Bengal Govt to create madur hub in Kharagpur

Bengal Govt to create madur hub in Kharagpur

Posted on June 28, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The Bengal Government has decided to create a hub for the madur (traditional mat of Bengal) in Kharagpur in the district of Purba Medinipur. It will be located at Vidyasagar Industrial Park. Rs 6 crore has been set aside for it.

Kharagpur subdivision is specially known for madur. In fact, more than half of the madurs sold in the country come from Sabang block in the subdivision, where every other family is engaged in this craft.

Sabang is the heart of the madur-making industry. Two Karmatirthas have also been set up in Ruinan and Jhikuria in the block where madur-weavers from across the block would be brought to create a permanent market.

Source: News18 Bengali

Industrial production in Bengal has increased by 250%

Posted on June 28, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The rate of industrial production in Bengal has increased by 250 per cent over the last seven years, which is the period of the Trinamool Congress Government.

This fact came to the fore through a recent report, ‘Progress of the State’ (‘Rajyer Agragati’) published by the State Government. While it was 2.2 per cent in the 2011-12 fiscal, it has steadily increased to stand at 7.9 per cent in the 2017-18 fiscal.

Among other data presented in the report is the increase in yearly exports by value, from 711 crore US dollars to 825 crore US dollars, which is an increase of 16 per cent. A roadmap has already been prepared for doubling exports within the next three years.

A lot of stress is being given on promoting export-oriented activities, especially by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME). Suitable infrastructure is being built up.

According to the report, for exports, stress is being given on steel, gold, high-value metals, readymade garments and vegetables.

For the development of industrial infrastructure in Bengal, investment made in 2017 was Rs 989 crore, which was only Rs 243 crore in 2011. The State Government had made investments worth Rs 3,602.53 crore over the last seven years.

Investments for development of industrial infrastructure have also come about through the highly successful Bengal Global Business Summits. From 2015 to 2018, over the course of four summits, investment proposals worth Rs 9,48,568.77 crore have come about.

Electronics manufacturing in Bengal to see a lot of change soon

Posted on June 28, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

Electronics manufacturing in Bengal is going to see a lot of changes soon. According to the State Information Technology and Electronics (IT&E) Minister, the Government is putting a lot of stress on this sector as there is a huge employment potential, with the emergence of automated vehicle, robotics and Internet of Things (IoT) across the globe.

The State is fully prepared to take a lead in this sector in the country. The Government is coming up with two electronics manufacturing clusters (EMC) in Kalyani and Falta. They will be ready within a year.

A 107-acre hardware park is already complete in Sonarpur. It has plug-and-play infrastructure with uninterrupted power supply, round-the-clock potable filtered water and top-class drainage and water supply systems.

Also, there are 12 existing IT parks across the State and the third floor in each of these parks is earmarked for electronics.

The IT Minister gave the above information while speaking at a knowledge-sharing workshop on ‘Embedded Technology’ at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre on June 15.

Source: Millennium Post

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Primary Agri Cooperative Societies to be upgraded by Bengal Govt

Posted on June 28, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The around 2,600 Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS), which are the main deposit mobilising institutions in rural areas, are being upgraded by the State Government by computerising them and connecting them to core banking solution of cooperative banks.

This is meant to further extend banking service to the rural populace in the State, to places which lack proper banks. Thus a PACS would become a customer service point for banking facilities.

The work to upgrade 1,133 PACS to banks has already been initiated. The target for completing the upgrading of all the PACS has been set as the end of financial year 2019-20. Upgrading all PACS would ensure that people in every part of the State can avail banking facilities.

The State Level Monitoring Committee for Cooperative Sector, a high-powered committee set up last January to look into the matter of extending banking facilities to more rural areas, has suggested the above as well as a series of other measures to improve the cooperative sector, which have been accepted by the Bengal Government.

It has recommended that district and state cooperative banks open bank branches in the gram panchayats with no banking facilities. Steps have already been taken to install micro-ATMs in all the PACSs.

The panel has proposed the establishment of 2,000 farm machinery hubs through the best-performing PACS. This has also been accepted by the Government. During 2018-19, 1,000 such hubs will be established; the remaining will be taken up during the 2019-20 fiscal.

Citing the current practice of giving interest subsidy to farmers for short-term crop loans from cooperatives, the committee has suggested that the same facility should be provided for long-term loans as well.

The State Government has also decided to give ad hoc grant to all employees of cooperatives and the amount of the grant is to be raised from Rs 1,000 per to Rs 2,000 per month.

The cooperative employees will also be brought under the Swasthya Sathi scheme of the State Government.

The State Government has also taken necessary steps so that the audit of all cooperative bodies is carried out and corrective measures, if needed, are taken immediately.

Source: Millennium Post

Bengal Fisheries Dev Corp sets examples for other States

Posted on June 27, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The Bengal Government’s State Fisheries Development Corporation (SFDC) has created a big impression at the recently-held two-day seminar-cum-fish festival organised by National Fisheries Development Board in Visakhapatnam.

The programme featured technical sessions, an exhibition, a fish festival and a cultural show.

According to the managing director of SFDC, the invitation itself was proof that the fish heritage of Bengal has attracted the attention of the whole country.

The managing director said that delegates were very impressed with the pond-based saline water fish culture that the SFDC has innovated. The fish cultivations are taking place in ponds on Henry’s Island.

At the exhibition, raw as well as cooked fish from the State were exhibited, and they proved very popular among the delegates. SFDC had taken chefs with them who rustled up the famous traditional fish dishes of Bengal.

This was a big step in making the well-known fishes and fish dishes as well as fish technologies of the State famous at a national level.

Over the years, under the patronage of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the fisheries sector in Bengal has taken long strides to become one of the best in the country, at par or even better than the traditionally strong States in the south.

SFDC has also been invited to a meet on July 10 on the occasion of National Fish Farmers’ Day where officials from fish development bodies of various States, scientists, entrepreneurs and about 500 fish farmers from across the country would be present.

Source: The Statesman, Aajkaal

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Bengal Govt planning scientific bus route mapping for Kolkata

Posted on June 27, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

After developing the transport infrastructure in Bengal in a massive way with the introduction of new buses and new routes, the Transport Department has decided to bring in another measure to further improve things.

It has appointed the PSU, RITES for conducting a route optimisation study for Kolkata. Through this, it will be determined how many buses need to run on each of the routes and at what times to serve the maximum number of passengers.

The study is currently undergoing. It would cover the recently introduced night bus services as well.

The Pathadisha app has already brought in a lot of change. People can now know the exact locations of many buses and hence determine how long to wait. The night bus service is another well-thought out idea.

With the results of this study, which is being conducted, a scientific route structure can be mapped out, something followed in many advanced countries.

Source: Ei Samay

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KMC adopts new policy of tree plantation

Posted on June 27, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has adopted a new policy on tree plantation. As part of the policy, trees which do not get uprooted easily during storms would be planted across Kolkata, which include fruit-bearing trees, flower-bearing trees as well as woody trees.

Trees having this specific quality are already present in many places. With the help of this new policy, though, many more such trees would be planted.

According to the new policy, the civic body’s Parks Department will plant arjun, chhatim, bakul, jarul and mahogany, which need comparatively less space too, as well as fruit-bearing trees like mango, jamun, guava, litchi and jamrul, which also help counter pollution.

As part of new tree plantation policy too, in order to conserve Kolkata’s green cover, KMC will be distributing saplings to the citizens for free. The saplings will be sourced from the many nurseries that KMC runs. Any citizen who has enough land in and around the house can approach their concerned borough office and collect saplings.

Source: The Times of India

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Fairground of international-standard coming up at Milan Mela complex

Posted on June 27, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

Last year, the Bengal Government had decided to construct a new permanent fairground at Milan Mela. Now the architect has been decided, and what would come up is a trade fair ground of international standards. The new Milan Mela will come up in two years.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress Government’s concerted efforts over the last few years are gradually turning Kolkata into a favoured destination for many international trade fairs, conferences and tournaments.

The redesigned fairground will have two massive exhibition halls that will together offer 200,000 sq ft space. They will be separated by an area equipped with an auditorium, will be a global cuisine hub.

Covering the walls of the exhibition halls will be an exo-skin architectural membrane on which will be displayed audio-visual content, including films, 3D projections and illumination graphics. This will be a first in the country.

The exhibition halls will be designed in such a way that the crowd would get evenly distributed, without giving a choking feeling. The design has been prepared keeping in mind that at any given point, the maximum gathering could go up to 2.5 lakh.

A road cutting across the fairground will drop off visitors inside and then end at a multi-level parking space.

The centrepiece of the project, however, will be the Biswa Bangla tower. It will be an illuminated smart clock tower capped with a dome. There will be a trade museum underneath it that will tell the history of Bengal’s trade.

Source: The Times of India

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Bengal Govt setting up cluster for fireworks manufacturing industry

Posted on June 26, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

With a view to developing the manufacturing of fireworks as a major industry and control illegal manufacturing, the Bengal Government has decided set up fireworks manufacturing clusters across the State.

There are many villages where manufacturing firecrackers is the source of livelihood for many. The new policy would put a proper structure in place.

Manufacturing of fireworks is a recognised small-scale industry in the State, but it needs more organisation. Hence the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise and Textiles Department is coming up with the policy of setting up manufacturing clusters.

The Government has roped in Fireworks Research and Development Centre (FRDC) to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) to set up a cluster of fireworks factories on 50 acres at Baruipur in South 24 Parganas.

Based on the DPR, manufacturing clusters will be set up in the districts of Hooghly, Howrah, Murshidabad and Purba Bardhaman.

The policy would ensure a single-window opportunity for acquiring license and environment certificate by interested manufacturers.

It would ensure that the families involved in the manufacturing of firecrackers get to work in a better, safe and hazard-free environment. The clusters will have facilities for testing of materials to ensure quality control. The processes for manufacturing would be standardised.

There will be separate entry and exit points at each of the units in a cluster and those will have proper working conditions like adequate light, air, safety measures, etc. Moreover, warehouses for storing highly inflammable materials will be properly planned.

Source: Sangbad Pratidin

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Bengal Govt to provide year-round training to farmers

Posted on June 26, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The State Agriculture Department has initiated steps to ensure round-the-year training programmes for farmers at Mati Tirtha, located in the district of Purba Bardhaman.

The requirement for year-round training was felt to ensure that farmers keep getting regular updates on agricultural activities, including on the latest techniques, and are able to implement the same.

A team of senior officials from the Agriculture Department had visited Mati Tirtha on June 13 and prepared a detailed report on the sort of infrastructure required for round-the-year training of farmers.

Mati Tirtha is the permanent venue of Mati Utsav that takes place in January every year where, among other activities, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee felicitates successful farmers from different parts of the State.

Source: Millennium Post