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July 10, 2018

There is a surge of development across the State: Bengal CM at Cooch Behar

There is a surge of development across the State: Bengal CM at Cooch Behar

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today addressed a public meeting at Changrabandha in Cooch Behar district. This is the second day of her north Bengal visit.

The CM inaugurated several projects from the stage. These include: 33/11 KV sub-station, new police station buildings, fire station, MRI unit, Karma Tirtha, roads, Anganwadi centres, water supply projects among others.

She also distributed services like Kanyashree, Ruposhree, Sabuj Sathi, Samajik Mukti Cards, Gatidhara, term loans, agricultural patta, soil health cards etc.

Highlights of Chief Minister’s speech:

  • When I was the Railway Minister in 1999, I had launched railway projects in Changrabandha, Cooch Behar. They were later stopped. I restored them as Rail Minister in 2009.
  • The historic land boundary agreement regarding Chhitmahal has benefited many families – both in India and Bangladesh. For 60 years they were deprived of basic rights.
  • We have set up Changrabandha Development Authority for the welfare of citizens here. There can be no politics over development of the people.
  • Infrastructure should be developed for the lodging of tourists.
  • Work is going on for setting up ‘Joyee’ bridge in Haldibari. Panchanan Barma University has come up in Cooch Behar. The Cooch Behar town has been declared heritage town. We are renovating the Cooch Behar palace.
  • I have requested NHAI to renovate the road connecting Siliguri and Jalpaiguri.
  • A circuit bench of the Calcutta High Court will be inaugurated in Jalpaiguri on August 17.
  • We have already paid Rs 2.4 lakh crore for debt servicing. This debt was incurred by the Left Front Govt. Despite financial constraints we are working for the welfare of people.
  • We have extended Kanyashree scheme to university students. The stipend has been increased.
  • Girls are our assets. They are our pride. We have started ‘Ruposhree scheme’ for assisting parents in their daughter’s wedding.
  • We have distributed more than 70 lakh Sabuj Sathi cycles.
  • We give free books, uniforms, shoes to primary school students.
  • Khajna tax and mutation fees on agricultural land has been waived off.
  • We have given assistance to 30,000 farmers’ families who have been affected by floods.
  • We give maternity leave of 731 days in Bengal. When other States announce such leaves, it makes headlines. But Bengal is always neglected.
  • We give a free sapling to parents when a child is born. These saplings can be sold for lakhs of rupees when the child grows up.
  • We have schemes for every stage of life – from birth to death. We work for people belonging to all castes, communities, religions.
  • There is a surge of development across the State. We will continue to work for the people.
  • We will provide training to 2 lakh youths in jute sector. We are involving self-help groups, ASHA and ICDS workers in many schemes.
  • Healthcare is free in Bengal. We provide rice at Rs 2/kg. We have constructed 25 lakh houses for the poor people.
  • We have given recognition to Kamtapuri and Rajbongshi languages.
  • A human body cannot function without all organs. Similarly, a society is incomplete without Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Adivasis, Kurukhs, Kurmalis, Kamtapuris – all castes and communities.
  • The amount of work we have done for the poor and the downtrodden, the number of schemes we have launched for people, is unmatched in rest of India.