Month: November 2015

WB CM’s stern message to tea garden owners over workers’ rights

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In a stern message to the owners of closed tea gardens in Dooars area, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said the state government would take over if they cannot run the gardens.

“If you have tea garden and if you can’t run them, tell us. The state government will take over or we will give it to someone else,” the Chief Minister said at a public rally in Alipurduar. “If you can’t run the gardens, don’t betray the workers,” she added.

The Chief Minister said that payment of provident fund is compulsory and non-payment of it is a criminal offence. She said she had ordered resumption of drinking water and electricity supply to the closed tea gardens.

The state government has ordered a CID probe into the alleged non-payment of wages to workers at the Bagrakot tea garden of Duncan Industries in north Bengal.

Didi’s Janata Durbar in Jayanti

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It is time-tested that West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee is different from most of the political figures and the fact came in the forefront once again at Jayanti, where the Bengal Chief Minister is staying during her visit to the north Bengal districts.

While taking a morning walk, Didi mingled with the local people of the area and also asked for a cup of tea from a local tea stall. She had her cup of tea sitting on the bench of the tea stall and chatted with the problems the local people were facing.

The Chief Minister gave her time to the local people and listed to their grievances, ranging from pattas, river erosion, need of roads, absence of ATMs and even the absence of mobile and internet services in the area.

The Chief Minister took note of each of the problems and asked the Alipuduar DM to take immediate steps to solve them. Bengal is thankful that Didi heads the West Bengal Government.

Japanese team scouts Howrah for possible investments

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A high-level Japanese team had a meeting with the State officials at Nabanna, for developmental association and possible investment opportunities in the district of Howrah.

The potential for revival of industries in Howrah was surveyed by this team from Japan’s Yokohama. The team also prioritized waste management in the town as a major business possibility for Japanese firms.

The team led by Yoko Mijoama and later met the Howrah Mayor, the Howrah Municipal Corporation commissioner and HMC’s trade development zone vice chairman.

Later, they left for a launch ride on the Hooghly from Ramkrishnapur Ghat to Belur. The team was also shown the closed Nisco factory and a 250-acre vacant plot in Liluah where HMC plans to set up new industries. The Japanese delegation is also planning to transfer technological know-how and study viability of different industries in Howrah.

The Yokohama Municipality wants to infuse modern Japanese technology to revive Howrah’s MSME industries. They are impressed with the cheap skilled labour available here. The project will also involve setting up facilities for training our workers. The Japanese will also create the support systems for marketing the output from the revived industries.

Besides small and medium manufacturing units, the project will provide assistance for promotion of water transport in Howrah. The grant will also help upgrade the Serampore water treatment plant and set up a 100mgd water treatment plant at Ghusuri. Beautification of the riverfront between Botanic Garden and Belur is also on the cards.

50% subsidy for new MSME industry in Coochbehar: WB CM

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West Bengal Chief minister Mamata Banerjee batted for Cooch Behar as a possible investment destination urging “industry friends“and invest in this far-flung district. The Chief Minister promised the investors of all help and announced a 50% subsidy to the small-scale industry sector in the district.

Addressing a public meeting in Gumanihat in Cooch Behar’s Mathabhanga sub-division, the Chief Minister said, “Children from Cooch Behar go to Delhi to do some intricate gold jewellery work, they go to Rajasthan to do stone sculptures. Such works have opportunities here too. I will urge my industry friends with folded hands to please come and invest here. I will provide whatever you seek for it. But, please work in these far-flung districts. Please work and generate jobs.“

The State Government has been urging investors to lay stress on MSME. In near future, a business conclave for north Bengal is scheduled to be held. The Chief Minister in her recent visit to Bhutan had invited a Bhutanese delegation to attend the said conclave.

Sabuj Sathi scheme for Alipurduar launched today by WB CM

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West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee, on her 4-day visit to north Bengal, today addressed a public rally at the Parade Ground, Alipurduar, at 3 PM. She launched the Sabuj Sathi scheme in the district, a scheme where 40 lakh cycles were distributed among the students of the State.

Today, the West Bengal Chief Minister flaged off the AC Bus service between Siliguri-Badogra-Alipurduar. She also inaugurated 33/11 KV power sub-station, a helipad near Jayanti, pipelined water supply projects and a motel among many others.

The foundation stone of an Ayush hospital in the district was laid today. The Chief Minister also laid foundation stones for Karma Tirthas, water supply projects, girls’ hostels, the Birpara Fire Brigade, the Toto Cultural Centre at Totopara among a bouquet of developmental projects.

Besides distributing cycles to students under the Sabuj Sathi scheme, the West Bengal Chief Minister gave away several benefits to the people of the district.

21st Kolkata Film Festival to offer the best of World Cinema this year

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The 21st edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival, organised by the State I& CA Dept,  has grown in its stature by leap and bounds in the past three years and this year promises to be more exciting. It will be starry affair right from Day I, with the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Sharmila Tagore, Moushumi Chatterjee and Vidya Balan, among others, gracing the inaugural ceremony on November 14.

The biggest incentive for cine buffs, for example, is the screening of Carlos Saura’s `Zonda, folclore argentino’. In a coup of sorts, this is the first film festival in India that will get to screen the Spanish master’s latest movie.

Some months back, West Bengal Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had sent a delegation to the Cannes Film Festival to facilitate the selection of good movies for KIFF. The efforts seem to have paid off. The organizers have successfully managed to get quite a few award-winning films from this year’s Cannes, Berlin and Venice film festivals, including Jafar Panahi’s Iranian drama titled `Taxi’, which won the Golden Bear and the FIPRESCI Prize at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival. Then there is Tsai Ming-liang’s `Afternoon’ that was screened at this year’s Venice International Film Festival as well as Alexander Sokurov’s 2015 French drama titled `Francofonia’ (screened at the main competition section of the 72nd Venice International Film Festival).

Nanni Moretti’s `Mia Madre’, Takeshi Miike’s `Yakuza Apocalypse: The Great War of the Underworld’ and Hou Hsiao-hsien’s `The Assassin’ are a part of the KIFF screening list. Andreas Dresen’s `As We Were Dreaming’, which was in the main competition of Berlin International Film Festival, has also been selected.Festival-favourite Kim Ki Duk’s Stop’ and Mani Ratnam’s `OK Kanmani’ that was premiered at the Busan Film Festival’s Window to Asian Cinema category have made it to KIFF as well.

Mr Bachchan’s inaugural speech at last year’s KIFF was one of the most-talked-about subjects related to the film festival. This year too, the expectations are no less from the actor. The presence of stalwarts apart, KIFF’s inaugural ceremony will have a unique audio-visual presentation. The show is being conceived by Bickram Ghosh. Participating in this programme will be stalwart musicians like vocalist Ustad Rashid Khan, sarod player Pt Tejendra Narayan Mazumdar, saxophone player George Brooks and percussionist Taufiq Quereshi. Percussionist Ratul Shankar is composing the theme music for the KIFF.

Bengal – National model for Command Area Development programme

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The huge success of the State Irrigation Department during the last four years under the Trinamool Congress led government has been lauded by the Centre.

The Central authorities had to admit that the works done by the State Irrigation department under the Command Area Development (CAD) programme are beautiful masterpieces. The Union Minister said the volume of work done in the last three years was more than that done in the last 30 years.

The Central authorities said that the success story of the State Irrigation department under the CAD programme will be put up as a model for other States and they will be asked to follow it.

The Central authorities were also pleased to see the works done under the Ghatal Master Plan.

On the areas where riverbank erosion was growing, the Union Minister promised that it would help the State in reducing riverbank erosion from Farakka to Mohana.

“Last time we had taken the Central authorities to areas in Farakka where erosion was taking place. Today we showed them those places, which are eating up land every day. The Central authorities were quite concerned and have promised all help to check riverbank erosion,” State Irrigation minister Rajib Banerjee.

Mr Banerjee took the visiting Union Minister on a boat ride on the Hooghly River for an inspection of areas where heavy erosion was reported.

WB CM Mamata Banerjee on 4-day visit to north Bengal

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West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee’s visit to North Bengal is scheduled with a slew of programmes in the next three days. The West Bengal Chief Minister, who is stationed at Jayanti will be visiting different locations from the place.

The Chief Minister is scheduled to would be attending a meeting at Jaigaon, on Indo-Bhutan border on November 3. The West Bengal Chief Minister said it will be attended by a big delegation from Bhutan including their ministers. Besides there will be a slew of meetings at Coochbehar, Dooars, Terai, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Mal where public projects will be discussed, she said.

Stressing that she believed in regularly monitoring projects in north Bengal, the Chief Minister said, “I do hold meetings in every three-four months in different places of North Bengal. My programmes will start from today itself after we reach Bagdogra airport near Siliguri.”

WB CM launches ‘Sabuj Sathi’ scheme for Coochbehar

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West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee today launched ‘Sabuj Sathi’ scheme for the Cooch Behar district. The Chief Minister also addressed a public meeting at Mathabhanga at 1:15 PM.

The Chief Minister today inaugurated a bouquet of projects for the district including a new electrical substation, a district jute park, drinking water supply projects, road projects, new government buildings and AC bus service.

The Chief Minister laid foundation stones for a number of projects including upgradation of hospitals, irrigation projects among many others.

Besides the distribution of the cycles for the ‘Sabuj Sathi’ scheme, the Chief Minister today distributed benefits like Shikshyashree, different credit cards, cheques for loans, equipment for fishermen and a host of other schemes.

The Chief Minister met the officials of the districts and reviewed the progress of developmental works in the three districts of Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar during her visit.

No political gain can be achieved by disturbances: WB CM

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Condemning incidents of encroaching on freedom of individuals, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said no political gain can be achieved by creating instability and such elements don’t want development of the country.

“What a person should eat or what he should wear, what he should sing … are all matters of his freedom, independent choice. Everyone in this country has the equal right to profess things of his choice,” the Trinamool Congress Chairperson told reporters at the city airport in Kolkata.

Replying to queries on alleged incidents of creating disturbance and encroaching on individual freedom, Banerjee said she condemned them. The concept of ‘Bharat’ remained within unity in diversity and that was the country’s core strength, she said.

Asserting that West Bengal always stood for unity and amity among all sections of people, the CM said, “If anyone is trying to foment trouble (in the country) that is not the right thing.”

She added, “Had there been the issue of development before them (such elements) they won’t have resorted to such tactics.”