Committed to the development of Hills: Mamata Banerjee

Committed to the development of Hills: Mamata Banerjee

Posted on September 4, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is currently visiting the Hills. She reached Darjeeling yesterday. She attended a high level review meeting with Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) officials today.

Addressing the press after the meeting, the CM said that short-term, mid-term, and long-term plans will be taken up for the development of the Hills. A committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, which will present a detailed report in six months.

The other members of the committee would be the MLAs of the Hills, chairmen of municipalities, members of CII and FICCI, DMs and Police Super. The Chief Advisory Council will comprise Binay Tamang, Anil Thapa, Principal Secretary Mr Thade.

Thrust will be given on tourism. The CM informed that the new university in Mungpoo will be named ‘Darjeeling Hill University’. She said, “this university will fulfill the long-standing demand of the people. The people had requested the Centre to set up a university, but they did not do anything. So, we have decided to set up a university.”

“We are setting up a education hub in Kurseong. Presidency University is setting up a campus in the Hills. From cinchona plantation, agriculture, sericulture, tourism, entertainment, IT, software – everything was discussed in today’s meeting. A lot of development will happen in Darjeeling.”

North Bengal Development Department to reconstruct Rajrajeshwari Hall in Kurseong

Posted on September 4, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The North Bengal Development Department has undertaken the construction of Rajrajeshwari Hall in Kurseong.

The heritage — Rajrajeshwari Hall had been torched during the political unrest in the Hills in 2017.

The Rajrajeshwari Hall under the Bengali Association of Kurseong has a rich history. Rai Bahadur Sashi Bhusan Dey had started a Tuberculosis Sanatorium in Kurseong, in memory of his late son who had died from this disease.

While he was in Kurseong, the local Bengalis approached him for his patronage in constructing a Hall for the Bengali Association to meet. Being a philanthropist, he built the Rajrajeshwari Hall in the name of his wife just below the TB Sanatorium. Thus, it was built in 1930.

Along with this, the department has also taken up the project of constructing a Subash Ghising memorial community Hall in Kurseong.

Development of Hill Areas a top priority for Bangla Govt

Posted on September 4, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

Developmental measures aimed at benefiting the people in the Hill areas and Dooars have culminated in significant socio-economic improvement of the people residing in these areas.
The overall impact of such activities has resulted in the building up of a peaceful and calm atmosphere in the region.

The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Act, 2011 was notified in 2012. Thirty-five departments of the State Government have notified the setting up of their offices under GTA.

Here are some of the achievements of the Hill Affairs Department:

A. Allocation of more than Rs 4,035 crore for the Hills

B. Creation of district of Kalimpong and subdivision of Mirik

C. Formation of 15 Development Boards for the indigenous communities of the Hills and disbursal of various developmental activities including preservation and promotion of their ancient culture and traditions

D. Development of road infrastructure in the Hill areas has been a priority:

Renovations of NH-55 between Tindharia and Paglajhora and NH-10 between Sevoke and Sikkim border which were badly damaged due to landslides taken up

Construction of AH-2 and AH-48 underway; they will improve connectivity of Bengal with Sikkim, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan

E. Considerable thrust given to Tourism sector of Hill areas:

Eight cottages constructed in Kalimpong within the premises of Morgan House Tourist Lodge

Two Cultural Tourism Centres being developed at Kalimpong-I and Sukhiapokhri blocks for focusing on Lepcha culture and heritage

One hundred-bedded Youth Hostel under construction in Kalimpong

Development of several new tourist destinations undertaken

Four executive-class buses for foreign tourists as well as four small vehicles for local sightseeing introduced

Eco-friendly tourist lodge being developed at Tiger Hill in Darjeeling

Siliguri Royal Tiger Safari started, which is first tiger safari in Bangla

F. Thrust given on education:

Model schools established in Sukna, Mongarjung and RKSP in Darjeeling district

Two degree colleges established in Pedong and Gorubathan

One ITI and one polytechnic college being built in Kalimpong; another ITI completed in Gorubathan

In Kurseong, Dow Hill is being developed as an Education Hub. The Himalayan Centre of Presidency University is also being established at the same place.

G. Due priority given to health sector in Hill areas:

One HDU set up In Kalimpong

Eight SNSUs set up in the district of Darjeeling

Two CCUs established in Siliguri and Darjeeling

Four fair price medicine shops established in Darjeeling, Siliguri, Kurseong and Naxalbari

Medical college being set up in Kurseong

Hundred-bedded ESI Hospital being established in Siliguri

Four health sub-centres are ready to be commissioned.

H. Government proposes to lay emphasis on:

Eco-tourism and village tourism

Setting up of new health centres

Agriculture and horticulture

Skill development schemes in the areas of hospitality

Security Services (unarmed)

Handloom and handicrafts

I. Himal-Terai-Dooars Sports Festival being held to encourage the youth of the region to participate in sports and games activities

J. Hill Area Development Committee constituted to supervise development works in the Hill areas of Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts.

Bangla CM launches ‘Utkarsh Bangla’ e-governance portal

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

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently launched the website – www.pbssd.gov.in – the e-governance portal of Utkarsh Bangla, a flagship scheme for skill development in Bengal. The annual target of the scheme is to train 6 lakh youth.

The portal will enable the State Government to manage the multifarious needs of the skilling ecosystem, starting from candidate registration to empanelment of training partners and their training centres to online biometric attendance system.

It portal will assist in maintaining transparency and accessibility in reaching out to the unemployed youth in every corner of the State. It will also act as a one-stop-shop for industries where companies would be able to find and recruit skilled manpower as per their requirement.

The short-term training duration starts from 300 hours and is completely free for the candidates. Some of the sectors for short-term training include tourism & hospitality, apparel making, agriculture and also engineering specific sectors like plumbing, welding and automobile servicing.

In its next phase, the portal will enable online payments, monitoring of skill trainings, industry interface, post-placement tracking of candidates, grievance redressal, etc.

It may be mentioned that at present there are 570 training providers with 1,198 short-term training centres, 250 industrial training institutes (ITIs), 152 polytechnics and 3,390 vocational training centres that are imparting training to 3.23 lakh candidates in over 30 different sectors.

Source: Millennium Post

Jatra industry on a path of revival, thanks to Bangla CM

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

Over the curse of the last few years, the jatra industry of Bangla is well on its way out of intensive care. Thanks to the special initiative of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the glory days are gradually on their way back.

From 2012, the Bangla Government has been making serious efforts to revive the stature of everyone involved with jatra.

An annual Jatra Festival is held now, along with similar festival in various districts, all of which are organised by the State Government. More and more jatra artistes are getting registered with the government.

The annual remuneration of jatra artistes, provided by the government, has also increased. In 2012, it was Rs 6,000, now it is Rs 9,000. The government also provides some more types of grants.

The annual Bina Dasgupta Memorial Award and Shantigopal-O-Tapan Kumar Award were instituted by the Trinamool Congress Government. The former, an award for lifetime excellence in jatra craft, is being given since 2013 while the latter is being given since 2017.

Besides, two legends, Makhanlal Natta and Chapal Bhaduri, were bestowed the Bangabibhushan (in 2014) and the Banga Bhushan (in 2017), respectively – awards instituted by the Trinamool Congress Government.

Be it the court or any election, Trinamool wins everywhere: Abhishek Banerjee

Posted on August 25, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

Trinamool Youth Congress president and Member of Parliament Abhishek Banerjee strongly criticised the BJP Government’s anti-people policies during a speech at Rathtala Maidan in Balarampur in Purulia district.

In connection with the victory in the panchayat election, he said, whether it is at a court of law or in an election, Trinamool Congress will always win.

According to him, whether voting the BJP to win is the same as bringing a calamity oneself to one’s doorstep. In Balarampur, Trinamool had won election after election, but there has never been any violence. Yet, within a week after winning the panchayat election this time, violence spread across the place. There were two unnatural deaths. They had started playing political games with those deaths. Wherever Trinamool won, peace was established, and wherever BJP won, there has been a lack of peace.

We do not do politics with religion, he said. They mislead people by saying stipends are paid to imams using the tax-payers’ money. People should remember that tax-payers’ money is used for developmental projects – Sabooj Sathi, Gitanjali, etc. We believe in the Hindutva of Swami Vivekananda, not in the saffron Hindutva of Yogi.

He said, despite doing so much for the people of Raghunathpur, some people have turned away from us; we need to reach out to them. Support Mamata Banerjee as she is doing a lot of work for all of us. She will never let unrest spread its web in Jangalmahal.

It must also be remembered that many of those who won on BJP tickets in the panchayat election have come back to our fold, some even covertly. Everyone wants to participate in the wave of development that Mamata Banerjee is bringing along. Nobody can stop them, those who want to join her.

Source: Aajkaal

’Safe Drive, Save Life’ will become a global model: Mamata Banerjee at ‘Jaya Hey’ event

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

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today showered praises on the state police force. She said they did not get any holidays and cannot even spend time with their families during festivals because of their commitment to work. She also praised the various community development programmes started by the police.

The Chief Minister also said that ‘Safe Drive, Save Life’ will become a global model one day, and asked each and every one to spread awareness about road safety.

Highlights of the CM’s speech:

We started this event called ‘Jaya Hey’ in 2011. I hope this event will reach newer heights of glory in the days to come.
The police does not have any holidays. They do not celebrate any festival with their festivals. Their work is to serve the country 24X7 for 365 days. People are part of their larger family.
From Dol to Eid – during every festival we need them. From social functions to road accidents, police is required. Whenever any disaster takes place in the Hills, the police goes for rescue and relief operations. We cannot spend a second without their help.
The police to their work willingly and with earnestness. Their families are their pillars of support. We cannot do anything for them. So we started this function.
We all commit mistakes. When we work for 365 days in a years, small slip-ups are bound to happen. We must remember that. Whether it is scorching heat or raining torrentially, even when we do not want to step out, a traffic police personnel has to perform his duty. They are the guardians of the people.
Presence of police assures us of our safety. They have to be alert all the time. Their work is not just providing training or maintaining law and order. They also take part in community development programmes. They organise blood donation camps.
Like Kanyashree, Safe Drive Save Life will become a global model one day. It is being implemented in other States as well. What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow. Number of road accidents have reduced a lot ever since this project was launched.We all must raise awareness about road safety. We must all participate to save even one precious life.
It is the police’s job to save lives, not take them. My best wishes to all police personnel and their families on this special day. My best wishes to all those who are associated with this ‘Jaya Hey’ programme.

Rakhi industry in Bangla empowering women

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

The rakhi industry of Kalna is going places. Compared to last year, the demand has almost doubled, for which the State Government has played a leading role. The sales are also increasing.

Last year, the Youth Affairs Department had promoted Biswa Bangla Rakhis made by these women. As a result, this year, the demand has been much more.

Kalna, in the district of Purba Bardhaman, has been a traditional hub for making rakhis. It is mostly women who make the rachis. In fact, more than 1,000 women are engaged in this cottage industry currently.

By actively promoting the industry, the Government is also enabling sustainable self-employment for these women. The West Bengal Khadi and Village Industries Board (WBKVIB), under the State Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and Textiles Department, is doing the needful.

WBKVIB has helped has set up a Common Facility Centre at a cost of Rs 75 lakh for offering technical know how on how to make the industry viable. The board is also providing working capital and online support.

Source: Aajkaal

Some recent successes of the MSME Department

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

The State Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises and Textiles Department has seen a lot of success over the last seven years of the Trinamool Congress Government.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee take a special interest in this department as the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) form the primary channel for reviving and sustaining the traditional arts and crafts of Bengal. Due to the stress given on helping these types of enterprises, there has been a large-scale economic revival especially across the rural belts and small towns of the State.

Some of the recent successes of the department are described below:

‘Joyee’ footballs by Refugee Handicrafts division: The Refugee Handicrafts division of the MSM Department has been doing exemplary work by engaging women from rural regions in manufacturing football, thus also reviving the football manufacturing industry in Bengal. These superior quality footballs are sold under the brand name of ‘Joyee’, given by Mamata Banerjee herself.

To make the products commercially successful, a decision has been taken to make the footballs available at least at one point in every district, besides in other places. People became well-aware of the football brand after the balls were distributed by the State Government among local clubs ahead of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup last October.

Model farm in Jhargram to help tribal population: A model farm has been set up in Jhargram district to help the tribal population there gain financial independence. The over-20-acre farm will produce vetiver, lemongrass and essential oils. Vetiver is used in making bags and mats, and the bags in which the saplings are given to the mothers of newborns under the Sabujshree scheme.

A distillation unit will also be established there. Over 50,000 people are already associated with the aroma industry in this district. This venture will be a blueprint for more such ventures, which will help in employment generation as well as in making many of the tribal people self-sufficient.

Aroma garden in Baruipur and Jhargram: The aroma industry is coming up in Bengal in a very big way. Towards that end, the MSME Department is setting up two aroma gardens – one on 4 acres at Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district and another on 40 acres in Jhargram.

Oil will be extracted from the plants and trees, even from the roots. Aroma therapy is used in beauty treatment and also to cure some diseases. Lavender, rosemary and lemongrass are being planted in Baruipur.

Safe Drive Save Life: State Govt to install reflectors on road dividers

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

To prevent accidents at night, as part of the pioneering Safe Drive Save Life programme, the State Government has decided to install reflectors on road dividers.

The work between Golpark and Dhakuria in Kolkata has already started. Senior police officers say, during night, particularly when it rains heavily, drivers often fail to spot the dividers and hit them. In areas where there are small road dividers, drivers mount them after failing to negotiate lanes.

The reflectors will be seen from more than 50 feet away, even during rainy nights. Hence the installation of the reflectors will be of great help to drivers.

The State Transport Department has left no stone unturned to reduce the number of road accidents and to train drivers to pick up proper driving skills.

Source: Millennium Post