November 23, 2020
The birth anniversary of Birsa Munda would be a state holiday henceforth: Mamata Banerjee
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of several projects, cumulatively costing Rs 353 crore. She also handed over government benefits to 21 people.
Highlights of the chief minister’s speech:
Our new project is called Door-to-Door Governance, for which special camps would be set up in every block to ensure people have no problems in accessing government benefits. Whatever is possible from the government’s side, we would give, and whatever cannot be given now would be added to the list of dues, to be fulfilled later. This new project would run from 11 am to 3 pm on December 1.
For Adivasi students, scholarships would be increased to 100 per cent of their fees.
For those who live in mud houses with thatched or tiled roofs, the state government would make permanent (‘pucca’) houses.
The Central government every now and then starts news schemes and then stops funding them midway, creating many unemployed in the process. However, we have never started a scheme and then abandoned it.
The upper limit for applying to various state government jobs has been increased. Unemployment in Bengal has reduced by 40 per cent, at a time when it is the highest ever in the country.
State government employees in several states are not getting salaries, and in others, they have been reduced by 30 per cent. The MPLAD fund has been stopped by the Centre, DAs have been frozen. A day’s salary is deducted every month for many employees. Only in Bengal have there been no salary deductions.
I went to a tribal village today and listened to what the people had to say. I am not like Central ministers who go to a Dalit’s house and have basmati rice, and get the house painted and sanitised before arrival. They get food from star hotels and then eat it at a poor person’s house, showing as if they are eating what the person eats. People cannot be bluffed like this anymore. It was shown that vegetables were being cut but what was on the plate later was different.
The Centre takes tax money from the state but does not give back any portion of it, not even that which is due as per law. Why are the salaries under the 100 Days’ Work Scheme sent three months late?
In Bankura, 32,000 migrant workers have been given work by the state . Murshidabad is the topper in this respect.
I have come more than nine times to Bankura in the past nine years. Mukutmanipur has been beautified. A development board has been set up, and many infrastructural projects like a stadium, blood bank, electric sub-station, community hall and roads have been successfully completed.
Today too I inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of a bunch of projects.
If anyone in the district dies due to an elephant attack, the family would get Rs 4 lakh as compensation and one family member would a job in the Home Guards.
The Rs 4 lakh compensation would also be given to the families of those kidnapped during Maoist attacks.
Many former Maoists have adopted the road to reform and are now working for the government. In the Jangalmahal region, 10,000 men and women have got jobs as junior constables, 5,,000 of whom have now been promoted as senior constables.
The salaries of civic volunteers and ASHA workers have been increased.
The pension for purohits would be increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per month in the near future.
We are creating an archive of the famous dokra, terracotta and other traditional arts and crafts of Bankura.
Another project taken up is the mapping of temples, mosques, churches and jahar thans (sacred groves of the Adivasi people) of the district.
The state government has started a scheme called Matir Srishti, under which fallow land is made cultivable. Already work on 8 acres in this district is being carried out. In the future too, thousands of employment opportunities in this regard would come up.
ICUs, CCUs, HDUs, subdivisional hospitals, polytechnic colleges and model schools have been built.
Many families have received pattas (land deeds); 30 industrial clusters and Karmatirtha industrial parks have been set up.
Lakhs of jobs would be created once the industrial corridor becomes operational.
Earlier, only 15 per cent people in Bankura district used to get piped drinking water. Our government has spent Rs 4,000 crore to increase that to 75 per cent. By the end of 2022, the rest 25 per cent too would have access to drinking water. Many drinking water projects have been taken up, which would enable 5.11 lakh people daily to access piped drinking water.
Road repairs are taking place in around 16,000 villages. The government has taken the decision to stop the plying of lorries on village roads.
Among the other developmental projects completed in the district are more than 30 canals, a university, three colleges and six ITIs; a separate heath district has been created; clubs have been given money for cultural activities. Ninety-nine per cent of the eligible people have been given Kisan Credit Cards.
Till next June, you would get ration free of cost. We would increase the duration later. Our government would be back to power.
Today, the Bauri Cultural Board was announced, with a funding of Rs 5 crore. In the next few days, development boards for Matuas and Bagdis too would be set up. We have already created development boards for communities in the Terai-Dooars region and for Namashudras.
We have created Kanyashree-1 scholarship scheme for schoolgirls, Kanyashree-2 for college students and Kanyashree-3 for university students, through which schemes 70 lakh girls have benefitted.
Scheduled caste-category students are getting Sikshashree Scholarship (72 lakh benefitted), minority-category students are getting Aikyashree Scholarship (two crore benefitted) and general category students are covered by the Swami Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means Scholarship Scheme.
Under the Swasthya Sathi Scheme, about 7.5 crore people are included, each getting medical coverage worth Rs 5 lakh in both government and private hospitals. If you have the Swasthya Sathi Card, you would be able to get treated even in Vellore.
Under the Sabujshree Scheme, people are given saplings.
For conducting the last rites, the government gives Rs 2,000 per person.
School students are given textbooks, exercise books, school bags, shoes and bicycles free of cost. As a result of the bicycles, the school dropout rate has reduced significantly.
Under the Krishak Bandhu Scheme, farmers are given Rs 5,000 per year, and under the same scheme, on the death of a farmer, his or her family is given a one-time compensation of Rs 2 lakh.
As a result of the implementation of the Bangla Shasya Bima Scheme, farmers do not have to give a penny for insuring their crops against unforeseen damages.
We give Rs 1,000 monthly compensation to two lakh artists under the Lokpraasar Prakalpa.
No other state government ensures so many benefits for the people.
Prices of many goods have increased. The Central government has brought about laws which have made it difficult for farmers to sell potatoes and onions, benefitting black marketeers. The party running the Central government is looting from the people. Do not give a single vote to them. After a two to three months, the prices of potato and onion would rise further. They are greedy, they want more and more, with the result that people are having to do with less and less.
Many political parties would come to you before the election. Put money in your bank accounts. But remember that that money is actually your money. So it is your right to have it. Non one is doing any favour by giving it to you. So take the money but do not vote for them.
The BJP is now constantly filing cases, cases on festivals, on Durga Puja, on Chhath Puja and other festivals. They are only into “mamla and hamla” (court cases and attacking people). Let them go to hell.
Don’t we allow Durga Puja, Jagaddhatri Puja and Kali Puja? Of course we do. Despite that, people will try to set riots before the election.
The Home Minister came and garlanded the statue of a random person. You all pointed out the mistake. But it should not have occurred in the first place. The people of Bengal will not take this lying down. You break a bust of Vidyasagar, you come and garland the statue of a hunter and call him Birsa Munda—these kinds of things would not be tolerated.
From next year, the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda would be a state holiday. We will build a statue of him as well.
They are not willing to let the state government conduct the process of vaccination against COVID-19. The state government is quite capable of giving injections to people. Let them just tell us how much to buy from which company.
Three hundred trains full of migrant workers returned to Bengal. We paid their fare. The Centre, on the other hand, took the prices of tickets from them.
In a state where your (BJP) government is in power, even taking Rs 2 lakh crore illegally is not considered a scam, whereas here even misplacement of Rs 2 is considered a scam?
I do not tolerate any injustice—I take action against complaints because I want people to live happily. As long as I am alive, I would like to think good of people. Before I die, I would set up a team which would ensure that the people of Bengal remain happy.
Our government is announcing a new scheme called ‘Karmoi Dharmo’ (work is worship). It has been decided that people would be given a motorbike each, at the back of which would be attached box. You can sell anything from that box—vegetables, clothes or anything else. Two lakh would be given motorbikes, which would ensure sustenance for around 10 lakh people (comprising families). I believe that no work is insignificant.
Under the Krishak Bandhu Scheme, the payment for kharif crops would be made in advance within January, instead of within May.
Before the election, a state of violence might be created; you need to be alert and careful. They might take away the rights of farmers, Dalits and Adivasis. If they come to power here, they would implement the NRC. So be careful.
