Month: July 2013

West Bengal Panchayat Polls: Phase IV: 78 % turn out

Posted on | by AITC
People of Nadia, Birbhum, Maldah and Murshidabad, in large numbers, went in for exercising their franchise in the fourth phase of the ongoing West Bengal Panchayat elections. Polls were conducted under the stringent vigil of the Central and State forces in all the four districts of Bengal.
Nadia had 29,66,734 voters,  3840 seats, 3774 polling booths, and 14, 000 forces. Maldah had 30,999,968 voters, 2742 seats, 2466 polling booths, and 14, 000 forces. Murshidabad had 3907151 voters, 5065 seats, 4935 polling booths, and 17, 000 forces. Birbhum had 20,35,397 voters,  2754 seats, 2671 polling booths and 15000 forces. 
Total votes polled till 5 pm at Nadia was 76.1%, Birbhum was 75.2%, Maldah was 66.9% and Murshidabad 74.6%. District Magistrates said that till 7 p.m., polling was recorded up to 78 per cent though polling still continued in many booths across the districts.
West Bengal Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee on Sunday (July 21st) had appealed all to maintain peace and exercise polling rights freely. `Let the people of this State enjoy the fresh air of democracy which has been missing for decades`, she said.

Mamata Banerjee speaks on the ongoing Panchayat elections in West Bengal

Posted on | by AITC
On Sunday morning, in an exclusive interview with a correspondent of the official party website aitmc.org, All India Trinamool Congress Chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee shared her thoughts on the  ongoing Panchayat elections in West Bengal.Here is what she said :
  • The CPIM, Congress, BJP- and even the Court –  all preferred  a lengthy drawn out  5-phased election. No one listened to our logical and practical suggestion about a one-day poll. The ground reality is that these are local elections, often with micro local issues at stake. These are not Lok Sabha elections and needed to be handled differently.
  • The election is being conducted by the State Election Commission, not the Government.  Adequate police was provided by the State as per requirements stipulated by the SEC. Still precious lives were lost. Every death is a tragedy, irrespective of the party he or she belongs. A family loses a precious member who can never be replaced.
  • I appeal to all of you to maintain peace and exercise polling rights freely. Let the people of this State enjoy the fresh air of democracy which has been missing for decades.
  • The Congress, CPI(M) and BJP are hell bent on spreading violence across the State. At places, even the Maoists are trying to disturb the peace. Let the people of Bengal be the final arbiter.
  • The first and second and  phase of The Panchayat polls were held peacefully. Yes, the third phase did have some incidents. Frankly, in the first three phases elections were held in districts where Trinamool has huge support among the common people However, in the fourth and the fifth phases there are areas (Malda/Murshidabad) where the Congress has a presence. They will deliberately be up to mischief here.
  • I feel sorry because the annual programme of Ekushe July (July 21, Shahid Dibosh/Martyr's Day) could not be conducted because of the Panchayat polls. However, the programme will be held on August 21. It seems that the dates of the Panchayat election were chosen intentionally so that we cannot organize our most important annual commemoration.

Bengal accomplishes a largely peaceful and democratic phase III panchayat polls

Posted on | by AITC
Rural West Bengal on July 19th accomplished a largely peaceful and democratic third phase panchayat election at Howrah, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas.
Total vote polled till 7 pm at Howrah was 75%, North 24 Parganas was 78% and South 24 Parganas was 70%. A total of 85% vote was casted by the end of the day in all the districts. The people of Bengal showed faith and confidence in the Ma, mati, Manush Govt. and hence executed their franchise fearlessly.
Under the stringent supervision of the central and state forces, the elections were conducted in the most peaceful manner the state had ever witnessed in the past.
The next phase of panchayat election will be held on July 22 at Nadia, Murshidabad, Malda and Birbhoom and the last phase on July 25 at Coochbihar, Jalpaiguri, North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur. Counting of votes will take place July 29

It`s West Bengal Model for India`s health, Centre has to accept Bengal`s way

Posted on | by AITC
Truth can never be hidden forever. That there is a surge of developmental activities in West Bengal, after the Trinamool Government came in power in 2 years ago, has been tried to be kept hidden by some media and other jealous onlookers. Path breaking examples have been countered. However, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India could not help themselves this time. They had to accept the fact that to revolutionize the health sector, the best working model they had in hand was that of Bengal`s. Recently Government of India has advised all State Governments and Union Territories to consider adopting the `West Bengal model`.
In her most recent Facebook post the Trinamool Congress Chairperson commented  –
“You may recall that our Government had introduced Fair Price Medicine Shops in government hospitals which offer discounts on generic medicines, consumables and implants ranging from 48% to 67.25% on maximum retail price.
I am happy to inform all of you that our scheme has been accepted as a model by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India and they have advised all State Governments and Union Territories to consider adopting the `West Bengal model`.
It is, no doubt, a recognition of our commitment and efforts to provide benefits to the common people and help them save their precious money in their hour of distress.“
West Bengal Government had planned to set up fair price medicine shops in each of the 19 districts of the State. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the setting up of fair price shops would help bring down the cost of medicines, thereby benefiting the end-consumers. “These fair price shops give discounts, some shops even give discounts of 50-60 per cent on some medicines,“ she said at the inauguration of a fair price medicine shop at the State-run SSKM Hospital in January 2013.
After the opening of the fair price medicine shops, the state government plans to open similar diagnostic centres where services will be offered for as low as Rs 500. “We are planing to build fair price diagnostics centers. MRI, CT scan, blood tests and other tests cost Rs 2000-3000 at private diagnostic centres. You can get these tests done for just Rs 500,“ Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told a function on International Women`s Day.

We have never supported Narendra Modi – Mamata Banerjee

Posted on | by AITC
Trinamool Congress Chairperson Mamata Banerjee said the party would never support Narendra Modi, likely to be projected by the BJP as its prime ministerial candidate in the 2014 general elections.
“We have never supported Narendra Modi. We will never support him,” Banerjee said while addressing a panchayat poll rally at Rampurhat in Birbhum district.
Criticizing UPA, she said: “They have been ruling for 10 years. During this time they never talked about Narendra Modi. Now with elections round the corner, they are telling people that if you don't vote for us, Modi will become prime minister.”
She said the Bharatiya Janata Party of failing to play the role of a responsible opposition in Parliament. “They are not playing the role of a responsible opposition. Actually there is no enmity between the Congress and the BJP.”
The BJP believed in the politics of dividing people into Hindus and Muslims, she said: “But actually, they care for the interests of neither Hindus nor Muslims.”

Centre selling out country: Mamata Banerjee

Posted on | by AITC
Criticizing the Congress-led UPA government for liberalizing FDI limits in various sectors, particularly telecom, defence and insurance, AITMC Chairperson Mamata Banerjee said that it was selling out the country and claimed that it would go soon.
“We quit the government after it allowed FDI in retail. Now they are selling out everything — defence, telecom and insurance, what not?“ she told a panchayat election rally at Habibpur in Nadia district. She told the crowd that the opposition “wants to create trouble by committing murders. They want to spill blood“. She said after the panchayat elections she would get all cases of atrocities against Trinamool workers probed.
She told that Congress maintains relation with the Left. “I used to feel ashamed of being in the Congress and that is why we formed the Trinamool Congress.“
“I feel sad that the nation is being sold out in this way,“ she said.

FDI in telecom to 100 percent would have `very serious` security implications for the nation – Mamata Banerjee

Posted on | by AITC

AITMC Chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday attacked the Centre`s decision to liberalize FDI limits in various sectors, particularly telecom, defence and insurance alleging it would put ‘the lives of common and poor people and the nation's security to grave danger’.
    
She said in her Facebook post that the increase of FDI in telecom to 100 percent would have `very serious` security implications for the nation and enable foreign companies control the country's entire telecommunication platform.
   
As defence was heavily reliant on telecommunication system, the new arrangement would compromise safety and security of the nation, the Trinamool Congress president opined.
   
`It is a myth that FDI hike will bring transfer of technology to Indian companies as there is a Technology Denial regime which does not permit the developed world to transfer defence technology,` she said.
   
She raised voice against the UPA government for liberalizing insurance sector too, saying that `the lives of poor and common people, who rely on insurance for their life and health, will be put to risk with increase in FDI in insurance sector.`
   
Foreign inflow of funds in financial institutional area in India was fraught with potential danger of global financial crisis, she said. The Central government on Tuesday liberalized FDI limits in a dozen sectors, including allowing 100 per cent in telecom, and higher limits in 'state-of-the-art' defence manufacturing.
   
The Centre also decided to raise the FDI cap in insurance sector from 26 per cent to 49 per cent under automatic route under which companies investing do not require prior government approval.

WB Panchayat Polls Phase II: Huge turnout in all three districts, affirms the strength of Maa, Mati, Manush Govt.

Posted on | by AITC
Huge turnout in phase II panchayat elections, in all three districts, affirms the strength of Maa, Mati, Manush Government.
An average 75 per cent polling was recorded till 5 p.m. in the three districts, Purba Medinipur, Bardhaman and Hooghly, in the 2nd phase of Panchayat elections. The percentage will increase as queues of voters were still waiting outside the booths to exercise their franchise.
Altogether 28,342 candidates are in fray for the 12,869 panchayat seats for the three-tier rural bodies in the three districts.
 As many as 50,000 security personnel, including 35,000 state security forces and 15,000 central troopers, are on duty for the polls.
A total of 95,25,320 voters were eligible to elect their representatives in the three districts covering 10,637 gram sabhas, 2,117 panchayat samities and 185 zilla parishad seats. in which Bardhaman covers  4067 Gram Sabhas, 779 Panchayat Samitis and 75 Zilla Parishads. Purba Medinipur constitutes of 3378 Gram Sabhas, 661 Panchayat Samitis and 60 Zilla Parishads. Hoogly has 3192 Gram Sabhas, 677 Panchayat Samitis, 50 Zilla Parishads.
The first phase of the elections was held July 11. Polling for the next rounds will be on July 19 at Howrah, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas, July 22 at Nadia, Murshidabad, Maldha and Birbhum and on July 25 at Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri, North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur.
Counting of votes will take place July 29.

BJP dividing Hindus and Muslims: Mamata Banerjee at Bagnan

Posted on | by AITC
West Bengal Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee on Monday at Bagnan in a panchayat election campaign rally blamed BJP of dividing Hindus and Muslims. 
“A bigger Hindu than Ramakrishna Paramamahamsa and Swami Vivekananda? “ She asked at the rally without naming anyone. 
“Hindus and Muslims are the flowers of same branch and we care for both,“ Ms. Banerjee said and alleged BJP wanted to `divide the Hindus and the Muslims` but the State Government would not allow anyone to foment riots. 
Ms. Banerjee accused CPI(M) of using BJP to split anti-Marxist votes in Bengal and asked the electorate to be careful in not wasting a single vote.

The government at the Centre has been taking anti-people measures: Mamata Banerjee at Amtala

Posted on | by AITC
AITMC Chairperson Ms Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday regretted her party`s decision to form an electoral alliance with the Congress ahead of the 2011 Assembly polls. Addressing a panchayat poll campaign at Amtala, South 24 Parganas district She said, “It was a mistake to tie up with the Congress in the assembly polls two years back. We would have got 293 of the 294 seats had we not joined hands with the Congress. “
Addressing the rally in South 24 Parganas, where the panchayat polls are scheduled on July 19, Ms. Mamata Banerjee said the Congress was colluding with the CPI-M to defeat Trinamool Congress in the ongoing panchayat elections. “Congress and the CPM are now `brothers` fighting together“, She added.
Coming down heavily on the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Central government, she decried the regular hike in prices of petroleum products. She said “the government at the Centre has been taking anti-people measures. They have increased the price so many times, which has had an impact on cost of electricity production and pricing, on commodities, and on agricultural workers who use shallow tubewell pumps.“
She reiterated that the Congress always used the Central Bureau of Investigation to silence those protesting against its policies; “You protest against these things and they will use the CBI to silence you. Even if nobody protests against the central government`s policies, I shall single-handedly raise my voice,“ she asserted.
Ms. Banerjee was equally critical of the CPM, saying during the Left regime people were tortured, raped, and murdered but the victims never got justice, with the police never registering their complaints. “Has Tapasi Malik`s family in Singur got justice for the rape and murder of their daughter? There are many such cases and the victims` families will never get justice, “ she said.