Biswa Bangla Sharad Samman 2019 registrations now open

Biswa Bangla Sharad Samman 2019 registrations now open

Posted on September 18, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

Like every year, the state government will award the best Puja committees across the state for their performance in several segments this year. Puja committees outside Bengal – in India and abroad – will also be honoured.

On Tuesday, Minister of State (MoS) for the Information and Cultural Affairs and Tourism department announced that Puja committees can register for the competition till September 26. He stated that the number of Puja committees winning awards may increase in 2019. He also informed that this year, the Durga Puja Carnival will take place at Red Road on October 11, while the winners will be announced soon after the Puja.

The entry form for Biswa Bangla Sharad Samman will be available from the Kolkata Information Centre. Puja committees across the city can apply online as well. Puja committees in the districts will have to collect the application form from the office of the District Information and Cultural officer and Sub-Divisional Information and Cultural officer. Bengalis across the country and abroad will also participate in the competition like previous years and their applications will be received online.

Water meters to prevent wastage

Posted on September 18, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

To prevent wastage of water, Kolkata Municipal Corporation has decided to instal water meters inside homes and on pipes. The project has been started on a pilot basis.

Six wards in Borough I have been selected for the pilot. About 7,500 water meters have been installed. For each home, there is a meter inside the home and another on the main pipe which is supplying the home.

Through the meters, officials would have a clear idea of how much water is being used by each household and accordingly find out ways to reduce the usage. The meters would also help officials know if there is a crack through which water is spilling out.

According to KMC officials, the ideal usage of piped water per person per day should be 150 litres (l) but 450 to 550 l is being used. So obviously there is a need for conservation of water.

‘Patha Bandhu’ app to enable prompt accident alerts

Posted on September 17, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The Safe Drive, Save Life project has managed to curb accidents to quite an extent all over Bangla, after being introduced in Kolkata in 2016.

When accidents do happen though, especially on highways, it is often difficult to get help for the victims immediately. It is for such situations that the State Government is bringing out an app called Patha Bandhu. According to an official at Nabanna, the app would be released before Durga Pujo.

The app has been designed to strengthen the eyes and ears (first information sources) of the public in public areas. Users, including victims, can alert hospitals and the police about an accident that has taken place.

The app is the brainchild of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. She had announced the app on July 1, on the occasion of Doctors’ Day.

As an example of its use, the Chief Minister, while announcing the app, had said that owners of paan and tea shops along highways and other roads can be provided with the app as they are often the first witnesses to accidents as well as the first to offer help. The use of the app is faster than the response that one can get by dialling 100.

Source: The Times of India

State Govt cuts red tape for Wipro

Posted on September 16, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The Trinamool Congress Government has decided to allow Wipro freehold land rights on a 50-acre plot in New Town, enabling the IT major to use 49 per cent of the land for non-IT purposes without seeking clearances from various departments. The plot has been leased for 99 years.

Unlike many other States, the Bangla Government is not in favour of special economic zones (SEZ). But the decision to allow freehold land rights would give Wipro a lot of freedom.

The Government has already given freehold rights on land to Infosys. And now with this decision in favour of Wipro, it is expected that investors will be very bullish on Bangla.

According to a Finance Department official, once the land becomes freehold, Wipro will be able to develop facilities of its choice without running to several departments. The Government believes that minimum governance is the best governance, the official said.

‘Vertical city’ for start-ups at Fintech Hub

Posted on September 16, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

West Bengal Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO) is coming up with a ‘vertical city’ in the Fintech Hub at New Town. The tall iconic tower will have space reserved for fintech start-ups.

According to a senior HIDCO official, this will create a perfect ecosystem with the other financial institutions as they come up gradually at the Fintech Hub.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wants Bangla to play a leading role in the field in the future. Towards that end the Fintech Hub was inaugurated by her last year. So far, 25 financial institutions, both banking and non-banking, have taken up space in the Fintech Hub, including the State Bank Institute of Leadership, National Insurance Corporation, National Green Tribunal and Income Tax Appellate Tribunal.

According to a report by McKinsey Global Institute, Kolkata will be one of the three metros that will emerge as the epicentre of global financial activities by 2030, and so the State Government is leaving no stone unturned to project itself as one of the major players in the financial world.

Source: Millennium Post

Kolkata and its suburbs top warehousing hub now

Posted on September 16, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The zone comprising Kolkata and its suburbs is fast emerging as one of the major warehousing and logistics markets in India.

Deals worth Rs 500 to 700 crore are already in different stages of discussions or are being inked. Kolkata and the suburbs took up warehousing space to the tune of 3.5 million square feet in 2018.

GST, better connectivity to other eastern and north-eastern States, higher penetration of e-commerce and a better ‘hub and spoke’ model have been some of the reasons which have made companies look at the eastern region.

Hotspots

Some of the areas that are fast turning out to be hotspots include those along the National Highway 2 (Delhi Road) and National Highway 6 (Bombay Road). Some 500 acres of land across villages along the Delhi Road and Bombay Road are under negotiations.

Nearly, 80 to 90 per cent of the upcoming Grade A and Grade B warehousing stock are along the NH6 and NH2 and areas adjoining them.

Locational advantage

The areas along Delhi Road, Old Delhi Road and Bombay Road, covering the districts of Howrah and Hooghly, are 30 to 40km from the metropolis, Kolkata.

Apart from proximity to a city, these places are well-connected to the north Indian states on one side and the eastern and north-eastern ones on the other.

Depending on the success of the existing projects, more would be looked into in districts like Bardhaman, other places in Hooghly and so on.

Companies investing heavily

Though land prices have jumped up because of the Locational advantages, warehousing companies and warehousing investment funds are buying up space. They are also spending additionally for construction. These prove the tremendous potential of this region.

The major customers who have come in include FMCG players, and e-commerce companies such as Flipkart and Amazon. This apart, a host of warehousing companies, like Mahindra Logistics and others, are also taking up space or across upcoming logistics parks.

Research reports point to a bright future in the warehousing sector

According to a report by a leading property research consultancy, the sudden surge in demand for warehousing space in Kolkata over 2017 led to a massive 191 per cent year on-year growth in total leasing, making it the highest across the top eight cities in India.

Another report by a leading real estate consultant has stated in a 2018 report that in between 2018 and 2020 there will be Rs 4,300 crore of investments in warehousing and logistics in Bangla.

Major warehousing clusters, and their locations

Dankuni and suburbs: Durgapur Expressway and Old Delhi Road (NH-19 [Old NH-2])
National Highway-16 (Old NH-6): Chamrail, Dhulagarh, Sankrail, Uluberia
Taratala-Maheshtala: Hide Road, Taratala Road, Garden Reach Road
Madhyamgram-Barasat: Madhyamgram, Barasat, Agarpara, Ganganagar

Source: The Hindu BusinessLine

Six houseboats during the Pujas

Posted on September 15, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The government is introducing houseboats across Bangla to attract more tourists. Six would be introduced during the Pujas. Two more would be introduced later.

The new services would be started in Kolkata, Chandannagar, Gajoldoba and Mukutmanipur. Later, houseboat service would be introduced on several other rivers in the districts.

Of the six, two houseboats would be used by the Forest Department. Two are meant for hosting small functions, with each having a capacity for 70 people. The rest two are meant for all tourists, with one to be kept in Gajoldoba and another in Mukutmanipur. In the next phase, a houseboat would be introduced at the Maithon Dam.

Source: Ei Samay

State Govt to organise Durga Puja tours

Posted on September 15, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDCL) will be organising tours on the occasion of Durga Puja, as part of its programme, ‘Sarodutsav Tour’.

There are 13 categories of tours, covering tarpan on Mahalaya, the pandals and rajbaris of Kolkata, Durga Pujas in other places of Bangla, immersion trips and a special three-day ‘Bijoya Tour’ to Bishnupur.

Given below are the details of the tour programmes. Click here to visit the booking pages.

MAHALAYA WITH TARPAN – SHARODUTSAV VESSEL TOUR
Sep 28 (Mahalaya) – 8am to 3pm – Rs 1,600 per person per trip

UDBODHONI (Pandals of Kolkata)
Oct 2, 3, 4 – 10pm to 6am – Rs 1,850 per person per trip – 5 buses are available

UTTARA (Pandals of north and central Kolkata)
Oct 5, 6, 7 (Saptami, Ashtami, Nabami) – 9am to 3.30pm – Rs 1,700 per person per trip – 2 buses

DAKSHINI (Pandals of south Kolkata)
Oct 5, 6, 7 (Saptami, Ashtami, Nabami) – 9am to 3.30pm – Rs 1,700 per person per trip – 2 buses

SANATANI-I (Rajbaris of Kolkata)
Oct 5, 7 (Saptami, Nabami) – 8am to 12.30pm – Rs 1,500 per person per trip – 6 buses
Oct 6 (Ashtami) – 8am to 12.30pm – Rs 1,400 per person per trip – 3 buses
Oct 5 (Saptami) – 8am to 12.30pm – Rs 1,400 per person per trip – 4 buses

SANATANI-II (Rajbaris of Kolkata)
Oct 5, 7 (Saptami, Nabami) – 2.30pm to 6pm – Rs 1,150 per person per trip – 3 buses
Oct 6 (Ashtami) – 2.30pm to 6pm – Rs 1,050 per person per trip – 2 buses
Oct 5 (Saptami) – 8am to 12.30pm – Rs 1,150 per person per trip – 2 buses

RARBANGER PUJO-I (Borsul)
Oct 5, 6 (Saptami, Ashtami) – 7am to 7pm – Rs 2,400 per person per trip – 1 bus

RARBANGER PUJO-II (Guskara)
Oct 5, 7 (Saptami, Nabami) – 7am to 7pm – Rs 2,500 per person per trip – 1 bus

SURUL RAJBARI, BIRBHUM
Oct 6, 7 (Ashtami, Nabami) – 7am to 8pm – Rs 2,600 per person per trip – 1 bus

HOOGHLY SAFAR
Oct 5, 6, 7 (Saptami, Ashtami, Nabami) – 7am to 8.30pm – Rs 3,100 per person per trip – 1 bus

CRUISE AND CELEBRATE (Cruise along Hooghly, cultural programmes)
Morning (with lunch) – Oct 5, 6, 7 (Saptami, Ashtami, Nabami) – 10am to 1pm – Rs 1,500 per person per trip – 1 vessel
Evening (with dinner) – Oct 5, 6, 7, 8 (Saptami, Ashtami, Nabami, Dashami) – 6pm to 9pm – Rs 1,700 per person per trip – 1 vessel

IMMERSION TRIP (Cruise along various ghats)
Immersion Trip-I – Oct 9, 10 – 6pm to 7.30pm – Rs 800 per person per trip – 1 vessel
Immersion Trip-II – Oct 9, 10 – 8pm to 9.30pm – Rs 800 per person per trip – 1 vessel

BIJOYA – BISHNUPUR SHARODUTSAV BUS TOUR – AC ACCOMMODATION
Oct 8 to 10 (single trip) – Rs 5,000 per person

Bangla ahead in farming on many counts

Posted on September 14, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

Thanks to the untiring efforts of the Trinamool Congress Government, and the special initiative of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in many cases, Bangla has become one of the most successful States in the agriculture sector.

The last eight years has been a period of mostly untrammelled success for the 72 lakh farmers (including marginal farmers) of the State.

Let us look at the major successes of Bangla in agriculture during this period:

Annual farmer income trebled, from Rs 91,000 in 2011 to Rs 2.9 lakh in 2018
Tax and mutation fee on agricultural land completely waived
69 lakh farmers given Kisan Credit Cards
Bangla Fasal Bima Yojana has provided farmers with free crop insurance
Old-age pension raised to Rs 1,000, and number of beneficiaries increased to 1 lakh
Awarded Krishi Karman Award from the Centre five years in a row
Production of foodgrains increased to 179.9 lakh metric tonnes (MT) in financial year (FY) 2017-18, from 148.1 lakh MT in FY 2010-11
Total rice production increased to 158.9 lakh MT in 2017-18, from 133.9 lakh MT in 2010-11
Production of maize increased to 13.3 lakh MT in 2017-18, from 3.5 lakh MT in 2010-11
Production of pulses increased to 4.4 lakh MT in 2017-18, from 1.77 lakh MT in 2010-11
Production of oilseeds increased to 10.5 lakh MT in 2017-18, from 7 lakh MT in 2010-11
Krishak Bandhu: Farmers and marginal farmers owning one acre or more of agriculture land get yearly grant of Rs 5,000, and those holding less than one acre get grant on a proportionate basis, depending on the size of the land with minimum grant of Rs 2,000 per year, both types of grants in two instalments; also, the family will get one-time assistance of Rs 2 lakh on the event of the death of a farmer.
Agricultural input subsidy worth Rs 2372.56 crore distributed among 58.51 lakh farmers for crop damage due to natural calamities
Farm implements like tractors, power tillers and pump sets, as well as small implements distributed among 3.7 lakh farmers
ICT-enabled (information and communication technology) agri-extension project, ‘Matir Katha’, launched to address farm-related problems using hand-held tablet computers and a dedicated portal
53.46 lakh Soil Health Cards, with recommendations for application of various nutrients, issued

Singur Dibas: Celebrating the victory of farmers

Posted on September 14, 2019 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

September 14 is celebrated as Singur Dibas in Bangla. On this day in 2016, Mamata Banerjee had handed over land deeds (parcha) and compensation cheques to farmers in Singur.

The reason for the celebrations was the passing of the historic verdict by the Supreme Court on the preceding August 31, when it declared that the land acquired in Singur by the erstwhile Left Front Government was illegal and unconstitutional.

Around 9,117 land deeds were handed over in 2016. About 800 compensation cheques were handed over by the Chief Minister and her Cabinet colleagues to those farmers who had to unwillingly part with their land.

Check dams have been constructed and tube-wells set up for irrigation in Singur. Soil testing was done and fertilisers for making the land fertile and cultivable made available for the farmers.