Kolkata eyes UNESCO’s ‘City of Literature’ tag

Kolkata eyes UNESCO’s ‘City of Literature’ tag

Posted on August 4, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

In a bid to make Kolkata the first UNESCO City of Literature in India, the state has decided to work with Norwich, the first city in England to bag the title.

During West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee’s recent trip to England, West Bengal representatives met the officials of Writers’ Centre Norwich (WCN), hoping to learn from Norwich’s success. The two cities are also thinking of working together on a literary project, Writing Places.

Norwich won the honour in 2012, and the literary mark of excellence is shared by a select few cities around the world, including Edinburgh (Scotland), Melbourne (Australia), Iowa City (US), Dublin (Ireland), Reykjavík (Iceland ), Kraków (Poland), Heidel berg (Germany), Granada (Spain) and Prague (Czech Republic).

Making Kolkata ‘City of Literature’

Kolkata is the cultural capital of the country and we want our city to become a member of the prestigious group. The State I&CA Dept will work in close coordination with Norwich officials. Representatives from both the cities will visit the two places for exchange of ideas. Norwich officials have accepted Bengal’s proposal and are chalking out the plan.

Arts Council England has made a funding of £26,900 for an innovative literary project, Writing Places. Under the project, the initial funding is made for a scheme called, Creative City Alliance Scheme, in which the city’s top literary organizations will hold meetings, conferences and seminars both in Norwich and Kolkata.

In these workshops and seminars, literary personal ties from the two cities will exchange their ideas, which will help establish literary links between Norwich and Kolkata which in turn will the city to make a constructive effort in moving a step forward towards achieving this prestigious recognition.

The delegation visited Writers’ Centre Norwich at Dragon Hall, the University of East Anglia’s creative writing department, met representatives from the Norwich-based British Centre for Literary Translation, and visited the South Asian Decorative Arts and Crafts Collection.

WB CM wins hearts of investors at Asia House, London

Posted on July 30, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

The West Bengal Chief Minister invited the members of Asia House, London – the probable investors – to come and scout the State for exploring investment opportunities. She asserted that during the last four years, the infrastructure in the State has become business-friendly in comparison to the past years.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee highlighted the economic advantages of West Bengal and investment opportunities in the state during a private briefing held at Asia House.

The topics discussed included infrastructure development in the state, incentives for foreign businesses to invest, the state’s relationship with the Centre, efforts to cut bureaucracy and tackle corruption, the state’s workforce and West Bengal’s historic ties with the UK.

“I am not from a business background, I am a street fighter. You know better, Bengal is ready for investment. Perception of Bengal has to change and is changing. That is why I am here in London to meet you,” the West Bengal Chief Minister said at the meet.

She received a standing ovation from the members of the Asia House who admitted that they were mesmerised by her speech and were glad to know about the investment opportunities in Bengal.

The Corporate members represented at the table included Anglo American, KPMG, Barclays, Nikkei, BP, PA Consulting, PwC and Standard Chartered. The private briefing was held in partnership with KPMG.

WB CM invites David Cameron to revisit Kolkata

Posted on July 30, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has invited British Prime Minister David Cameron to revisit Kolkata soon, describing the city “a true getaway to the east”.

“My message for the British PM is that he must visit Kolkata again soon and see that it is truly the gateway to the east,” she said in response to a letter from Mr Cameron apologising for not being able to meet her in London due to his tour of South East Asia.

“I am sorry that my travel plans mean I will not be in London to see you in London…I fondly recall our meeting in Kolkata in November 2013, when we discussed the positive UK-West Bengal bilateral cooperation that exists, and the wealth of trade and investment opportunities this offers,” the British PM had written in his letter dated July 24.

Ms Banerjee highlighted that it was a matter of “destiny” that Britain turns to Kolkata and West Bengal, which she described as a “gateway to Asia”.

“Britain started with Kolkata as its business capital (during the Raj) so that is the destination. History repeats itself and it is destiny that British business should expand to Kolkata,” she said.

Asked how the West Bengal capital compares to London, the Trinamool Congress leader said both cities have their own identity but there are a number of similarities.

“As I have been walking around I see a lot of similarities in architecture and road names. They have Queen Victoria’s statue, we have Victoria Memorial. London is an expensive city but Kolkata is not. It is a soft, soothing, cheap city. London is pollution-free and we are fast moving towards a cleaner, greener city,” she said.

Walking has been central theme of the chief minister’s visit to the UK, as she prefers to explore London mostly by foot in her trademark white sari and flip-flops.

Asked if she would revisit the British capital, she said: “I will definitely come back. This has been a very fruitful business meet. The perception of Bengal has changed today. It is set to become the industrial hub of India. The size of investments will become clear over time but 21 MoUs have been signed, which is a very positive sign.”

“Today the world is a united family and we must walk together,” she said.

WB CM pays homage to Tagore and Gandhi ji at London

Posted on July 29, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday paid floral tributes at the statue of Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore in Gordon Square. She gifted Kalighat pat paintings from Bengal to Tagore Centre in UK. Later, she paid floral tributes at the statue of Gandhi ji in Parliament Square.

The West Bengal Chief Minister also paid homage to APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India, who had passed away on Monday.

The West Bengal Chief Minister informed that she has asked the Indian High Commissioner in UK, to inquire whether the Bengal Government could buy the house and conserve it. “The State Government is keen to buy the house where Tagore lived. Tagore is our pride. It is a private property and therefore I have asked our high commissioner to see if we can strike a deal,” the Chief Minister told.

Tagore had visited London in 1912 and spent time at 3 Vale of Heath, Hampstead, where he is believed to have written and translated to English the Nobel Prize-winning `Geetanjali’.

A blue plaque over the door put in 1961 already commemorates the house and reads “The Indian Poet stayed here in 1912“.

The Chief Minister has also asked the Indian High Commissioner to trace out a house in London belonging to Sister Nivedita.

She said that on the eve of her UK visit, the secretary Maharaj of the Belur Math requested her to see whether the house where Sister Nivedita lived could be designated with a blue plaque. By showing us the buildings where famous people have lived and worked, blue plaques celebrate the architecture of London’s streets and the diversity and achievements of its past residents. London’s blue plaques scheme, founded in 1866, is believed to be the oldest of its kind in the world.

“I have asked the Indian High Commissioner whether he could speak with the mayor of London and install a blue plaque on Sister Nivedita’s house,“ the West Bengal Chief Minister said.

Images taken from Twitter

No red tape, backlogs in Bengal: WB CM in London

Posted on July 29, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee has called on the UK to invest in her state stating that “backlogs and red tape are gone”.

In reference to the progress made by the Trinamool Congress government over the last four years, she said “If there is a vision, there is a mission…(otherwise) there will be no action plan also”.

“If you say London is the (financial) capital of the world, I say Bengal is the human capital of the world,” she said in her address at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) last evening.

Later in the day , Lord Swraj Paul called on Mamata in her hotel. Paul, said he was willing to help Bengal in “whatever way possible”.

The Chief Minister, who walked around London yesterday, covered over 12km in two hours.

A closed-door business meeting at Asia House is scheduled later today.

Asia House, UK praises WB CM in a private briefing

Posted on July 29, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee will address the Asia House corporate members on July 29 at the organization’s head quarters at 63, New Cavendish Street.

On its website, the Asia House published a private briefing regarding the address by the West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee to be held on July 29.

Asia House is a Pan-Asian organization based in UK, which aims to build dynamic links between the diverse communities of Europe and Asia.

The Private Briefing by the Asia House, London, UK:

“West Bengal is the sixth largest economy in India. Strategically located, bordering Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal, with proximity to Myanmar, the state of West Bengal is a key gateway to Southeast Asian markets. It has abundant natural resources and a growing IT sector. However, it lags behind in infrastructure development.

Mamata Banerjee, the current and 8th Chief Minister of West Bengal, will brief Asia House corporate members on West Bengal’s economic prospects and the steps the government of West Bengal is taking to make the state a more attractive investment destination.

West Bengal has historically been a highly indebted state owing to poor tax collection and large amounts of state revenues being used to pay back interest on debt. Under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee, the state government is making efforts to encourage higher revenue mobilisation and enhance capital expenditure. The state is undergoing a major deregulation drive to make doing business in the state easier, faster and more transparent. Upgrading social infrastructure is running parallel to strengthening industrial infrastructure. Attractive incentive packages and regulations have also been introduced to attract investment.

Banerjee created history in the state with a sweeping victory in the 2011 Legislative Assembly Elections of West Bengal that uprooted the 34-year-long Left Front government led by the Communist Party of India. This marked the end of the longest ruling democratically elected Communist party in the world.

In May 2013 she was voted by the largest anti-corruption coalition of India, India Against Corruption, as the most honest politician in India. Time magazine in 2012 named her as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.

Mamata Banerjee is the current Chief Minister of West Bengal and the first woman to hold the office. She also holds the record of being the first woman Union Cabinet Railways Minister of the nation, serving the post twice. She is the chairperson of All India Trinamool Congress Party which she founded in 1997 after splitting from the Indian National Congress. She is a seasoned politician having also served as Union Cabinet Minister of Coal and Mines and as Union Minister of State for the Human Resource Development in the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports; and Department of Women and Child Development.

Mamata Banerjee is leading a delegation of top industry and business leaders with senior representatives from her government to London.”

West Bengal invites UK to ‘ride its growth story’

Posted on July 28, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

The West Bengal government has assured British investors that it has taken steps to bring down the labour strikes to zero levels, as it made a strong case for attracting investments.

“We are setting up systems in place. There has been a radical shift since 2010-11, when 7.6 lakh work days were lost [due to labour strikes]. By 2013, the number of working days lost came down to zero. It takes time for mind-sets to change but please come to Bengal and we can assure very clear worker management processes,” West Bengal’s Finance Minister Amit Mitra said.

He was speaking at a gathering of British and Indian business delegates, organised by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC).

The minister also highlighted the state’s “transparent” process of e-services introduced at all levels, including tax collection, tenders and other areas of services.

“The World Bank has cleared funds for Hooghly riverfront regeneration. We do competitive, transparent, e-based bidding and the UK has the expertise so it must connect up on this project,” the minister said.

Energy, education, smart cities projects and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) were the other key sectors highlighted by the West Bengal team as offering great potential for partnerships between the state and UK.

Mitra is the part of a 62-member delegation led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to London this week.

“Bengal in London: Come to Bengal, Ride the Growth” is the theme behind the delegation.

“States are the building blocks of India’s growth and Prime Minister Modi has recognised this in providing a larger role to the states. West Bengal, with its dynamic chief minister and able team, is attracting investors like never before. Doing business in Bengal today is easier, simpler and faster,” said Jyotsna Suri, chairperson of the Bharat Group and president of the Federation Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Sumit Mazumder, chairman and managing director of TIL Limited and president of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), said, “West Bengal is a state with a GDP higher than the national average of the country. It offers lots of opportunities. I urge you to come and find out for yourself.

Mamata in London – Day 2 itinerary

Posted on July 28, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

On the 2^nd day of her visit to London, West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee will hold several meeting throughout the day.

From morning to noon, the West Bengal Chief Minister will be present in meetings regarding Transportation for London, regarding opportunities in Energy and Natural Resources and with officials of the Horniman Museum for collaboration on restoration of musical instruments.

In the afternoon, the Chief Minister will attend a meeting with the Indian delegates and MOU partners at St. James Court.

In the late afternoon, the West Bengal Chief Minister will visit the Parliament Square to pay floral tributes at the Mahatma Gandhi statue and then to the Tavistok Square to pay floral tributes at the Rabindranath Tagore statue.

Today, the West Bengal Chief Minister will also have a meeting Lord Swraj Paul.

UK and Bengal sign 21 MoUs

Posted on July 28, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led delegation to the UK today clinched 21 MoUs with the UK in the fields of industry, health, education and urban development.

The agreements were signed during a bilateral meeting with Britain’s Minister of State for Employment and British Prime Minister David Cameron’s Indian Diaspora champion Priti Patel at a reception hosted at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London.

Praise for Bengal

“This is a landmark visit… These MoUs will help bring the UK and West Bengal ever closer, and unleash the potential of our relationship,” Patel said in her address.

“For 34 years, West Bengal languished under Communist rule. The state had tremendous potential, but that potential remained unfulfilled… I am delighted to say that things are changing fast. Today, West Bengal is on the move.

“Under Mamata Banerjee’s leadership the state is enjoying a renaissance and its potential is beginning to be realized,” said the Indian-origin minister, who had accompanied PM Cameron to Kolkata in 2013.

“The Prime Minister was impressed. It was clear to him this was a state ? and a Chief Minister ? that we could do business with. That’s why he invited you (Banerjee) to visit London,” she said on behalf of the British Prime Minister, who is on a tour of South East Asia.

Details of MoUs

Industry

1. Between WB Infrastructure Development Corporation and UK-IBC for building up business relation between England and West Bengal.

2. Between Pandrol Ltd, UK and Rahee Infratech for a rail fastening clip unit

3. JV between Fonz Leather Styles, UK and JC International for leather unit

4. JV between Fomas group, Italy and ArcVac Forgecast for forging press

5. On support from Laura Ashley and Luike Irvine, UK for promotion of Bengal handicrafts

6. Between Jacob’s UK Ltd and Nicco Park & Resorts Ltd for technical assistance

7. Invitation of guidance between WBIDC, India Teas Association and UK Teal Packeters.

8. Collaboration agreement between Eden Projects, UK and Highland Genesis Developers for micro climate controlled bio domes for eco-tourism.

9. Between Bengal’s Nestor’s Industries and Genus, UK for upgrading genetic potential in Bengal’s dairy animals.

10. Between PC Chandra group and Wester Winter GMBH & Co, UK for development in gold industry.

11. Agreement with Paul Mech, UK and Shopping Bag Directs Ltd to sell Gobindobhog rice in global markets.

Health

12. Understanding with Royal College of General Practitioners for support on PG diploma on family medicine.

13. Between Society for Health and Demographic Surveillance and University College of London Institute of Global Health for collaboration on public health education.

14. Between WB Health & Family Welfare Society and College of Nursing, Dundee, Scotland for nursing education.

15. Between Society for Health and Demographic Surveillance and London School of Tropical Medicine for assistance in Pubic Health Engineering.

Urban Development

16. Between WB HIDCO and Jason Bruges Studio, UK for smart technologies in New Town.

17. Between HIDCO and Smart Cities Catapult, UK for making New Town a Smart City.

Higher Education

18. Between School of Oriental and African Studies and Presidency University for co-operation on South Asian studies.

19. Between School of Oriental and African Studies and Presidency University for Bengali studies in SOAS and exchange programme.

20. Between University of Cambridge and Presidency University for collaboration in arts, humanities and social sciences.

21. Between East Anglia University, Norwich and Presidency University for collaboration in humanities.

Wish you a successful visit to UK: David Cameron to Mamata Banerjee

Posted on July 28, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

UK PM David Cameron, who could not be in London because of a foreign visit, sent a letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee on Monday apologising for his absence.

“I fondly recall our meeting in Kolkata in November 2013 when we discussed the positive UK-West Bengal bilateral cooperation that exists and the wealth of trade and investment opportunities this offers. I am delighted that you will be visiting London to see these opportunities first hand. I am sorry that due to my travel plans I will not be in London to see you in person. I wish you a successful and rewarding visit which will help forge the close ties between UK and Bengal,” reads an excerpt from the letter.

Interestingly, it was Mr Cameron who first invited Mamata to the UK. In 2013, during his first term as PM, Cameron had made a stop to the Indian Institute of Management, Joka (IIM-Joka) and interacted with students for nearly an hour.

WB CM was received by minister Priti Patel, minister of state for employment at the department for work and pensions.

Commenting on the personal letter from Cameron, WB CM tweeted: “21 MoU’s are a good sign of Britain’s partnership with Bengal. I thank him for his good wishes.”

The image is from 2013 when PM Cameron met WB CM in Kolkata