Tag: Chief Minister

Derek O’Brien asks a Supplementary Question regarding Institutes of Eminence

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Sir, yeh joh 114 universities jinhone apply kiya hai, including 11 Central universities, 27 institutes of national importance, 27 State universities, 10 private universities, kuch mein education ka background hain, they have a background in education, they have a track record. My question to the Minister is very direct. What is the track record of a university which does not have a Facebook account or even a Twitter account, on what basis, can you just make it very clear to the House, has Jio Institute got a letter selecting it as an Institute of Eminence? Let us make it very clear because it is a very unconvincing argument, even he (HRD Minister) knows it.

My question is; has it (Jio Institute) become a university of eminence? Yes or no, because media reports are telling me something about this being linked to electoral bonds, I don’t want to go there.

Dola Sen asks Supplementary Questions on action plan for eradication of poverty

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Will the Minister of Planning be pleased to state:

a) whether the Government has any data on transgenders, homosexuals and other severely ostracised members of society below poverty line? If so, the details thereof;

and,

b) whether the Government would consider a thorough revision of its plan to specifically describe how it plans to undertake the eradication of poverty among all Indian citizens including from the categories mentioned above?

 

Ratna De Nag asks a Question on ODF villages/districts

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Thank you very much, Madam. It is pertinent to point out here that out of 23 districts in Bengal, 14 have been declared Open Defecation-Free districts and out of 38,000 villages, 33,525 villages have been declared Open Defecation-Free villages with the active initiative of our Chief Minister.

Through you, Madam, I would ask the Hon’ble Minister, has the Ministry tried to find out, since the programme came into being, the impact of the programme on the health of the people? Have the toilets been made disabled-friendly? If yes, the details thereof.

Derek O’Brien makes a Point of Order on Special Mentions being rejected

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Sir, My Point of Order is regarding Rule 180 (B). Special Mentions. Everybody must get a chance, specially our colleagues in the last row.

My point is, the MPs are representing a State. When they give a Special Mention, they want to bring out something important, which may be related to the State and the Centre. But many of these Special Mentions are being rejected at the level of the under-secretary.

This concerns everyone in the House. Special Mentions are being rejected under Rule 180 (B) (2). This is a serious issue.

Dola Sen speaks on the plight of tea garden workers in Bengal

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West Bengal Government has fully exempt tea gardens from agricultural income tax for the years 2018-19 and 2019-2020. There are 2.72 lakh workers in Bengal’s tea gardens and 8 lakh dependants living in tea gardens. The Bengal Government is committed to ensuring the welfare of tea garden workers and has allocated more than 1000 crore since 2011 for this. The West Bengal Government gives 35 kg rice at Rs 2 per kg, provides electricity and water supply to tea gardens, and raised their wages.

In the midst of politically motivated trade unions strikes, tea garden owners have gone to court to declare their tea garden as ‘abandoned’. As a result, workers are suffering. The West Bengal Government is proactively taking action against organisations who are not paying Provident Fund and gratuity. The lease of abandoned tea gardens which had been shut down are being cancelled and auctioned.

On the other hand, the Centre has failed to fulfil its promise of taking over 7 tea gardens. The promise was made by a Union Minister during 2016 Assembly election campaign. Tea estates in other parts of the country such as Assam need urgent attention of the Union Government. Other states and Centre must take inspiration from the Bengal model to uplift the conditions of tea farmers. Many tea workers still work at low wages and poor working conditions. The Centre must work towards ensuring better working conditions for tea workers to promote the industry.

Looking back at Ekushe July

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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

 

11 air-monitoring stations for Kolkata and surroundings

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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

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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

Image source

Bengal performing very well on crucial forest health parameters

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The State Forest Department’s exemplary work has resulted in significant improvement of three crucial parameters – forest and tree cover, amount distributed to Forest Protection Committees (FPC) and revenue collection.

Forest and tree cover: 21.35% of the total area during financial year (FY) 2017-18, from 17.27% during FY 2010-11.

The amount distributed to Forest Protection Committees (FPC): Rs 167.25 crore from FY 2011-12 to 2017-18, from Rs 66.17 crore from FY 2004-05 to 2010-11.

Revenue collection: Rs 135.33 crore during FY 2017-18, from Rs 75.49 crore during FY 2010-11

The forest cover in Bengal, as a percentage of the total geographical area, has been growing over the last seven years. Currently, the total forest cover stands at 12,102 square kilometres (sq km).

Another related data is that, between 2010 and 2015, forest cover went up by 3,810 sq km, or 4.29 per cent, which was one of the highest in the country (according to Forest Survey of India data), and this trend continues. This is the result of the large amount of afforestation work, both inside and outside the forest areas, undertaken by the State Government.

From FY 2011-12 to 2016-17, the Forest Directorate has afforested 72,697 hectares (ha) of forest area, besides extensive soil and moisture conservation work. During FY 2018-19, approximately 10,000 ha of plantation will be taken up. One hundred modern nurseries have been created, and the work for 20 tall seedling nurseries will be taken up in different forest divisions.

As per the numbers stated above, the amount distributed to Forest Protection Committees has seen an increase of more than 2.5 times. Also, FPCs are rewarded for their invaluable contributions.

According to the revenue collection data mentioned earlier, the revenue collection by the Forest Department in Bengal has almost doubled, enabling more resources for developmental activities.

The Forest Department has also prepared a Vision and Mission Document for the period from 2017 to 2030.

Source: 7 Years: Chronicles of Bengal’s Progress

Weeklong Vanmahotsav begins today in Bengal

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The annual seven-day ‘Vanmahotsav’ begins today in Bengal. The theme for this year is ‘Aranya o banyapran/ Prakriti mayer sabuj daan’, which translates to ‘Forests and wildlife/ Mother Nature’s green gifts’. The slogan has been penned by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself.

On this occasion, the State Forest Department will distribute 50 lakh saplings – to State MLAs, and educational and other institutions across Bengal. Fifteen per cent of the 50 lakh would be fruit trees.

All the 294 MLAs of the State will be given 1,000 saplings to plant in their own areas. Schools, colleges, clubs, and various institutions and offices which have space to plant would also be given saplings.

Saplings would be sold from the counter of the Forest Department too. Anyone can go and buy them, at a rate of Rs 2 per sapling. Forest Department products like honey and citronella oil would be sold at a discount of 10 per cent.

As a part of Vanmahotsav, neem trees would be planted across Kolkata – for shade as well as for the fact that they are strong enough to withstand strong winds.

The Forest Department has decided to reward those show good results in taking care of trees, including Forest Department officials and workers – first prize of Rs 1 lakh, second prize of Rs 75,000 and third prize of Rs 50,000.

A special edition of the Forest Department magazine, Banabithi would be published on the occasion of Vanmahotsav.

Source: Aajkaal