Bengal Govt connects Purulia to Kolkata via helicopter flights

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

Mamata Banerjee flags off Rath Yatra in Kolkata

Posted on July 14, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today flagged off this year’s Rath Yatra in Kolkata, organised by ISKCON.

Starting from Hungerford Street opposite the ISKCON temple on Albert Road, the raths, or chariots, moved through some of the most important thoroughfares of the city – AJC Bose Road, Sarat Bose Road, Hazra Road, SP Mukherjee Road, ATM Road, Exide crossing, Jawaharlal Nehru Road and Outram Road – to reach the Brigade Parade Ground, where arrangements have been made for daily special darshan of Lord Jagananth, till July 22.

Special prasad will be distributed at the site of the rath on the Brigade Parade Ground every day till July 22, the day of Ulto Rath Yatra. Various cultural programmes will be held during the festival.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said:

Rath Yatra is celebrated with a lot of fanfare here. Besides by ISKCON in Kolkata and in Mahesh, it is also celebrated in many other places in Bengal in big or small forms. In fact, the Yatra is celebrated all over the world.
We should remember that religion is an integral part of our lives, whatever that religion may be. And festivals are for all to celebrate together.
Rath Yatra is for everyone. Devotees purify themselves by pulling the raths of Lord Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra.
Lord Jagannath is considered the ‘nath’ or ‘lord’ of the world by many believers.
There is a close connection between Maa Kali’s Temple and the Jagannath Temple of Puri.
Today, I am praying to Lord Jagannath for the good of all of you, to keep you and your families happy and healthy.
I am also praying for peace to reign in Bengal as well as in the entire country, and the whole world.
Wishing all of you to remain healthy and happy.

Bengal performing very well on crucial forest health parameters

Posted on July 14, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

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

Thanks to govt infomercial, sale of meat goes up in Bengal

Posted on July 12, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

Sale of meat in Bengal has gone up, all thanks to the infomercial that was telecast on different channels to sensitise buyers. The infomercial was created by the State Information and Cultural Affairs Department at the behest of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to assure buyers about the right quality of meat. The efforts have borne fruit and have ensured a rise in its sale.

The Government has set up a high-powered committee to evolve a foolproof mechanism to ensure quality meat is sold across the State.

In June, the Chief Minister had held a meeting and directed the concerned officials to create the infomercial. The film urges people to verify before buying that the packaged meat is certified by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) and at the same time, not to pay heed to any rumours.

Source: Millennium Post

Bengal Govt mulls increasing paternity leave

Posted on July 12, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The Bengal government is planning to increase paternity-cum-child care leave for its employees from 30 days to 45 days.

The Trinamool Congress Government was the first State Government to introduce paternity-cum-child care leave, in February 2016. It was introduced, considering that it would be of great help for the male employees to discharge their responsibilities towards their children in a better way.

All male employees of the Panchayat and other local bodies, boards, sponsored and non-government aided schools and colleges, state-aided universities and companies, corporations and undertakings are entitled to get the paternity-cum-child care leave.

Paternity leave can be taken during the birth of the child or at any time at a stretch, up to 18 years of his child’s age.

Source: Millennium Post

Organic milk in environment-friendly packets, courtesy Sundarini

Posted on July 9, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The award-winning Sundarini Naturals brand of the State Government is soon going to sell organically-made factory-processed milk on a large scale, packed in environment-friendly easily degradable packets (which can break down easily in soil). The entire process – from rearing cows to producing milk – would be organic, that is, no chemicals would be used.

In an initiative to empower women of the Sundarbans, a cooperative named Sundarban Co-Operative Milk & Livestock Producers Union Ltd. was started in 2015. Its brand was named Sundarini Naturals by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

For its achievement in helping almost 3,000 downtrodden women to fight back in life through the making and selling of cow milk, ghee, honey from the jungles of the Sundarbans, eggs of ducks and hens, moong dal and rice, the National Dairy Development Board recently awarded Sundarban Co-Operative as the best milk cooperative and selected Sundarini Naturals as an ideal model, fit for replication elsewhere in the country.

Every day, 10,000 litres of milk would be packed at the state-of-the-art factory, to be built inside the Kisan Mandi in Mathurapur-1 block in South 24 Parganas. The work of building the plant would be completed by December.

Each pouch would be of 500 ml and would be priced at competitive rates. The initial effort would be to capture a portion of the Kolkata market. Sundarban Co-Operative is in talks with various malls to stock its brands there.

Source: Bartaman

Project Sabujayan becoming popular across Bengal

Posted on July 9, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

Sabujayan, or promoting greenery, one of the favourite projects of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, which proposes planting of vetiver grass to prevent soil erosion, is becoming popular throughout the state. It is run by the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Department.

The scheme started in the district of Nadia a few years back, when the grass was planted along the embankments of six rivers. Till now, of the 743 km of embankments, vetiver has been planted in areas covering around 300 km. The grass is produced in over 70 nurseries.

Seeing the success in Nadia, the districts of Purba Medinipur and Howrah have also followed suit and have found success.

The grass is also used for making the bags used in holding the saplings given to mothers of newborns as part of the sabujshree scheme.

As vetiver is also an aromatic grass, the MSME Department is trying to make the aroma industry popular through its cultivation, and of other aromatic grasses like citronella and lemongrass, in South 24 Parganas (Baruipur), Jhargram, Bankura and Purulia districts. The department is installing aroma extraction units in these areas.

Source: Millennium Post

Skill development training for employment in jute industry

Posted on July 6, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The Bengal Government has announced the starting of a skill development programme for people wanting to get employed in the jute industry.

Jute is a traditional industry of Bengal. Though it has suffered for many years, with the earnest effort of the Trinamool Congress Government, things are gradually looking up.

Important features of the programme are the provision for stipends and placement opportunities in the jute industry.

The courses, to be run by the Labour Department, would run for a period of three months, of which one month would be theoretical training and two months would be practical training.

The training centres have been set up at the employment centres in Bankura, Howrah and Dum Dum. With regards to qualifications, the minimum educational qualification should be class 8 passed and the minimum age should be 18 years.

Source: Govt ad

New initiatives taken by the Cooperation Department in Bengal

Posted on July 6, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

The Bengal Government’s Cooperation Department has taken several initiatives to improve the reach of cooperative societies across the State by converting cooperative societies into banks, and introducing computerisation and modern banking services. Regular audits of cooperative societies are being conducted and special initiatives are being taken for increasing memberships of cooperative societies.

New initiatives

Overhauling rural cooperative system: The department has set a target of overhauling the entire rural cooperative system and mobilising deposits of about Rs 1 lakh crore in the next two to three years. As a result, cooperative banks and primary agricultural credit societies (PACS) will be able to contribute more effectively towards various Government schemes and extend loans to SHGs. They should be able to extend at least 50 per cent of the almost Rs 40,000 crore loan required annually for crop production and marketing.

Banking for the unbanked: The department has set a target of opening at least 75 cooperative bank branches in unbanked gram panchayats (GP) by the end of financial year 2018-19.

Modern banking: Modern banking facilities, viz., ATM, RTGS, NEFT, etc. are being provided at existing cooperative banks. Till now, 350 branches of West Bengal State Cooperative Bank (WBSCB) and Central Cooperative Bank (CCB) have already been CBS-enabled and 80 ATMs are in operation. Besides, mobile ATM services have also been introduced.

Assistance to PACS: An assistance of Rs 34.75 crore has been given for the computerisation of 2,780 primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS).

New cold storage units: Construction of six cold storage units has been taken up, having a total capacity of 49,000 MT, which are likely to be completed during the current year.

Regular audit: Initiatives have been taken to conduct timely and regular audit of cooperative societies.

Increasing membership: Special initiatives have been taken to enhance the memberships of cooperative societies.

Samabay Bhavans: The State Government has decided to establish Samabay Bhavans in all the districts to accommodate all offices related to the Cooperation Department under one roof. So far, bhavans have been completed in Purba Bardhaman (Bardhaman), Paschim Bardhaman (Asansol), Bankura, Purulia, North 24 Parganas and Paschim Medinipur. Construction is going on in Malda.

Important schemes being implemented in the cooperative sector by Bengal Govt

Posted on July 6, 2018 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

Several important schemes are being implemented by the State Cooperation Department to improve the cooperative sector. The Trinamool Congress Government has been very proactive in empowering the rural population, as well as the urban population to some extent, by energising the cooperative sector.

Special Bad Debt Reserve for CCBs and PACS (Risk Fund): Under this scheme, an outright grant to primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS) and central cooperative banks (CCB), at 4 per cent and 2 per cent, respectively, of the additional amount of loans issued over and above last year’s amounts, would be given to encourage agricultural credit to the weaker sections of society. Rs 1,300 lakh has been allocated for the Special Bad Debt Reserve for CCBs (Risk Fund) and Rs 2,600 lakh has been allocated for the Special Bad Debt Reserve for PACSs (Risk Fund).

Strengthening of central cooperative banks (CCB): Rs 500 lakh has been allocated for assisting the weak central cooperative banks for 2018-19, to strengthen the capital base and raise the net worth, as these banks play a pivotal role in spreading the Cooperative Movement at the district-level.

Strengthening of primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS): Rs 1,000 lakh has been allocated for assisting the weak primary agricultural cooperative societies in hiring godowns, purchasing furniture, giving incentives to staff, computerising offices and training SHGs, for a period of three years.

Investment in shares – National Rural Credit (Long Term Operations) Fund: Rs 500 lakh has been allocated for 2018-19 towards financial assistance in the form of State share to West Bengal State Cooperative Bank (WBSCB), Central Cooperative Banks (CCB), West Bengal State Cooperative Agricultural and Rural Development Bank (WBSCARD) and Primary Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (PCARDB), to strengthen their capital base.

Assistance for universal membership: Rs 50 lakh has been allocated for 2018-19 for encouraging the weaker sections of society to be brought within the cooperative fold by allowing an assistance of Rs 250 per head to purchase shares of PACSs.

Training of self-help groups (SHG): Rs 965 crore has been allocated for 2018-19 for sensitisation and awareness training programmes for the members of more than 2 lakh SHGs, and for skill development training for the members of the SHGs.

Supply of long-term credit: Rs 500 crore has been allocated for 2018-19 for supplying long-term credit to the weaker sections of society by the agricultural and rural development banks.

Assistance for offsetting imbalance in PCARDBs: Rs 4,000 lakh has been allocated for 2018-19 for reviving WBSCARD and the PCARDBs under the long-term cooperative credit sector.

Urban credit cooperative sector: For 2018-19, for the revival and development of the urban cooperative banks (URB), urban credit cooperative societies (UCCS) and mahila cooperative societies (MCS), Rs 100 lakh, Rs 300 lakh and Rs 300 lakh, respectively has been allocated.

Establishment of cold storages: Rs 200 lakh has been allocated for 2018-19 for the repairing, renovation and expansion of cold storages under the various cooperatives.

Establishment of storage godowns: Rs 50 lakh has been allocated for 2018-19, to be given to primary agricultural credit societies and primary agricultural marketing societies for the construction of godowns and the repairing and renovation of existing ones.

Assistance to agricultural marketing societies: Rs 1,000 lakh and Rs 50 lakh have been allocated to West Bengal State Cooperative Marketing Federation and the primary agricultural marketing societies, respectively, to supply agricultural inputs like fertilizers, seeds, etc. and market agricultural produce including procurement of paddy at the State Government-mandated minimum support price (MSP).

Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF): Rs 6,000 lakh has been allocated for 2018-19 under RIDF for the construction of large godowns, cold storages, rice mills, seed farms, etc.

Development of cooperative societies: For 2018-19, Rs 200 lakh has been allocated for Apex Consumers’ Cooperative Society, Rs 300 lakh for urban consumers’ cooperative societies and another Rs 200 lakh for rural consumers’ cooperative societies.

Training: Rs 275 lakh has been allotted for 2018-19 for the construction of training centres and for conducting training programmes by West Bengal State Cooperative Union.

Samabay Bhavans: Samabay Bhavans have been built in the districts of Purba Bardhaman (Bardhaman), Paschim Bardhaman (Asansol), Bankura, Purulia, North 24 Parganas and Paschim Medinipur. Construction is going on in Malda. Rs 200 crore has been allotted for constructions in a few more districts.

Ad hoc Grant to employees of cooperative societies: Rs 1,500 crore has been allocated for 2018-19 under the head of Ad hoc Grant for enhancing the emoluments of the employees of the various cooperative societies.

West Bengal Cooperative Service Commission: Rs 74 lakh has been allocated for 2018-19 for West Bengal Cooperative Service Commission, which selects and recommends the appointments of personnel in cooperative societies across the state, in line with the provisions of the West Bengal Cooperative Societies Act, 2006.