Month: July 2013

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that the Centre`s claim on setting up the first all-women`s university is incorrect. In a post on her Facebook page, she referred to reports in a section of media, which said that the country`s first all-women university would come up in Rae Bareli. She said the Shreemathi Nathibai Damodar Thakersey Women`s University in Mumbai was the first university for women and has been functional for decades.

Chief Minster Ms. Mamata Banerjee`s Facebook post dated 12th July, 2013: 

“A section of the press reports that the Union Cabinet has recently approved setting up of the country`s first University only for women. This information is not correct.

SNDT Women`s University, Mumbai, the first university for women in the country has been running for decades.

In fact, in the Eastern region, our new Government in Bengal is setting up the first women`s university at Diamond Harbour and has already enacted the Diamond Harbour University Act in January 2013 for this purpose.

Dr. Samita Sen has been appointed as first Vice-Chancellor of the University. Possession of land has been taken over and construction work will begin just after the rains are over.

Academic activity is to commence from the academic session of 2014-15.

The exclusive university for women is a big step forward to fulfill our commitment towards advancing higher education for women in the State. “

The Trinamool Congress Government truly succeeds in what is being widely called its first test of democracy, as the first phase of panchayat polls marked high turnout in the three Jangalmahal districts of Paschim Medinipur, Bankura and Purulia on Thursday, unlike expected by many. The three-tire panchayat polls in the most sensitive Paschim Medinipore district of Jangalmahal were largely peaceful.

Polling in the Jangalmahal was monitored by paramilitary forces and also aerially with senior police officers criss-crossing the three districts on an Air Force helicopter. The huge deployment of central forces in the villages and polling booths ensured that people could vote. Maoist squads were nowhere in the area. And unlike the last elections, they didn`t even give a poll boycott call.

Despite the acrimony for the past few months between the State Government and the State Election Commission and uncertainty over whether the poll would be held at all, voters in the three districts turned up in huge numbers. Despite the month of Ramzan, people came out in large numbers to cast their votes in minority-dominated blocks as well. There were long queues of voters, waiting to cast their mandate, even after sundown. The polling continued till late night.  Purulia constitutes 170 Gram Panchayats, 20 Panchayat Samitis; Bankura has 190 Gram Panchayat and 22 Panchayat Samitis; whereas Paschim Medinipur includes 290 Gram Panchayats and 29 Panchayat Samitis. Paschim Medinipur recorded 72% votes, Purulia and Bankura recorded 75% votes each at the end of the polling.

The district election officers expressed satisfaction over voting process. They said that it was largely peaceful and no major incident was reported.

According to State Election Commission sources, so far, re-polls have been ordered in three booths in Sabong and one at Saltora, Bankura, said an SEC official. “Polling was largely peaceful compared to 2008,” he added.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was happy with the peaceful polling. “That voting is going on peacefully in Jangalmahal is a big thing“ She told reporters at Writers` Buildings before leaving for Hooghly to address an election meeting.

Despite efforts by the Opposition to create an atmosphere of violence, the polling showed democracy was safe under the Trinamool regime. In 2003 the panchayat poll had been held in a single day when 35 people were killed in clashes against 17 people killed in poll clashes in 2008 when polling was held in three phases. This year there is not a single report of casualty on the day of the poll.

Rs. 16 crore in a current bank account is nothing unusual. But read beyond the first line of the news article that appeared in a leading daily today and it suddenly looks very unusual.

This State Bank of India (SBI) current account was active until April 23 this year. The joint holders of this account are Biman Bose and Nirupam Sen. Official address for this account: 31, Alimuddin Street. Average amount deposited in this account each day has been quoted at around Rs. 15 lakh.

CPI(M) claims that the account belongs to the State Committee of the party.

It is but natural to ask questions as to how two individuals could hold a joint account that belongs to a political party. How exactly was the accounting done? Since the account is in the name of Biman Bose and Nirupam Sen, was income tax paid by them? Also, interesting to note, is the fact that Biman Bose does not have a PAN card. It is really intriguing that an account holder with Rs. 16 crore as balance does not possess one!

Of course, sensing something is not adding up, CPI(M) has taken the initiative to quickly shut down this account and open a new one in the name of the party. Though not a bank requirement, Nirupam Sen`s PAN number has been provided for this new account too. This has certainly kept the intrigue alive.

The CPI(M) sees no wrong in this `blatant` incident as it has been the practice since the 80s. This joint account was first held by Biman Bose and Sailen Dasgupta. Later, in 2001, after the passing away of Sailen Dasgupta, Nirupam Sen`s name was introduced.

Even more interesting, all cheques drawn in favour of the State Secretary of CPI(M) got automatically deposited into this joint account! How exactly this clandestine process worked needs to be investigated thoroughly.

Appeals have been made to the Chairman of the State Bank of India and the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India to look into the matter.

`Historical blunder` is a favourite phrase of the CPI(M) but this historical error may cost them dear. All the explanations given by the party are sounding hollow. If this is just a glimpse of how things were when Bengal was under their regime, one has to shudder to think what else could be unearthed.

The Alimuddin Street leadership has a lot to answer to the people of Bengal. Just saying that they had overlooked this glaring irregularity is as good as saying that they think the people of Bengal can be hoodwinked into believing any explanation they dish out.

There are some serious questions for the CPI(M) to answer:

1. The media expose has spoken of two bank accounts. There may be a hundred more, in India and abroad, concealing the slush funds of CPI(M) leaders. Shouldn`t a serious investigation be called for?

2. How can party whole-timers, with no known sources of income, amass Rs 16 crore? Is there an explanation?

3. The former industry minister of West Bengal, as per his election affidavit, is worth only Rs 36 lakh. The SBI account shows him to possess at least Rs 8 crore (half the balance in the account). Is this not a breach of Election Commission rules and does this not amount to resorting to untruth?

4. The general secretary of the state CPI(M) says he has no PAN card but is still a co-holder of an account with Rs 16 crore in it? Does he expect us to believe he is naive? Or does he expect us to be naive?

We demand a special investigation from SBI, RBI and the Union Finance Ministry and we demand the CPI(M) come clean on this.

All India Trinamool Congress Chairperson Ms. Mamata Banerjee, in the panchayat election meeting at Janai, Hooghly, on Thursday, renewing her stance on the Centre, alleged that the Congress-led UPA government was `selling out` the country for allowing FDI in retail with money going to `party funds`. “They are selling out the country and all the money is going to party funds, “ she said.

She said that LPG customers would have to shell out Rs 900 per cylinder from November instead of the present subsidized rate of Rs 450, the Trinamool Congress Chairperson said, “Petrol prices have been increased 50 times.“

Ms. Banerjee also recalled when AITMC quitting the UPA said it did it because the party did not deviate from its principles and commitment and was not bothered about ministerial positions.

Reiterating her opposition to the panchayat polls being held during Islamic month of Ramzan and the monsoons, the Chairperson said, “We were pressing for the elections during the last six months. We did not want it during Ramzan and in the thick of the monsoons. I would have objected even if polls were held during the Durga Pujas “.

Ms. Banerjee reiterated that the UPA government was not helping the cash-strapped state to tide over the huge 2.3 lakh crore loan burden left by the previous CPM-led government and alleged that Centre was helping the Marxist party.

Ms. Banerjee once again assured Singur farmers that their lands would be returned.  “I have taken a vow to see that the land within the Tata project is returned to its rightful owners. “

“We have created 50% reservation for women in Panchayat. Women will govern the country besides managing households“ Ms Banerjee said.  

The AITMC Chairperson said, “I won the first challenge by ousting the Left front from power and now the second challenge is to oust the CPM from Panchayat system completely.  Good days are not far away for Bengal; Bengal will reclaim its lost glory once again and show the way to the nation. “

She thanked the people for giving her a patient hearing, braving a heavy downpour and urged them to vote for Trinamool Congress.

Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee described the Supreme Court`s observation on the Singur Land Acquisition case as a significant and vital one. 

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that the land initially acquired by the previous West Bengal government for Tata Motor's car plant in Singur should now go back to the farmers as the plant is currently operational in Gujarat, and ruled out the company's arguments over its existing lease-hold rights over the land. 

Ms. Banerjee said that this is what she had expected from the Supreme Court. “It is a welcome and important observation and we are quite happy. The agitation for returning land to unwilling farmers at Singur started in 2006. I took part in a hunger strike for 26 days. I love both agriculture and industries, both are important. This observation will provide encouragement to the farmers all over the world to protest against exploitation. It is a moral victory for us,'' Mamata Banerjee said.

AITMC Chairperson Ms. Mamata Banerjee on Monday at a panchayat election campaign in Lalgarh, West Medinipur said: 

“We were forced to submit before the orders of the court to let the panchayat elections take place in the month of Ramzan as it is a constitutional obligation. Moreover, unlike them (the commission and the opposition), who didn't want the elections and proposed to snatch people's democratic rights, we wanted the polls, especially because the terms of Panchayat have either expired or will expire. We apologize that the elections are being held during Ramzan. We also condemn those who imposed it at this time. I have been striving for the polls since last year, but the Congress, CPI-M and BJP did not allow me to hold polls, fearing they would lose. They had gone to the court. I would have objected had the polls been ordered during Durga Puja as well.

We wanted to hold the elections in December. But our government was not allowed to go for the elections at that time. Later we also tried to hold the elections in March this year, but that time too, we failed to organize the polls due to many reasons. The state election commission had moved court and dates for holding the polls were changed thrice.

We wanted election. They did not want it. They wanted to deny the people to exercise their democratic rights.

I had urged the Centre to seal our state's borders with Jharkhand and Odisha after the killing of a district SP in Jharkhand. But it has not been done. “

Year	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	20012-13 (up to Jan-13
Total personal trained	19080	72144	85753	107886	131699	136128	138163	140846