Month: January 2019

Coffee is being cultivated in Darjeeling district on a large scale with help from the State Self-Help Group & Self-Employment (SHG&SE) Department. This was mentioned by the SHG&SE Minister on the sidelines of the 3rd India Retail Summit organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

Officials of the department said some 220-odd farmers in Mirik have already successfully cultivated coffee on a total area of 2.5 bighas. Officials of both the SHG Department and the Coffee Board have visited the area and appreciated the quality of the coffee grown.

The SHG Department has now decided to further promote the cultivation of coffee in the district. It will buy 5kg of better quality seeds from the Coffee Board and cultivate it from January.

The department, in coordination with the district administration, is also conducting a door-to-door campaign to encourage coffee cultivation in and around the area.

Source: Millennium Post

The State Fisheries Department is planning to introduce specialised rescue boats for fishermen fishing at sea, especially those venturing far out (beyond 12 nautical miles)

These rescue boats for coastal fishermen would have two important life-support systems – anti-drowning technology and live tracking system.

The anti-drowning technology would prevent the boats from going under while the live tracking system will enable authorities to provide quicker and more organised help in case of emergencies like storms, accidents or other incidents.

Storage space would also be created at various ports for these new boats. In order to establish the new set-up, certain new rules would be introduced.

The boats will be introduced by the Fisheries Department. The licenses, though, would be issued by the Forest Department.

Feedback regarding demand and requirement would be taken from various fishermen’s organisations and from the department before introducing these state-of-the-art boats.

Source: The Statesman

The seven Samabayika stores in Kolkata, where grocery, food and stationery items of daily use are available at cheaper rates, are being revamped to make them at par with departmental stores of leading private companies.

The stores are run by the Calcutta Wholesale Consumers Cooperative Society (CWCCS), which is under the State Cooperation Department.

Most of the goods in the stores are available at cheaper rates and they are situated at prime locations across the city. Hence revamping them would bring a lot of benefit to the people as well as the government (with respect to sales).

The stores are situated at Hazra, Deshapriya Park (on Rashbehari Avenue), Ekdalia (near Ballygunge railway station), New Market, Chandni Chowk, Uttarayan Market (at Ultadanga) and Hatibagan (near Star Theatre).

Of these the ones at Hazra and opposite Deshapriya Park have already been revamped.

Source: Millennium Post

The State Government is keen to let the effects of research reach the people at the grassroots to enable them to lead better lives. It can be achieved by first creating a close network among the best research organisations of Bangla.

A meeting towards this end was recently hosted by the State Science and Technology Minister, where 83 representatives from 39 top institutes were present.

The institutes were quite eager in helping the government in this venture. They presented various proposals which would be closely studied by the government and implemented as much as possible. Pilot projects would launched at various planes.

Source: Aajkaal

The Bangla Government’s efforts to popularise muslin through the Project Muslin is bearing fruit. Weavers are earning good amounts and the craft, once famed in Europe too, has also been successfully revived.

Twenty-one general production centres have been opened in nine districts. Additionally 63 muslin 63 clusters have been set up in 14 districts – Bankura, Birbhum, Howrah, Malda, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Jhargram, Purulia, Kalimpong, Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur.

As a result of these, both the number of muslin producers and the earnings have increased. Under the 63 clusters, 39,583 craftsmen are working successfully.

The West Bengal Khadi and Village Industries Board (under the State Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises and Textiles Department), under which the muslin clusters and production centres operate, has opened three stores inside three big malls in Kolkata – South City, Quest and Star.

A Club Muslin outlet has been opened at the State Government-owned Dakshinapan Shopping Complex in Dhakuria in Kolkata. These outlets at major shopping centres are also helping in achieving higher sales.

Source: Sangbad Pratidin

It is now 21 years since All India Trinamool Congress was formed. From a small regional party in 1998, when it was formed under the leadership of the firebrand leader, Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool Congress is now a force to reckon with in national politics.

Over these 21 years, there have been numerous memorable moments, and it would not be a feasible idea to list all of them here. However, let us take a look at 22 crucial events along the timeline of 21 years, events which have proved to all and sundry that Trinamool Congress always strives to serve the common people, come hell or high weather.

1. Formation of the party

Trinamool Congress was founded on January 1, 1998, and Mamata Banerjee was chosen as the leader of the party. In that year too, the party fought the general elections for the first time and significantly, won eight seats in the Lok Sabha from Bengal.

2. Railways Minister

After the 1999 general election, Mamata Banerjee became the Union Railways Minister, which she remained till 2001.

3. Winning the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC)

In 2000, Trinamool Congress fought in the election for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation for the first time, and won overwhelmingly. For the first time, the Kolkata Mayor was a Trinamool candidate.

4. First Assembly elections

In 2001, Trinamool Congress fought the State Assembly election for the first time, and won in 60 seats.

5. Keshpur and Garbeta massacres

On January 4, 2001, Trinamool workers were massacred in Chhoto Angariya by the workers of CPI(M).

6. Jago Bangla

In 2004, the official mouthpiece of All India Trinamool Congress, Jago Bangla was first published. It is a weekly publication.

7. Singur Movement

In 2006, the then State Government forcibly acquired 1,000 acres of prime farmland from farmers in Singur for a car factory. Trinamool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, started a huge movement to compel the government to return the plots to the unwilling farmers.

8. 26-day hunger strike

Trinamool Congress Chairperson Mamata Banerjee undertook a hunger strike, which lasted for 26 days, against the forcible acquisition of 1,000 acres of farmland in Singur for a car factory by Tata Motors.

9. Nandigram Movement

In a re-run of Singur, in 2007 in Nandigram, the then State Government, tried to forcibly acquire agricultural land. A movement built up, again led by Trinamool Congress. On March 14 of that year, police fired indiscriminately on protesters, killing 14 people.

10. Panchayat election win

In the 2008 Panchayat election, Trinamool Congress put up a great show, forming the Zilla Parishad in East Midnapore and South 24 Parganas districts.

11. Lok Sabha win

In the 2009 general elections, Trinamool Congress won 19 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats from Bengal.

12. Second KMC win

In 2010, Trinamool Congress won the Kolkata Municipal Corporation for a second time, winning handsomely.

13. Assembly election win

In 2011, Trinamool Congress won a historic Assembly election, bringing to an end 34 years of Left Front rule. It formed the first Ma-Mati-Manush Government in Bengal under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee.

14. Decimation of Left in Panchayat polls

In 2013, Trinamool Congress won 13 out of 17 Zila Parishads in the State, decimating the Left Front completely.

15. Winning majority of the seats in Lok Sabha from Bengal

Achieving another milestone, in 2014, Trinamool Congress won 34 of the 42 seats in the Lok Sabha election, which is currently the fourth highest in the Lok Sabha.

16. 33% female MPs in Lok Sabha

In the 2014 election for the Lok Sabha, Trinamool Congress hit another milestone – 12 women became Members of Parliament (MP).

17. Victory in Municipal polls

In 2015, Trinamool Congress retained the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, as well as winning 77 other civic body elections. Trinamool Congress has thus proved its name – ‘trinamool’ means ‘grassroots’ – as it now has holds power in the majority of elected bodies in Bengal at all levels, and has brought about a golden reign of governance.

18. Second Assembly win

In 2016, Trinamool Congress won the Assembly election for a second consecutive time, this time more overwhelmingly than ever. The party, under the strident leadership of Mamata Banerjee, won 211 of the 294 seats, decimating the opposition with the power of the people. Mamata Banerjee became the Chief Minister for a second consecutive term.

19. Singur land returned

After the historic judgment by Supreme Court on August 31, 2006, the land acquisition at Singur was termed unconstitutional. Fulfilling her promise, Mamata Banerjee returned the land deeds to farmers in Singur in September.

20. National party

In recognition of the growing influence that Trinamool Congress is having in national politics, in 2016, the Election Commission recognised the party as a national party. Trinamool Congress thus became the seventh national party.

21. Sweeping victory in panchayat elections

Despite best dirty tactics of the opposition, Trinamool Congress achieves overwhelming victory in the 2018 panchayat elections.

Mamata Banerjee had carried out numerous movements in the interest of the people over a period of time, but simultaneously she was realising that to take her movement ahead, she needed a separate platform to raise her voice against the barbaric rule of the CPI(M). Being with the Congress party was becoming a hindrance.

It was this idea and need which gave birth to the Trinamool Congress on January 1, 1998. In 1997, when the Congress convention was going on at Netaji Indoor Stadium, Mamata Banerjee organised an outdoor convention. She believed in working for grassroots people. She wanted to work for common people. That is why she and her compatriots chose the name Trinamool.

The time she chose was the end of the 11th Lok Sabha and the beginning of the 12th Lok Sabha. As a politician of much experience and stature, she understood that it was the right time to launch the party and feel the pulse of the electorate, as people were in admiration of her having seen her work.

Trinamool Congress was established on January 1, 1998. “A silent revolution is taking place in West Bengal. The people are on the verge of writing history… A new epoch will start”, said Chairperson Mamata Banerjee.

On the day of the inception of Trinamool Congress, Mamata Banerjee sketched the logo of the party which signifies ‘grass root’ (two saplings on the grass). She thought if the Election Commission approves the logo then she will achieve two goals: one, the launch of her party and two, of simultaneously taking the philosophy of the party and explaining to the people her deep thought behind the logo, which was the message of secularism, “Ek e brinte duti kusum, Hindu Musalman, ekjon tar noyonmoni onno ti tar pran” (two buds on the tree, Hindu and Muslim. If one of them is the eye, then the other is life).

The Election Commission did approve the logo but had also issued a stricture which read if the Trinamool Congress failed to get six-percentage of votes in the 12th Lok Sabha elections, then the pre-symbol will be cancelled. Trinamool Congress well passed the cut-off percentage and the party was born.

 

Trinamool Congress is observing the party’s Foundation Day today across every block, subdivision and panchayat level. The party flag was hoisted at Trinamool Bhavan by Subrata Bakshi, All India General Secretary of the party.

From blood donation camps to blanket distribution and cultural events, different programmes are being held across the State to observe the Foundation Day.

Trinamool Chairperson Mamata Banerjee tweeted on the occasion of Foundation Day:

“Today All India Trinamool Congress turns 21. The journey which began on January 1, 1998 has been full of struggles, but we have been steadfast in our resolve to fight for the people. We are thankful to Maa-Mati-Manush for their constant support. And the workers who work hard 365 days a year for the people. A big salute to you”.