Month: January 2019

The situation in Jangalmahal now is a far cry from what it was during the Left Front rule. As a result of the policies of the Trinamool Congress Government, there is peace. One of the primary ways in which Jangalmahal has renewed itself is through the promotion of tourism.

Hundreds of tourists now visit the popular sites as well as the unexplored locales in Paschim Medinipur and Jhargram districts.

Promoting the Jangalmahal tourism circuit, which includes areas of Jhargram, Paschim Medinipur, Bankura and Purulia, the State Government is not only putting up infrastructural facilities like cable cars, heritage hotels and lodges, but also inviting private investments to be a part of the endeavour.

The West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDC) has started overnight packages where tourists are taken around unexplored areas of Jhargram district like Belpahari, Banspahari, Kankrajhor, Laljal and others.

The WBTDC is also promoting trekking and other adventure tourism in Kankrajhor.

The Forest Department has taken an initiative to set up one hundred homestays in Jhargram. The forest-dominated district of Jhargram has a lot of potential in tourism and homestays are a major enabler towards fulfilling that potential.

In Paschim Medinipur, the government has given focus on three places – Karambera Fort in Gaganeshwar village in Keshiary block, Karnagarh in Salboni block and Gongoni in Garhbeta block.

Karambera Fort shows signs of the architecture of ancient Odisha as well as of the Mughal period. Karnagarh is well-known for the remnants of a huge stone fort. Karna from the Mahabharata once supposedly ruled this place, and hence the name.

Gongoni is famous for its natural river canyon – a fascinating wide gorge of red soil on the banks of the River Silabati. The canyon is locally known as Gongoni Danga or Gongoni Khola.

The State Government has decided to recruit more than 8,000 people in the Health Department – specialist doctors, medical officers, nurses, laboratory technicians, physiotherapists, ayurvedic medical officers, ayurvedic drug inspectors, a deputy superintendent for a hospital, etc.

This would be the first time that the Bangla Government would be recruiting male nurses. A total of a little more than 5,700 nurses and 1,247 specialist doctors would be recruited. Of the latter, 210 would be anaesthetists, 165 general surgeons, 156 specialists in general medicine, 103 radiologists, 97 orthopaedic surgeons, 88 ENT specialists, etc.

Other recruitments include 370 laboratory technologists, 150 physiotherapists, 91 ayurvedic medical officers, two ayurvedic drug inspectors and one deputy superintendent.

Source: Bartaman

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is coming up with three major projects to augment filtered water supply to all parts of the city.

The first project, building of a 20 million gallon water treatment plant in Palta, is almost over. The plant will become operational in April this year. it will supply purified water to Beliaghata, Manicktala, Kankurgachi, Narkeldanga, Tangra and a few other areas.

The second project is expected to be operational from December. It consists of a water treatment plant in Garden Reach. The project will benefit Garden Reach, Behala, Kalighat, Chetla, Tollygunge, Jadavpur and a few others.

The third project is about augmenting the capacity of the Jai Hind Water Treatment Plant in Dhapa. The work will start in June and will be completed sometime next year. it will benefit the southern fringes of the city – Mukundapur, Anandapur, Kalikapur, Patuli, Kasba and a few other areas.

Source: The Times of India

A massive water treatment project is being implemented in Bongaon in North 24 Parganas. The State Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department is funding the project to the tune of Rs 300 crore. The project is a joint venture of the department and Bongaon Municipality.

One of the main objectives of the project is to supply arsenic-free water to the people living in the municipal area. People at various places in Bongaon have to depend on groundwater, as a result of which they are often exposed to arsenic.

A water treatment plant is being constructed on a 10-bigha land in Bongaon’s Kalitala area, which will purify the water extracted from the river near Kalyani. An underground pipeline will be laid along the Chakdah-Bongaon road covering a distance of 51km.

The purified water would be stored in the five water reservoirs and supplied to the people in the various wards. The construction of the five water reservoirs has also started.

Source: Millennium Post

The Bangla Government is starting a school information management system, in the form of a web portal, called Shikshasathi.

The government is currently training the head teachers of schools in different districts in managing the system.

By accessing the portal, any person can get information related to school curriculum, students, teachers and other staff.

The head teacher of a school will have the right to grant access to areas of the portal to teachers, staff, students, even guardians, according to need.

The monthly attendance and examination results of every student will be uploaded on to the portal.

From the portal, students will also be able to download their identity cards, progress cards and transfer certificates.

The eighth edition of the Kolkata International Children’s Film Festival organised by Sishu Kishore Akademi (SKA) will be held from January 20 to 27 at eight venues in Kolkata.

The festival will screen around 200 films from 35 countries. The inaugural film will be ‘Walking with the Wind’ directed by Praveen Morchhale that has won three national awards. Films from countries like Brazil, Estonia, Ireland, Italy, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Portugal, Norway and Romania have been newly added in the Festival.

There will be seven films from Iran. Apart from Nandan I, II and III, Rabindra Sadan, Sisir Mancha, Ahindra Mancha, Rabindra Tirtha, Rabindra Okakura Bhavan and Star Theatre will be the venues for the festival.

The films that will be screened has been divided into several categories like Sci Fi, blockbuster, seven classics, retrospective, literature and cinema and world cinema to name a few. The festival will also pay tribute to noted filmmaker Mrinal Sen who died recently.

There will be an exhibition on Sci Fi at Gaganendra Pradarshanshala and another exhibition at Rabindra Okakura Bhavan on Evolution of Camera. The special publication for this year are ‘Goopi Gyne Bagha Byne 50’ edited by Sandip Ray and ‘Icche Danar Ora Uri’ — a compilation of personal anecdotes of film personalities which will be launched during the inaugural programme.

The closing film will be Jim, Button & Luke — The Engine Driver of Germany directed by Dennis Gansel.

The State Labour Department is undertaking a massive awareness campaign to bring more workers from the unorganised sector under the ambit of Samajik Suraksha Yojana (Social Security Scheme).

At the Sramik Melas (Labour Fairs) being organised in all the districts of Bangla all through January, there will be camps for enrolment. The department will also conduct door-to-door campaigns.

According to the Labour Minister, more than 1 crore people have been brought under the SSY. The Trinamool Congress Government, in seven years (from 2011 to 2018) has allocated Rs 113 crore for the scheme. Compared to this, the Left Front Government, in the eleven years from 2000 to 2011, spent a meagre Rs 9 crore on similar schemes for unorganised sector workers.

It may be mentioned that the Trinamool Congress Government had merged five schemes into one in April 2017 and named the scheme as Samajik Suraksha Yojana. The convergence of the schemes has benefited people from different unorganised sectors and self-employed youths.

Under the scheme, unorganised workers are getting financial assistance of Rs 20,000 per annum for any ailment. The amount extends up to Rs 60,000 per annum in case of hospitalisation. There is also entitlement for provident fund after a worker attains the age of 60.

The State Government is keen to start courses in four new branches of medicine at its medical colleges – family medicine, emergency medicine, geriatric medicine and sports medicine.

The vice-chancellor of the West Bengal University of Health Sciences, which administers all the government medical colleges of Bangla, recently said the four branches would be taught as postgraduate courses.

Geriatric medicine would be taught at SSKM Medical College and Hospital. RG Kar and CMCH might also teach the course. Sports medicine too would be taught at SSKM. Family medicine and emergency medicine would be taught at all the five medical colleges in Kolkata.

In the current year, that is, 2019, the courses at SSKM and CMCH are sure to start. The rest of the medical colleges will soon follow.

Source: Ei Samay