Month: September 2019

Honouring the legacy of Swami Vivekananda

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The great follower of the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is, she has named various schemes and places after this great son of Bangla. She has also ensured the renovation of buildings that have a historic connection to the great sage.

Here is a list of works of the Bangla Government done to preserve the legacy of Swami Vivekananda:

* Making Swami Vivekananda’s famous Chicago address part of the syllabus for schools under the Madhyamik Board

* Giving autonomy and special status to educational institutions run by Ramakrishna Sarada Mission

* Allotting 5 acres and allocating Rs 10 crore for the Centre for Human Excellence and Social Sciences being built by the Ramakrishna Mission in New Town, as a replica of the Art Institute of Chicago, where Vivekananda delivered his famous speeches in 1893; it has been named ‘Vivek Tirtha’ by Mamata Banerjee

* Acquiring and handing over of the premises adjoining Vivekananda’s ancestral house to Ramakrishna Mission

* Renovating ‘Mayer Bari’ in Baghbazar, Kolkata, where Maa Sarada, the wife of Sri Ramakrishna lived, at a cost of Rs 30 crore

* Acquiring Sister Nivedita’s house in Baghbazar and handing it over to Ramakrishna Sarada Mission, and giving it heritage status

* Allocating Rs 2 crore for the renovation of Roy Villa in Darjeeling, associated with Sister Nivedita, and handing it over to Ramakrishna Mission

* Building a skywalk connecting Dakshineswar railway station to the famous temple there; it was named Dakshineswar Rani Rashmoni Skywalk by Mamata Banerjee

* Renaming Yuba Bharati Krirangan after Swami Vivekananda, as Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan

* Naming the self-employment scheme run by the Self-Help and Self-Employment Department as Swami Vivekananda Swanirbhar Karmasansthan Prakalpa

* Naming the scholarship for students from economically disadvantaged families as Swami Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means Scholarship

* Organising Vivek Chetana Utsav from January 10 to 12 every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda across the State (January 12 is celebrated as National Youth Day, being the birthday of Swami Vivekananda)

* State Assembly passing Bills for the setting up of two private universities – Sister Nivedita University (Bill passed in 2017) and Swami Vivekananda University (Bill passed in 2019)

State Govt introduces luxury houseboat for corporate events

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The State Tourism Department has introduced a luxury houseboat for hosting corporate events while floating on the Hooghly. Apart from business meetings, the houseboat is also ideal for hosting birthday parties or similar social functions that do not involve a very large gathering of people.

The houseboat has a capacity for 30 people, and has facilities like a conference hall and a dining space for providing corporates a unique experience. West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Limited (WBTDCL) will be managing the whole operation.

A senior official of WBTDCL said that the Government is giving special emphasis on river cruising in an effort to boost the waterway sector.

The official added that the booking tariff is Rs 5,000 per hour with the minimum chartering duration being three hours. In the beginning, there will be a discount of 15 per cent except on weekends and national holidays.

The reporting place for availing the houseboat is the Babughat jetty while the place for booking the same is the booking office located at the Tourism Centre in BBD Bagh. WBTDCL will soon introduce online booking facility.

Besides the houseboat for corporates, WBTDCL also operates a vessel for conventional cruises called Sumangal. It can also be booked at and boarded from the same spots. Sumangal can carry 80 people, and the cost per person and minimum chartering duration are the same as that of the houseboat. Sumangal has an additional facility in the form of a kitchen, the charge for which is Rs 1,000.

The official said that WBTDCL will soon go for a massive publicity campaign about the houseboat as well as their conventional cruise, Sumangal.

Slums in Kolkata to be developed as model slums

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The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to gradually improve the infrastructure of all the slums within its jurisdiction to transform them into model slums.

Till now, only selected slums were being developed as model slums. But now it has been decided to encompass all the slums in Kolkata under the scheme.

The first slum developed as a model slum was Hatgachia-1 in Ward 58, the work for which started in 2015. The work for redeveloping several more slums has started.

Since the areas and geography of slums are not uniform, the development would take place according to the conditions available.

In the current phase, 20 slums in the northern part of the city have been selected – 15 in Ward 3 (Belgachhia) and five in Ward 32 (Maniktala). Rs 1 crore has been allotted for each slum.

Among the aspects to be given stress are toilets, sewerage system (drains), drinking water, roads and pavements (using paver blocks) and lighting system (using LED lights). Gardens would be created to beautify the slums.

Bangla Govt celebrates anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s historic Chicago speech

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Today, September 11, marks the 126th anniversary of the famous address by Swami Vivekananda at the World Parliament of Religions, held at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1893. This address set the tone for the worldwide fame of Swami Vivekananda and the spreading of Vedanta philosophy across the world.

The Bangla Government is organising programmes to mark this historic day, in association with the Ramakrishna Mission. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee would be leading the celebrations.

Various programmes including seminars in public halls and schools would be held to uphold the ideals of Swami Vivekananda, which are relevant for all times.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE HISTORIC SPEECH DELIVERED ON SEPTEMBER 11, 1893, AS WELL AS THE FIVE OTHER SPEECHES DELIVERED AT THE PARLIAMENT OVER THE COURSE OF 16 DAYS

50 lakh people achieve basic literacy in 10 years

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A press statement released on the occasion of International Literacy Day on September 8 stated that the Mass Education Extension and Library Services Department’s efforts have enabled 49,50,661 people in Bangla to achieve basic literacy.

The literacy programme had begun on October 1, 2009 with a target to make 50 lakh people literate. The programme ended on March 31, 2019.

Literacy programmes in Bangla are conducted by the Mass Education Extension and Library Services Department. While releasing the press statement, the Minister in charge said that the Mass Education Department runs different types of institutions. For example, one of the institutions teaches specially-abled children, for whom education is imparted from Classes 4 to 12.

Sources:Millennium Post

 

WBTDCL to organise river cruises on the occasion of Durga Puja

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As in previous years, the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Ltd will be organising river cruises along the Hooghly as part of its ‘Pujo Parikrama’ this year on the occasion of Durga Puja.

There will be two categories of cruises – leisure cruise and a cruise for viewing immersions (bishorjon) of idols at Babughat. All the cruises will commence from the New Babughat Jetty. The leisure cruise will be accompanied by cultural programmes on board.

Bookings for the cruises have already started. All bookings have to be done online.

There is also a 24-hour toll-free helpline: 1800 2121 655

 

Morning Cruise: On October 5, 6 and 7, from 10am to 1pm, at Rs 1,500 per head per trip (including lunch and tax)

Click here to book

Evening Cruise: On October 5, 6, 7 and 8, from 6pm to 9pm, at Rs 1,700 per head per trip (including dinner and tax)

Click here to book

Immersion Trips: On October 9 and 10, at Rs 800 per head per trip (including snacks and tax)

Slot I: From 6pm to 7.30pm

Click here to book

Slot II: From 8pm to 9.30pm

Click here to book

 

Green City Mission: Smart LED street lamps being installed in municipalities

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The State Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department has started installing power-saving LED streetlights in municipalities across the State as part of the Government’s Green City Mission. The Department has tied up with a reputed private company to instal the streetlights.

As a first step, the Minister in charge recently announced that around one lakh LED streetlights will be installed in the areas under Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation. He said that this was another milestone towards achieving an energy-efficient State.

Approximately 60,000 LED lights are being installed in Bankura, Beldanga, Budge Budge, Khardah and Durgapur.

The lights will reduce carbon emissions by 8,500 metric tonnes and will save 12.2 million units of electricity annually. Citizens will also get better service as the maintenance will be through centralised control and monitoring system (CCMS) technology, which will be provided by the private vendor.

Source: Millennium Post

 

Buddhist stupas being restored as part of promoting heritage tourism

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The State Tourism Department has started restoring several Buddhist stupas spread across north Bengal, informed the Tourism Minister recently in the Assembly.

This is part of the Tourism Department’s efforts to promote heritage tourism. Along with the restoration activities, the Government will launch several initiatives to augment heritage tourism.

He said that five stupas have been identified as of now, in Malda, Murshidabad and a few other districts, among which the work on the stupa in Jagjivanpur in Malda is almost complete.

Several stupas were constructed in Bangla in ancient times, starting with the Gupta dynasty, then by Harshavardhana, and followed by the Pala kings.

Another aspect of tourism that is being given stress on is bringing back horse-drawn carts (tanga) in Malda district. These can also be used to transport tourists, especially to and from monuments. At one time, tangas were available all across the district but their numbers have dwindled. Popularising them would lead to employment generation as well.

 

 

Source: Ei Samay

Image source: taleof2backpackers.com

Sundarini Naturals’ organic sweets to become widely available through franchises

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For the last few months, the State Government’s brand, Sundarini Naturals, has been selling organic sweets in Kolkata. The sweets have started earning a name for themselves for their taste and quality.

Being organic, that is, free from chemicals, the cost of manufacturing and consequently, the prices of the sweets are a little more but they are definitely worth the while.

To make these sweets widely available, the Government has decided to adopt the franchise model. Advertisements have been placed in newspapers, asking interested parties to become franchisees.

The franchisee model would also open up an avenue for people to set up their own businesses, selling first-rate products. Initially, permission for five more stores in Kolkata would be given – at Haltu, Diamond Park, Muchipara, Lake Market and Santoshpur.

The brand is owned by Sundarban Cooperative Milk and Livestock Producers’ Limited (SCMLPL), which is an initiative of State Animal Resources Development Department.

A speciality of the cooperative society is that it is run by women, and all of them are poor villagers from the Sundarbans region. The setting up of the brand, a brainchild of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has enabled them to become self-sufficient. Packaged milk, ghee, honey, rice, sona moong dal, eggs, paneer and several other products are sold under the brand name.

It is worthwhile to mention that on June 1, 2018, on the occasion of World Milk Day, Sundarini Naturals was awarded by the National Dairy Development Board for its superior quality of dairy products.

Source: Ei Samay

 

Centre not funding Bangla’s flood control, irrigation projects despite assurances

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Despite repeated assurances, the Centre is not funding or has stopped funding several projects in Bangla related to flood control and irrigation, said the Irrigation Minister in the Assembly recently.

He said the State Government had given its approval for the Ghatal Master Plan way back in 2015. It was supposed to be funded to the tune of 75 per cent by the Central Government; in fact, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had written to the Centre in 2017, reminding it of its obligation. However, till date, the Centre has failed to provide the funds, with the result that the State Government has had to start the project on its own.

Not just that, the Centre has reduced its funding for several other projects from 75 per cent of the cost to just 50 per cent. The projects include the repairing of river bunds in the Sundarbans damaged by Cyclone Aila, building of canals in the Keleghai-Kalpeswari river basin, Kandi Master Plan, and a few others.

He also said that despite assurance, the Centre has not done anything regarding the project of preventing riverbank erosion along the Ganga and Bhagirathi.

The Minister gave the following data on State funding of flood and irrigation projects:

Ghatal Master Plan
State has spent Rs 73.03 crore till date, another Rs 116 crore after the rainy season

Kandi Master Plan
Instead of Rs 437.94 crore, Centre has given only Rs 57.45 crore
As a result, State Government has had to provide an additional Rs 166 crore, its total spend being Rs 209 crore
In FY 2016-17, Rs 150.40 crore asked for, only Rs 12.61 crore given
In FY 2017-18, Rs 150.61 crore asked for, only Rs 56 crore given

Repairing of Cyclone Aila-damaged embankments in the Sundarbans
In FY 2018-19, Rs 120 crore asked for, only Rs 23.65 crore given
In May, Rs 130 crore asked for, Rs 117.12 crore given

Keleghai-Kalpeswari River Basin Project
No funds provided in FY 2015-16 and 2016-17
In FY 2017-18, Rs 55.47 crore asked for, only Rs 8.08 crore given

Preventing riverbank erosion along Ganga and Bhagirathi
Work on 100.22km to be done, at a cost of Rs 793.93 crore
Of this, State spent Rs 156 crore in Nadia and Murshidabad districts
The rest was to be spent by the Centre, being part of national waterways.
State spent its part, but the Centre did not

Source: Bartaman