Bengal CM writes to Centre against plan to shift HSL headquarters

Bengal CM writes to Centre against plan to shift HSL headquarters

Posted on June 17, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written a strong letter to the Union Ministry of Steel against the Central Government’s decision to shift the headquarters of Hindustan Steelworks Limited, a profitable PSU, from Kolkata to New Delhi.

Not just that, there are also plan to lay off a large number of workers, including many permanent ones. Naturally, they are very worried and the people’s Chief Minister has not held back at expressing her deep discontent at this decision.

The issue was earlier raised by Trinamool Congress in the Lok Sabha too but no satisfactory answer came from the Central Government. The Labour Commissioner had also hauled up the management of the company for the decision of laying off workers, but the management has not responded.

Not just writing a letter, the Chief Minister has instructed her party’s MPs to again raise the issue in Parliament.

Bengal CM writes to Centre, saying it’s extremely wrong to sell off Bengal Chemicals

Posted on June 17, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written a strong letter to the Union Commerce & Industry Ministry regarding the Central Government’s decision to sell off Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd., a company with a long and illustrious history.

Though it was not doing well for some time, in the last few years it has turned around quite a bit. The company earned profits during the 2016-17 fiscal, which almost doubled during the 2017-18 fiscal (an increase of 97.5 per cent). In this state of things, what is needed is more help from the Centre rather than selling it off.

Hence, the Chief Minister has written in the letter that the decision to sell it off should be immediately taken back. She has also written that the Bengal Government would provide all manner of help to build Bengal Chemicals up into a Maharatna company.

The company also has units in Mumbai and Kanpur. The Centre had previously too tried to sell the company. It was mainly Mamata Banerjee’s efforts which prevented that from happening.

Another point raised by the Chief Minister in her letter is the fact that the Kolkata High Court is yet to decide on the case filed by the workers and unions of the company against the Centre’s decision to sell it off.

Then, the company is engaged in manufacturing fair-priced essential goods for the common people. Hence, it can never be termed a ‘low-priority enterprise’, as the Centre has signified it.

Mamata Banerjee in her letter has also written about the illustrious history of the company and its crucial role in the movement for Indian-made goods during the colonial period.

All in all, the Chief Minister, through coherent arguments, has clearly indicated in the letter that it is an absolutely wrong decision to sell off Bengal Chemicals, as it is a profitable company now.

Blood donation – Efforts and infrastructure in Bengal

Posted on June 14, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The Trinamool Congress Government has always stressed on the need for voluntary donation of blood. Through the year the party conducts, through its various frontal organisations and wings, blood donation camps across all the districts, including in Kolkata.

The State Government also encourages various clubs, NGOs and even corporate to organise and participate in blood donation efforts.

At certain times of the year, like during the hot summer months, there is an extra need for blood. Hence during this time more camps are organised.

During the sixth anniversary celebrations of the Trinamool Congress Government last year, a blood donation camp was organised at the state secretariat, Nabanna on May 27. Similar camps were organised in all the districts, down to the panchayat level, and also at police stations. Various clubs had also participated.

The State Government has also been steadily improving the infrastructure of blood banks. Last October, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had inaugurated three more blood banks – two in south Bengal and one in the north. The blood banks were set up in Panskura in Purba Medinipur district, Gopiballavpur in Paschim Medinipur district and Chanchal in Malda district. All the three are located inside multi super-speciality hospitals, a brainchild of the Chief Minister.

With the completion of these three, the number of State Government-run blood banks has risen to 70. Combined with private blood banks, the total number is 131.

To cater to the increasing demand for blood components, like plasma, platelets, etc., the Government set up four more platelet separation units last year – at Nadia and Asansol District Hospitals, Cooch Behar MGN Hospital and Murshidabad Medical College Hospital – bringing the total number of component separation units in State Government hospitals to 17.

Then, information about supplies of blood in the blood banks of Bengal, be they Government or private – how many units of which blood group are available – can now be had online. This service, called e-raktkosh, [may hyperlink http://www.eraktkosh.in/BLDAHIMS/bloodbank/nearbyBBRed.cnt] facilitated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was also inaugurated last year.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has also set up its first blood bank – at 242, Kalighat Road. This step is meant to help not only the city residents but people from all over the State, especially the poor, who cannot afford high prices.

Bengal Govt to train 2.5 lakh rural youths

Posted on June 13, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The Bengal Government is planning to impart skill training to 2.5 lakh unemployed rural youths in the state to enable them earn livelihood without migrating to cities, the Self-Help Group and Self-Employment Minister has said.

He said the training programme by the concerned department would be conducted with an integrated approach, combining with various State welfare schemes to skill the youths across 10,000 villages.

At the end of the training, the department will provide them assistance in the form of resources like building hatcheries and goat farms, greenhouses (where they can start horticulture or cultivation of herbs), etc.

The department has identified 10,000 villages from 1,030 gram panchayats across the State. Initially, 25 youths from each of these villages will be given training. So, a total of 2.5 lakh youths will be skilled.

Source: Business Standard

Bengal Govt employing GPS & GIS to create a comprehensive map of the Sundarbans

Posted on June 13, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The Bengal Government has started using GPS and GIS to create real-time interactive maps of the Sundarbans region. These technologies would help keep a ‘smart’ eye on the entire biosphere – forest cover, land use, illegal activities, etc.

Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based radio navigation system that provides geolocation and time information to a GPS receiver while geographic information system (GIS) is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyse, manage and present spatial or geographic data. GIS accuracy depends upon source data, and it is here that the accuracy of GPS comes into use.

The surveillance system implemented by the Forest Department uses GPS to capture the data and GIS tools (softwares) to analyse that data. The information being collected, which will be on a continuous basis, is helping the Government to keep track of detailed data on forest cover (number and types of trees, their exact locations, even information on trees cut down) and human habitation, nature of an area, locations of coves and bays, etc. Importantly too, all data would be updated on a real-time basis.

The Forest Department officials are using these data along with the existing ground maps to create a comprehensive database of the region. This method of data compilation would eventually be used to cover the whole of Bengal.

The Sundarbans forest in Bengal comprises of the Matla, Raidighi, Ramganga, Namkhana, Bakkhali and Bhagabatpur forest ranges. The mangrove cover comprises of 77,243 hectares and the wildlife sanctuary, 60,000 hectares. Eco-tourism is permitted on an area comprising of a little more than 27,000 hectares.

The data is also being made available for use by other departments. According to the Chief Conservator of Forests, Bengal, who is overseeing the whole project, the data would be a big help for departments like Tourism and Land and Land Reforms.

A new university coming up in Purba Medinipur district

Posted on June 13, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The Bengal Government is setting up a university in the district of Purba Medinipur, which would be the first university in the district.

The land for setting up the university has already been designated – a plot of 20 acres in Kapaseria mouza in Mahishadal block, part of Haldia subdivision, and located on national highway 41 (NH-41).

It would be named after Mahatma Gandhi and might be inaugurated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on October 2, the birth anniversary of the ‘Father of the Nation’.

The setting up of the university would be a big boon to the students from the district as they would now be able to pursue post-graduate and doctoral studies nearer home. Students from the district have always fare very well in secondary and higher secondary exams and now, a university is being built for them.

Classes would begin from July, and would, for the time being, be held at Mahishadal Raj College.

Source: bengali.news18.com

Centre sitting on Rs 10,000 crore aid to Bengal: Mamata Banerjee

Posted on June 12, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

Bengal Chief Minister has once again raised the issue of Central deprivation alleging the BJP Government has held back its rightful Rs 10,000 crore earmarked for development.

In the recent weeks the Chief Minister has shot off at least three letters to the Centre demanding clearance of her State’s dues amounting to about Rs 9,959 crore under 16 heads.

According to officials in the State Finance Department the Centre is yet to clear Rs 609 crore — due on account of good performance. Besides, the State has also demanded its due of Rs 3830 crore on account of Sarva Shiksha Aviyan and Rs 790 crore under Mid Day Meal scheme.

Besides there are a number of other schemes under which the State has been deprived of its lawful grants from the Centre, sources said. Accordingly huge amount of money is due under Urban Renewal Mission, National Urban Employment Scheme, Swacchh Bharat and other programmes.

“This is a blatant denial of State rights. The people of Bengal are being deprived. We are not begging for funds. We are only demanding our dues. The Centre will have to keep in mind that the people of the States pay taxes and out of those taxes the States get their dues for development of their people,” the Chief Minister has said wondering whether Bengal is being deprived because of its political preference.

Bengal Forest Dept bans use of plastic in parks

Posted on June 12, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The State Forest Department is going to impose strict restrictions on the usage of plastic material in the parks that are owned by the department. The Forest Minister announced this decision during a programme organised on the occasion of World Environment Day at Central Park in Salt Lake, Kolkata.

Visitors will not be allowed to enter parks with any plastic items or bags. The step has been taken to protect the environment of the parks. Besides throwing away packets inside parks, it is also often seen that people dump plastic bags and other items in the waterbodies inside the parks, which in turn cause damage to the animals and plants in the water.

The Forest Department would also urge the stalls situated near the parks not to sell items in plastic packets to the people.

Extensive awareness campaigns would also be carried out by the department against the use of plastic items, which disrupt the ecological balance. Through these campaigns, the ill-effects of plastic items would be explained.

The State Government is already doing a lot to reduce the harm caused by plastics. It has taken steps to reduce pollution caused by plastics and polythene bags by cleaning drains and water bodies at regular intervals.

Source: Millennium Post

Bengal leads among States in decrease in crimes related to child labour

Posted on June 12, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

Bengal is leading the country in eradicating the instances of child labour. Over the last three years, only in Bengal has there been an appreciative decrease in crimes related to child labour. This fact came out in a report presented by the concerned Union Minister in Parliament on March 27.

The State-wise list of the number of crimes concerned with child labour from 2014 to 2016 was presented, according to which, during this period, the law has been moved against only 42 people in Bengal.

Significantly too, during the above-mentioned period, there have been 1,131 operations in the State to rescue children illegally engaged in labour.

Bengal Govt has enabled threefold rise in the average annual income of farmers

Posted on June 11, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The Bengal Government has set an example for other States by increasing the income level of farmers three times. The average annual income of farmers in the State has gone up threefold during financial year 2017-18 than what it was seven years ago.

According to the Agriculture Department, the average annual income of a farmer now stands at Rs 2.91 lakh during 2017-18 while it stood at Rs 2,39,123 during 2016-17. During 2010-11, the average annual income of a farmer was Rs 91,000.

This has become possible due to various social schemes introduced by the Trinamool Congress Government to improve the socio-economic conditions of the farmers.

The overall production of each farmer has shot up as their expenses have slashed due to the availability of certified seeds at much cheaper rates. The agricultural growth rate has gone up which in turn is expected to drive up the State’s economic growth rate.

Distribution of paddy seeds at subsidised rates by the Agriculture Department and giving farmers platforms to sell their produce directly at various State Government-managed outlets and Krishak Bazars at proper costs are among those contributing to the rise of income for farmers.

The State Agriculture Department has already ironed out the middle-man system that had become a practice during the regime of the erstwhile Left Front government.

The State Government has been providing Rs 400 crore subsidy to the farmers. The Agriculture Department provides certified seeds to farmers at 50 per cent subsidised rates or Rs 20 is given to them against per kg of paddy seeds, whichever is less. One farmer can receive up to 100 kg seeds at a time. The amount is credited to the bank accounts of individual farmers.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has laid enormous emphasis on the well-being of farmers and on the increase of productivity through the introduction of a host of new schemes.

Source: Millennium Post