Dr Manas Bhuniya speaks on Ghatal Master Plan

Dr Manas Bhuniya speaks on Ghatal Master Plan

Posted on July 24, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Thank you Chairman Sir. I take the opportunity, with the permission of the Chair, to draw the kind attention of the Minister of Water Resources for one issue which have been perpetually neglected by the department: in our State in the district of Paschim and Purba Medinipur for a Ghatal Master Plan. It is causing the unthinkable misery and perpetual catastrophic dangerous type of flood every year for the more than 10 lakh people in our districts.

For the last four years, since 2014-15, the State Government submitted the DPR, the proposal and it got the techno-economic viability certificate from the department. But, due to unknown reasons, the sufferings of the people of Ghatal, Daspur I, Daspur II, Debra, Paskura I, Kolaghat, Moyna, Tamluk blocks of Paschim and Purba Medinipur, including Ghatal Municipality, are not getting the remedial measure because this master project did not get financial and technical approval.

It is my humble submission to you, Sir, kindly give direction from your Chair to the Minister of Water Resources. I raised another issue of Kaliaghai, Kopaleshwori, Baghai Basin Project few days back in this August House. Both the projects are not getting clearance even after the repeated requests by the hon Chief Minister Madam Mamata Banerjee, even to the PM, who drew the attention for sanctioning this project under FMP (Flood Management Programme).

So, kindly give direction to the hon Minister of Water Resources to give clearance to ease the sufferings of the people of West Bengal.

Bengal Govt to go for double certification of seeds

Posted on July 24, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The State Agriculture Department will soon introduce double certification of seeds before they are distributed among farmers. The step will ensure that each and every seed germinates, providing a better yield for farmers.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had recently given an instruction to ensure that farmers do not face any problem in terms of seeds. The decision on double certification of seeds is a follow-up on that.

Double certification entails certification of the seeds before they are packed and again, on random basis, after the packing, said a departmental official. The Agriculture Department is also taking necessary steps to set up more seed laboratories across the State.

Source: Millennium Post

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Trinamool calls for ousting BJP from power at Centre

Posted on July 21, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

From the stage of the July 21 mega-rally in Kolkata (Ekushe July Shahid Dibas), leader after senior leader of Trinamool Congress gave calls to take strong measures to unseat the BJP from power.

Given below are the gists of what the senior leaders spoke.

Abhishek Banerjee

I salute and welcome those who have come here today. I am here today to take directions from our Chairperson, Mamata Banerjee. People have come to Dharmatala from various places far and wide. We congregate here every year. July 21 is not a mere date; neither is it just a date for deciding on action. July 21 is an emotion, a sign of pride, the identity of Trinamool. Those who are not aware of July 21 have no right to work for Trinamool.

Last year during the July 21 rally, we had taken a pledge to win the zilla parishad seats during the panchayat elections, and we had kept our promise by winning the 20 zilla parishads.

Today we have to take another pledge – to decimate the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. If so needed we are ready to give our lives but we’ll never tolerate insult. Trinamool cannot be scared using the CBI and ED. If people are hurt, we’ll never keep quite.

The Prime Minister had come to Bengal sometime back. He supposed addressed a Krishi Kalyan rally but even with a microscope one wouldn’t have been able to discern a single farmer at the meeting.

A pandal broke down at their rally of a mere ten to twelve thousand people. They can’t even take proper care of such a small rally, how will they take care of Bengal? A pandal broke down in 2018, in 2019, their Government will break into pieces.

Partha Chatterjee

There are no parallels to the way Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has stood up against every form of injustice – from snatching away people’s precious savings to rising prices. Today we will hear from her the future course of Trinamool Congress.

Sudip Bandyopadhyay

The country’s politics is going through a torrid phase. If there is any Chief Minister at present capable of ruling keeping communal harmony and unity in place, that person is Mamata Banerjee. This has been endorsed by other Chief Minister of the country.

Subrata Bakshi

This rally is being watched not only by people in Bengal but all across the country. It would send the message everywhere that there is no other party in India so organised as Trinamool Congress.

Suvendu Adhikari

Like every year this year too we are paying our respects to the martyrs and their families. All around is a sea of heads. Whatever direction Mamata Banerjee will give, we will follow. During the elections many media outlets and Opposition parties had said a lot of negative things about Trinamool Congress, but the soil of Bengal is the secure base of Trinamool Congress. Trinamool cannot be stopped by threats. Congress is now with CPI(M) and another party is just interested in killing and destroying. The members of these parties are the worst kind of people. We are vowing to defeat them 42-0 at the next Lok Sabha elections. Remove BJP and save the country.

Subrata Mukherjee

We had removed corruption from Bengal, now another party has come to corrupt the State. We will defend Bengal with our last drop of blood. Today the country is directionless. The Prime Minister has not delivered on any of his promises. The poor are spending sleepless nights. After the setting of the sun of CPI(M), it is the turn of the BJP now. A new sun will rise over the country.

Chandrima Bhatrtacharya

Our leader Mamata Banerjee has shown how to give respect to women. We are simply her soldiers. The belief of the people on Mamata Banerjee has increased manifold, so we could win many more seats in 2016 than in 2011. A party which has so many women as leaders cannot be defeated. Today is a day for making a new pledge – we will become a stronger party in the future, this is our pledge.

Looking back at Ekushe July

Posted on July 21, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The July 21 Martyrs Day rally (Ekushe July Shahid Dibas) is organised by All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) in remembrance of the 13 political activists shot dead by police in Kolkata during a protest march led by Mamata Banerjee on that day in 1993.

The current Chief Minister, who was a firebrand Opposition leader back then, had organised Writers’ Chalo Abhijan (March to Writers’ Building), demanding that the voters’ identity card be made the only valid document to verify voters in order to stop the rampant ‘scientific rigging’ perpetrated by the Left Front Government. Writers’ Building was then the State Secretariat.

Bloody history

The party workers gathered at five different points across Kolkata on that fateful day. They began marching towards their destination along Brabourne Road, when they were stopped by a large contingent of police officials near the office of the Tea Board, barely a few minutes away from Writers’ Building. The police force started beating up the crowd mercilessly in order to drive them away from the vicinity of the State Secretariat.

The youth activists, who were peacefully marching, refused to stop and walked ahead. Many rounds of teargas shells were fired but the supporters kept moving forward. The police went berserk and did not even spare Mamata Banerjee while beating the youth activists black and blue. People started running across Curzon Park. Then phe police opened fire, killing 13 supporters and leaving hundreds severely injured.

Since then, an annual rally has been held on this day every year, dedicated to the memory of these 13 martyrs.

The list of the persons who died on July 21, 1993:

Srikanta Sharma
Bandhan Das
Dilip Das
Asim Das
Keshab Bairagi
Biswanath Roy
Kalyan Banerjee
Pradip Roy
Ratan Mondal
Murari Chakraborty
Ranajit Das
Abdul Khalek
Inu

Manas Bhuniya makes Zero Hour mention on the Kaliaghai-Kapaleshwari-Baghai Basin Drainage Scheme

Posted on July 19, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Thank you, Chairman Sir, for allowing me to speak during the Zero Hour. This is a very important issue for our state, Bengal, particularly for the southern part of the State. The Government of India had accorded techno-economic clearance to the Kaliaghai-Kapaleshwari-Baghai Basin Drainage Scheme on January 28, 2010, which was to be built at a cost of Rs 650 crore. Then the Planning Commission accorded sanction to the project on March 9, 2010. Till date, it was the accepted rule for such a project for the Central Government to provide 75 per cent of the sanctioned project and the State Government to provide 25 per cent. Of the Rs 650 crore, till date, only Rs 325 crore has been provided, which is surprising. The amount though has been utilised fully.

Therefore, I am drawing the attention of the Hon’ble Finance Minister and the Hon’ble Water Resources Minister, through you, to the fact that this flood control and flood management project is not getting the financial support of the Union Government. How is it possible that a project which was sanctioned in the 11th Plan Period, and continued as a spillover project, is not getting the financial support of the Central Government for the last two-and-a-half years? The reasons are unknown. As a result, the project is half complete and the people are suffering, and the objective of the flood management programme is being frustrated.

So I want to know, through you, Sir – and I demand a statement from the Water Resources Minister and the Finance Minister – what are the reasons for depriving Bengal by not providing the fund for the Kaliaghai-Kapaleshwari-Baghai Basin Drainage Scheme, which should be given to the tune of 75 per cent of the total fund? I request you to give direction to the Hon’ble Finance Minister and Water Resources Minister on this issue.

Dinesh Trivedi requests Lok Sabha Speaker to change the date of discussion on No Confidence Motion

Posted on July 18, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Madam Speaker,

As you might be aware, we have a annual rally coming up on July 21. The Martyrs Day rally, which commemorates the day of martyrdom of our 13 workers.

Now because of that all our MPs – all 34 of them – will be in Bengal.

Madam, I would request you to shift the date of discussion on No Confidence Motion from Friday (20 July) to Monday (23 July). Otherwise our entire team is out. And in democracy it is not a good idea to have such a huge party, with the third highest number of MPs, to remain absent.

So, it is my sincere and humble appeal. I am sure our friends in the Congress & other parties will agree. Unfortunately, the Business Advisory Committee is not there. So, kindly consider my appeal.

11 air-monitoring stations for Kolkata and surroundings

Posted on July 17, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The State Environment Department has decided to have a total of 11 automatic air quality-monitoring stations by December for Kolkata and its surroundings.

Three are already running at Victoria Memorial and in Ghusuri and Padmapukur in Howrah district.

The new ones in Kolkata will come up at Maddox Square, Deshbandhu Park, Basanti Devi College, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Sciences, IIM in Joka, Beadon Square, Administrative Training Centre in Salt Lake, police camp opposite Rabindra Bharati University and Police Training School, Barrackpore.

In the districts, such stations will be set up at Chinsurah, Bisva Bharati University, IIT Kharagpur.

Kolkata already has 17 air-monitoring stations but the automatic ones will be much more accurate.

Source: The Times of India

Now kochur loti from Bengal to capture European markets

Posted on July 17, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

Soon, another vegetable is going to be added to Bengal’s export list – yam stem, or kochur loti in Bengali.

A popular vegetable among Bengalis, kochur loti has managed to create a certain market in Europe. Taking advantage of that, the State Government has decided to facilitate large-scale export of the vegetable.

The Government is encouraging growers to grow more yams. It is also planning to construct more modern packhouses so that the exportable items can be properly stored, as the standards for exports are very high.

Already yams (the roots, which are also popular as foods) are being exported to USA in record quantities. Efforts are now also being made by the Government to get permission for the export of yam stems to that country.

With the help of some major initiatives, the Trinamool Congress Government has made Bengal a major source for the export of fruits, vegetables and fish across the world – Europe, USA, the Gulf countries, south-east Asia, Japan, etc.

The exports of fruits and vegetables together have increased by 57 per cent. Taking only vegetables, exports have increased by 67 per cent.

Source: Sangbad Pratidin

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Bengal Govt connects Purulia to Kolkata via helicopter flights

Posted on July 17, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, during her recent district visit to Purulia, announced the starting of helicopter services to the district. This is a big step in the promotion of industry in Purulia.

The service would be under the aegis of the State Transport Department. A successful pilot flight was conducted on July 3 from Kolkata to the Charra Airfield, 8 km from Purulia town.

The airfield had long been abandoned. It was used during World War II by the US Air Force. Now, under the initiative of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee the Charra Airfield would again be actively used.

Source: Aajkaal

20 more CNG buses for south Bengal

Posted on July 17, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The State Environment Department has decided to introduce 20 more CNG buses in the districts of south Bengal. It will be fully funding the project.

CNG or compressed natural gas is a non-polluting fuel and hence does not adversely impact the environment.

The Transport Department has a plan to operate CNG buses all over the state, a plan which will be implemented in phases.

Besides being environment-friendly, CNG buses have another major advantage: though the cost of a bus is more – around Rs 1 crore – the cost of maintenance is considerably less than conventional buses. The cost of fuel is also much cheaper too.

The Government had earlier introduced CNG buses in Asansol and Durgapur, wherea total of 30 such buses ply. Wherever they have been introduced, CNG services have become very popular as well.

With respect to promoting environment-friendly means of travel, the Transport Department has also been giving a lot of support for the promotion of electric and biogas-run vehicles. Electric buses are run in New Town, the model smart city of the State Government. Eighty more electric buses will be introduced in various places by August. Buses using compressed biogas (CBG), produced from cow dung, as fuel run on certain routes in Kolkata.

Source: Millennium Post