeting students, sportspersons, faculties, experts, not only from the country but also from abroad, and since it is being situated in the north east, I request the government that suitable measures be taken by the ministry and the concerned agencies with regards to travel facilities and concessions which can be made.

Next, Sir, the major component of the ‘Khelo India’ scheme is identifying talent and developing them. The NSU should be of immense assistance to the ministry in prescribing procedures and standards for talent identification. The university should be able to generate its own resources to meet or supplement its requirements. In addition to the position made in the Bill under Clause 30, other resources like reaching out to corporate sources under CSR should be allowed, Sir. The outlying campuses could be established in specific regions in the country, which are hubs for specific sports. For example, for wrestling, Haryana is famous; for hockey, Punjab is famous. So. these outlying campuses could be established. Sir, the university should also provide online education for persons living in the rest of the country.

In conclusion, the university should provide a boost to sporting activities in the country and also improve the country’s sports performance at the national and international level and assist in talent identification and development also considerable employment generation opportunities. The Bill is secondly a step towards bringing the nation together to make India a sporting power.

With this, Sir, I commend the Bill to the House and support it.

Idris Ali speaks on the Supplementary Demands for Grants

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Hon Speaker Madam, I am deeply grateful to you because you have given me the opportunity to speak. At the same time, আমি কৃতজ্ঞতা জানাই সেই মহান দেশপ্রেমিক, মহান নেত্রী, জাতীয়তাবাদী নেত্রী মমতা ব্যানার্জিকে যিনি পশ্চিমবঙ্গের মুখ্যমন্ত্রী, যার আশির্ব্বাদ ছাড়া আমি এখানে আসতে পারতাম না।

Madam, every third person in an Indian city today will be a youth in about next seven years. The median individual in India will be 29 years making it youngest country in the world. The unemployment rate in India, hon Madam, is estimated at 3.52 per cent, which is about 35 million; people are jobless. Hon Speaker Madam, Central Government during its tenure of four years never tried to balance the ongoing mismatch between the efforts of a cultivator (a farmer) and their income.

Madam, pensioners of EPS ’95 scheme till today are getting minimum pension of Rs 1000 per month. The government has not reviewed pension as per the present market. Then, where is the commitment of social security of senior citizens?

Hon Madam, in the Railway Budget, আমি আপনার মাধ্যমে কেন্দ্রীয় সরকার ও মন্ত্রীকে জানাতে চাই যে, ২০১৬-১৭ বাজেটে আমার কেন্দ্র বসিরহাটের জন্য পাঁচ লক্ষ টাকা অনুমোদন করা হয়েছিল। বসিরহাটে রেলওয়ে গেট, ভ্যাবলা হল্ট স্টেশন তৈরীর জন্য, কিন্তু দুই বছর পার হয়ে গেছে, কোনও কাজ হয়নি। একই জিনিস ঘটেছে আমার কেন্দ্রের লেবুতলায়; সেখানেও হয়নি।

আমি আরেকটা অনুরোধ জানাবো কেন্দ্রীয় সরকারের কাছে। যখন মমতা বন্দোপাধ্যায় রেলমন্ত্রী ছিলেন তখন গরিব মানুষদের জন্য ‘ইজ্জত টিকিট’ আর ‘ইজ্জত পাস’-এর ব্যবস্থা করা হয়েছিল। কিন্তু তথাকথিত ‘গরীবের বন্ধু’ কেন্দ্রীয় সরকার যা চালু ছিল তা পুনরায় চালু করা যায় না? এই জন্য মাননীয় রেলমন্ত্রীকে, ম্যাডাম, আপনার মাধ্যমে আমি আবেদন জানাচ্ছি।

In case of scholarship to minority students of the country, it has been noticed that during the last four years the release of funds is constantly lower than the previous years. Hon Madam Speaker, it is very unfortunate that as on June 2018, the Centre has released only Rs 5.52 crore to different scholarships to meritorious students, against the budget estimate of Rs 74 crores; in maximum cases the state governments are still waiting for the scholarship amount for years.

Hon Madam, before I conclude I urge the House to confirm the actual care of women and children, real employment, protection of senior citizens and to come forward with practical development of the society with time-bound commandment.

Madam, I am deeply grateful to you.