Implementation of Social Security Scheme for Kendu leaf collectors in Bengal

The Government of West Bengal today launched a Social Security Scheme for the tribal Kendu leaf collectors of Paschim Medinipore, Bankura and Purulia and their families.

Under the scheme which was announced by Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee through a Facebook post, any tribal Kendu leaf collector between the age of 18 years and 60 years may apply for registration free of cost. Once registered, the applicant and his/her family would receive several social benefits under the scheme. This is expected to hugely benefit the Kendu leaf collectors and the tribals in the areas mentioned above.

The following is the Facebook post of Ms Mamata Banerjee:

Today, we have taken a decision to introduce a Social Security Scheme for the tribal Kendu leaf collectors of Paschim Medinipore, Bankura and Purulia and their families.

Under this Scheme, any tribal Kendu leaf collector between the age of 18 years and 60 years may apply for registration free of cost. 

Upon registration, they will be entitled to the following financial assistance:
i) Lump sum amount on attaining 60 years – Rs.50000/- to Rs.150000;
ii) For accidental death (Rs.150000/-) and natural death (Rs. 50000/-);
iii) For partial disability (Rs.4000/-) or for permanent disability (Rs.25000/-), depending on the degree of disability;
iv) Medical assistance in case of surgeries – maximum Rs.4000/- per annum and maximum Rs.80000/- for a block of 4 years.
v) Maternity benefit upto two children – Rs.6000/- each time for maximum twice
vi) One time assistance for funeral expenses – Rs.3000/-.

This scheme will greatly benefit our tribal brothers and sisters.

I thought of sharing this information with all of you.

Quality of education in Bengal has increased: Partha Chatterjee

A budget of Rs 2688.20 crore was passed in the West Bengal Assembly for the state’s Higher Education department today.

Moving the budget proposal, state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said in the last two years, 65 colleges from the state have got ‘A’ or ‘B’ gradation from National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), which showed that quality of education in the state has increased.

To fill up vacant posts in different state-run and aided colleges, recommendation for appointment of more than 1700 teachers have been made, he said.

The minister, however, added that all the recruitments would be made in accordance with UGC norms and that quality would not be compromised.

Chatterjee criticised the opposition members saying that it was not seeing the positives just for the sake of politics.

“They are displaying a lack of positive and constructive attitude,” he said.

Bengal products on China shelves

Bengal products will now be found in Chinese markets -courtesy an MoU between Biswa Bangla Corporation and Haohong Logistics Corporation, a unit of the billion Yuan Haohong Group.

Two way trade

Biswa Bangla Corporation, developed by the Mamata Banerjee government, will have a permanent stall at Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, to showcase Bengal products.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Yunnan governor Chen Hao, union minister of state for external affairs and Bengal finance and industries minister Amit Mitra. The Haohong Group has allotted a 100 sq m area in its industrial park.

Dr Mitra said: “Bengal handicrafts will now be available in China. This is a major step.”

Boost to tourism

The West Bengal tourism department also expects better inflow of Chinese tourists to Bengal following an MoU with the Yunnan provincial tourism corporation. The agreement was signed after chairman of West Bengal chapter, Indian Tour Operators Association, Debajit Dutta made a presentation on Bengal tourism.

Stronger ties between sister cities

 

Another MOU was signed between MSME Technology Centre and Kunming SME financial transaction service, which will act as the backbone for SME infrastructure in Bengal, said state MSME secretary Rajiva Sinha.

Earlier Kunming governor expressed interest in setting up an industrial park in Bengal which he feels should strengthen relationship with Yunnan.

Dr Mitra later said that the Yunnan governor has agreed to send an investors’ delegation to the next Bengal business summit. Mitra urged Yunnan investors to invest in the upcoming Bengal townships, one of the pet projects of chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

“We are building 22 smart cities on private-public partnership. I would request Chinese companies to invest here. Yunnan is very strong in food processing and cold storage infrastructure. We would require investment in these sectors as well,” he added.

Rs 4000 crore allotted for revamping Bengal power infrastructure

The West Bengal Government has taken up a plan to revamp the state’s power infrastructure at an investment of Rs 4,000 crore over the next two years, State Power Minister Manish Gupta said on Wednesday.

West Bengal Power Development Corporation will appoint a mine developer and operator to start mining in five coal blocks, the Power Minister said while placing the power budget in the assembly.

State to start mining coal

The Centre allotted to WBPDCLsix coal blocks, including Tara (East & West), Barjora (North), Barjora, Gangaramchak, Gangaramchak-Bhadulia, Pachwara (North) and Kasta (East). Apart from this, the Deocha Pachami Deawanganj-Harisingha coal block has been allotted jointly to six states, including Bengal.

The minister said WBPDCL would receive 584 million tonnes of coals from the Deocha Pachami Deawanganj-Harisingha block. He also said that coal supply was not a cause of concern for the state government. “WBPDCL has a record coal stock of 9.29 lakh metric tonnes as on March 31, 2015”, said the minister.

Alternative sources of power

The department of Power and Non-Conventional Energy Sources is drawing up a draft document on Grid-connected Rooftop Solar Policy, which would be extended throughout the state in a phased manner, the Minister told the Assembly. The rooftop solar photovoltaic policy for the state was likely to be announced very shortly after former approval of the state cabinet, the Minister said.

The West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency already took up a project for installation of 10 kWp rooftop grid connected PV power plant with net metering arrangement at 100 government and government-aided schools statewide with 100 per cent funding from the state budget, he said.

The project would be extended to 500 schools altogether in phases, the minister said replying to a supplementary. The Minister further said that the WBREDA was also implementing an off-grid school electrification programme for another 100 schools in the Sundarbans.

Boost to power sector

The state government has also planned to set up a photovoltaic power plant to the proposed 1000MW Turga Pumped Storage in Ayodhya Hills in Purulia. “The project has got an in-principle approval from Centre,” the Minister said.

Steps have also been taken to upgrade various low voltage areas into high voltage ones, the Minister said. He said that in the last four years the power sector had witnessed improvement, thanks to several development schemes undertaken by his department.

The distribution infrastructure of the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited had much improved in the last four years with the installation of 82 new 33/11KV sub-stations, besides HT line and Distribution Transformers (DTRs) etc, he said.

Starting from non-conventional energy resources, the state has already taken many projects to boost rural electrification and hydro-electric power generation programmes, the Minister said.

22 helipads to be set up across the State

The West Bengal Government is planning to set up 22 helipads in different points of the State.

The helipads will not only ensure speedy movements for different Governmental works but also help to relocate patients in critical conditation to be shifted to bigger hospitals.

Besides the helipads, restrooms will also be set up. A one month test period will be conducted to check out all the facilities.

The helipads will be set up at:

Alipurduar district: Alipurduar Mouza, Torsa tea garden in Jaigaon, Birpara Dimdim Tea garden,

Bankura district: Bankura Stadium,

Birbhum district: Rampurhat Kauro Mouza,

Cooch Behar district: Cooch Behar airport,

Dakshin Dinajpur district: Balurghat airport,

Hooghly district: Arambagh Pallishree Maidan and Chinsurah Boxing Club ground,

Howrah district: Dumurjola Stadium,

Jalpaiguri district: Jalpaiguri Kahariya Mouza and Chalsa Mangalbari Mouza,

Maldah district: Maldah airport,

Murshidabad district: Baharampur Stadium,

North 24 Parganas district: Bongaon Chandpara Mouza and Basirhat Patilachandra D P School ground,

South 24 Parganas district: Jaynagar Jalberiya Mouza,

West Midnapore district: Medinipur Police Line Ground and Jhargram Raj College ground,

Purulia district: Purulia abandoned aerodrome,

East Midnapore: Digha Japinapi Mouza.

 

West Bengal Govt organises Mango Festival

The West Bengal Horticulture Department and the Food Processing Industries Department has organised the Bengal Mango Utsav near the Sahid Minar, Kolkata, which has brought mango producers and sellers from all over the country on a single platform. The festival will continue till Saturday, 13 June.

During this three-day mango fair, different types of mouth-watering Bengal mango varieties like Himsagar, Laxmanbhog, Langra and Fazli are being displayed and sold. The smaller varieties of the ‘king of fruit’ like Champ, Sarenga, Bhabani, Ranipasand, etc are rarely available in Kolkata.

Mango lovers are trying out these varieties which they have never heard or tasted before. These are smaller in size but have a unique taste and scent.

A single mango of these varieties weighs only 100 gms. In contrast, the larger ones Mallika, Himan Pasand, etc weigh more than 700 gms each. The famous Alphanso mango, which is grown in small pockets of Andhra Pradesh, also finds its way here in the fair. Gadda Maar, on the other hand, is used mainly to make tasty pickles.

State Food Processing Industries Minister Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury said they are organising such a festival for the first time in Kolkata. Present at the inaugural ceremony were State Consumer Affairs Minister Sadhan Pandey, Agriculture Minister Purnendu Bose, MoS of the Minorities Dept, Giyasuddin Mollah.

Food Security scheme to be implemented all over Bengal by August 2015

The West Bengal Government is taking initiative to start Food Security schemes all over the State by the coming August. The new schemes have already been implemented South Dinajpur in April and Coochbehar in May.

This month, Uttar Dinajpur will be brought under this scheme and by July, it will be implemented in Nadia, Maldah, Jalpaiguri, Howrah and Hooghly.

Through this scheme, around 6.01 crore people in the State, below poverty line, will get rice at Rs 2/kg.

Incidentally, the West Bengal Government now pay subsidy to provide rice at Rs 2/kg to 3.28 crore people in the State.

Since, the scheme will be operated through ration shops, those will be also under strict vigil and will not be able to do any illegal selling of stocks.

The State Government had made a survey last year and the names of the beneficiaries are being listed according to the survey report. The State Government will also provide digital ration cards to the people who will be under this scheme.

The names of the people enlisted under this scheme are also being put up in the website of the state Food Department for transparency.

Amit Mitra leads Team Bengal at China

State finance and industries minister Amit Mitra is in China today to attract investment for Bengal as well as strengthen the much talked about Kolkata-Kunming connectivity.

Dr Mitra is accompanied by an Indian Chamber of Commerce delegation. Dr Mitra said that India will be the partner country of the 3rd China South Asia Expo in Kunming, and Bengal will be the focus state.

Bengal had a 450 sq m stall at the venue with 28 stalls displaying the potential of Bengal. On Friday, Dr Mitra will address the joint opening ceremony of the expo. “There will be a special cultural programme from Bengal,” he added.

There will be business-to-business meetings with Chinese counterparts as well.

Kolkata emerges as national model in providing e-services

Kolkata has emerged as a national model in providing e-services to citizens, Mayor of Kolkata, Sovan Chatterjee today informed via Twitter.

He added that Union Ministry of Urban Development has written to Kolkata Municipal Corporation to share the best practices model for other cities to emulate.

Bengal shows the way

This is not the first time, Bengal has emerged as a national model. From countering left-wing extremism in Jangalmahal to the fair price medicine shops, Bengal has always showed the way.

Incidentally, a recent survey by a Bangalore based organisation adjudged Kolkata as the best city to live in India. India Today magazine termed Kolkata as the safest city in India. Kolkata also emerged in the list of fastest growing cities in the world in AT Kearney’s Global Cities Index.

 

Mayor promises taxi stands across Kolkata soon

Mayor Sovan Chatterjee has promised a taxi stand at every locality in Kolkata soon.

“Mamata Baner jee has asked us – Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Kolkata Police – to initiate efforts to ensure a taxi stand/bay at every nook and corner of the city. I have asked my officials and Kolkata Police to submit a report after joint inspection and survey of all parking areas in the city and make necessary arrangements to allow taxis to be parked in all such areas,” the Mayor told reporters on Tuesday after a high-level meeting at civic headquarters with police officials.

Debashis Kumar, member, mayor-in-council (parking, parks & squares, sports, advertisement) said KMC would submit Kolkata Police its survey report on parking lots across the city on Wednesday and a joint inspection, if required would be initiated to ensure space of parking taxis.

Apart from providing spaces for taxis in the parking lots, KMC would also initiate efforts to increase the number of private vehicles parked in the same parking area.

KMC is also initiating efforts to add new stretches of parking areas in the city. “With growing numbers of cars plying the streets of Kolkata the number of parking spaces too need to be increased and we are working on it,” the MMiC said.