Tag: Mamata Banerjee

Bengal Govt to prepare database of steps taken to end bonded labour

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The State Labour Department has taken up an initiative to prepare a database containing detailed information about the steps taken to abolish bonded labour in the state. It will also contain information related to the initiatives taken to extend total support to such labourers who were rescued at different times.

According to a departmental official, data from all the districts will be compiled at the department’s headquarters. A day-long workshop will also be held, in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), on elimination of bonded labour. It will be attended by senior representatives of NHRC and all concerned officials of the State Government, including those involved in the work of abolishing bonded labour in districts.

There is one vigilance committee in every district headed by district magistrate to carry out the work of abolishing bonded labour and maintain strict vigil. Initiatives including helping them to get proper rehabilitation and at the same time, getting them enrolled with employment schemes and opening of bank accounts are taken.

 

Source: Millennium Post

NEET question paper row: Mamata Banerjee slams Centre

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Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today chaired a meeting to take stock of the health situation in the State. At the end of the meeting, she expressed her satisfaction with the services provided by doctors, nurses and health workers.

The Chief Minister slammed the Centre for rising prices of life-saving medicines. She said since the Centre has increased the prices, the medicines are unavailable at many places, due to which, common people are suffering.

She also slammed the Centre for the question paper fiasco in NEET. She said, “In this year’s NEET exam, students from our State could not perform well because of problems in translation. English and Bengali papers were different. They are not giving priority to regional needs. Students who speak the local language are thus getting disadvantaged. We have already written to the Centre on this issue.”

Treatment at hospitals in Bengal is given free of cost. There has been a sea-change in the infrastructure of hospitals. Fair price medicine shops and diagnostic centres have been set up. Procedures like dialysis are performed at lower costs. Pacemakers and stents are given for free.

As a result, patients from neighbouring States and countries are coming to Bengal in large numbers, thus increasing the pressure on State hospitals. 27,000 new beds have been added.

The CM urged doctors to provide service with a smile. She also instructed the administration to prevent untoward incidents of vandalism and violence at hospitals in the State.

 

West Bengal Biodiversity Board: Ensuring preservation of the State’s flora

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The West Bengal Biodiversity Board (WBBB) has three primary objectives: conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of biodiversity, and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the biodiversity, in addition to establishment of proprietary rights and restraining bio-piracy.

Some of the major achievements of WBBB are as follows:

  • Facilitating constitution of 350 Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC) at block, municipality and municipal corporation levels; more are in the offing
  • Through the BMCs, constitution of 120 People’s Biodiversity Registers (PBR) for documentation of biodiversity and associated traditional knowledge and practices; more are being constituted
  • Documentation of traditional rice varieties (TRV) and registering them in the names of farmers’ communities; so far, 110 TRVs have been documented, of which 12 have been registered 51 have been applied for
  • Awareness generation programmes, including seminars, nature studies and field training, and special ‘bio tours’ for school students
  • Bringing commercial establishments accessing bio-resources from the State under the purview of ‘Access and Benefit Sharing’ of the Biological Diversity Act; so far, 100 commercial establishments brought under purview, and 15 of the shared benefits, amounting to Rs 13,39,193, accumulated in the Biodiversity Fund of the State Government
  • Publications: 10 field guide books in Bengali, Tradable Bioresources of West Bengal, three People’s Biodiversity Registers (PBR) preparation manuals in BengaliSource: Departmental Budget

West Bengal Pollution Control Board: Setting higher standards for a better environment

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The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) is a statutory regulatory authority of the Bengal Government. It is responsible for setting standards and monitoring pollution levels and taking steps as and when required.

Among its responsibilities, functions and activities are:

  • Monitoring and control of industrial effluents and emissions
  • Management of wastes in coordination with urban local bodies
  • Installation of online effluent quality monitoring system at 42 grossly polluting industrial units
  • Control of vehicular tail pipe permission, especially in Kolkata, by working in collaboration with the State Transport Department and Kolkata Traffic Police
  • Provision of e-rickshaws in rural areas
  • Installation of rainwater harvesting structures in 32 schools and solar panels on the roofs of 200 schools
  • Creation of environmental awareness programmes on World Environment Day, organising rallies, cultural programmes and training programmes, reclamation and beautification of waterbodies and parks, distribution of non-toxic colours to idol-makers participating in various fairs, etc.
  • Effective use of the fly ash generated in thermal power plants
  • Provision of solid waste management units in rural areas

These and other measures being taken by WBPCB are resulting in the improvement of all aspects of the environment of the State.

Source: Departmental Budget

 

Environment Department: Working towards a more livable future

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The scope of work of the Environment Department is very wide, exhaustive and challenging. The wings of the department work in close coordination to fulfil the commitment of the Bengal Government towards its people for a clean and more livable environment – be it in terms of air, water, noise or several other aspects.

For effective control of pollution, a number of steps, measures and policies have been initiated by the Environment Department which include stringent regulations, development and periodical revision of environment standards, control of vehicular pollution, control of air and water pollution, abatement and prevention of noise pollution, revisiting and revision of the list of critically polluted areas and their environment improvement plans, etc.

The department has been funding research projects through grants-in-aid both to its parastatals like West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB), West Bengal Biodiversity Board (WBBB), East Kolkata Wetlands Management Authority (EKWMA) and Institute of Environmental Studies and Wetland Management (IES&WM), and also to some research institutions.

Some of the salient points regarding the working of the Environment Department:

  • WBPCB is constantly monitoring and taking suitable measures for improving air quality and reducing water body pollution.
  • An online system of WBPCB’s consent administration has been developed for transparency. All monitoring data can now be accessed from the board’s website. The consent administration has also been simplified.
  • The ‘consent to operate’ periods have been increased: from two years to five years for Red Category Industries, from three years to five years for Orange Category Industries and from five years to seven years for Green Category Industries. A new White Category has been introduced which only requires the relevant industries to give information to the WBPCB and is exempt from ‘consent’ administration.
  • The State Action Plan for climate change is being amended to strengthen the plan, introduce mitigation measures in addition to adaptation measures and bring it in line with the latest developments in various fields.
  • Actions on conservation of biodiversity, preparing a comprehensive register and promoting conservation have been accelerated.
  • A lot of work has been done for restoration and beautification of many waterbodies.
  • More emphasis has been laid on organising awareness activities to spread environment education among all sections of society and mobilising people’s participation for preservation and conservation of environment.

Source: Departmental Budget

Sabuj Sathi – Symbol of empowerment of students in Bengal

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During one of her district tours in 2015, a young boy had asked West Bengal Chief Mamata Banerjee: “I study in school; you have started the Kanyashree scholarship for girls, why is there no scheme for boys?”

This had planted a seed in her head. The thought has at last led to a happy conclusion: ‘Sabuj Sathi’ – a project wherein students of classes IX to XII are given bicycles by the State Government.

This beautiful name for the project came to the Chief Minister’s mind while on her way from Darjeeling to Bagdogra Airport. The rain-drenched sylvan mountains piqued her creativity; she began penning poems for children. Thus was born the name ‘Sabuj Sathi’ – ‘Sabuj’, the word for ‘green’ or environment-friendly and ‘Sathi’ means ‘companion’, hence ‘Sabuj Sathi’ or ‘environemnt-friendly companion.’

The Chief Minister has created the logo for the project as well. It consists of a young boy running, with two spinning bicycle wheels alongside his legs. 70 lakh cycles have been distributed so far. The scheme also bagged an award for e-governance from the Centre.

For more details, visit the website for the scheme.

Bengal CM slams Centre over LPG price hike

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Coming down heavily on the BJP, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said the soaring prices of essential commodities will result in the middle-class being badly hit which will, in turn, become a question of their basic sustenance.

“The hike in fuel price will affect the kitchen while the rise in the price of petrol and diesel will hit the transport sector badly,” she told newsmen on Saturday. The Chief Minister also said that the price of cooking gas has skyrocketed without any rhyme or reason.

“Things are going beyond the reach of the middle-class. How can they make their both ends meet? How can they sustain,” she said and added: “But the Centre is not taking any measure to bring down the prices of petrol and diesel and that of the cooking gas.”

Mamata Banerjee has said over and again that the hike in the prices of petrol and diesel are affecting the transport sector badly. “The Centre is totally indifferent towards this problem faced by the common people,” she maintained.

Bengal Govt to open geriatric care units in district hospitals

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The Bengal Government is planning to set up comprehensive geriatric care units in various districts hospitals of the State. The units would be exclusive centres for the elderly, which would understand their medical backgrounds and offer them customised care.

The project will be carried out in various phases, with pilot projects in some districts to start with.

Currently, there are separate arrangements for elderly citizens in the outpatient departments (OPD) of all the State-run hospitals and medical colleges in Bengal. The existing infrastructure of elderly care in some of the hospitals across the State will be given a complete overhaul.

Specialised geriatric care centres would be set at the district-level where proficient geriatricians and allied medical professionals will provide comprehensive assessment to address all-round needs of a patient and recommend the best treatment.

According to sources in the Health Department, there are plans to divide the geriatric care centres into four zones – Outpatient Care, In-Patient Care, Emergency Care and Home Health Care. They will offer comprehensive physical, cognitive and psychosocial assessments, a personal care plan, rehabilitation, and recommendations on safe use of medicines.

Source: Millennium Post

We will work together for the progress of the Hill region, says CM

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Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today urged “my brothers and sisters in the hills” to work together for the progress and prosperity of the region. “Peace and cooperation are the key words, and not animosity,” she pointed out.

Crowds of people braved inclement weather to greet and cheer her when she arrived in the hills. At a public meeting in Kalimpong today, she started her speech by paying respect to Sherpa Tenzing Norgay on his birth anniversary. “He is the pride of the country”, she said.

The Chief Minister reiterated that the Government was very earnest and keen for the progress and betterment of the hill region and its people. “Kalimpong was made a separate district last year for this purpose. And I pay a visit every six months to see the progress that is being made. But if there are bandhs and strikes that go on for months, then the livelihood of the people will be seriously affected, and the prosperity of the region will be badly hampered.”

Tourism is the mainstay of income for Darjeeling and Kalimpong. People come to enjoy the beauty and climate of the hills, as well as the warm hospitality of its people. More tourism centres and homestays as well as appropriate industry must be set up so that the region can go ahead. An education hub is coming up at Kurseong by Presidency University. People from afar come to the hills for education as their are good institutions here. The government has earmarked land for the setting up of a university at Mongpu.

The Chief Minister also said that 300 poor families would be given ‘pattas’ (land rights) in Darjeeling soon. The Government had allotted Rs 96 crore for the progress of the eight hill boards. This was in addition to the Rs 557 crore given earlier. “We want that a proper audit of the expenditures from this fund is made, for this is the money of the common man.”  About 47,000 people had benefited from the programme.

The poor had been given housing, and 19,000 new toilets had been built. A hostel, mountaineering facilities, annual sports tournaments and other schemes have been initiated, and a “clean Darjeeling, green Darjeeling” drive had also been started. In the coming days, more people would get homes under the Gitanjali Housing scheme. “We want that people should live with respect and with their heads held high in their own homes.”

The Government was willing to cooperate in every way possible. “Those who will work well and cooperate with us would get further assistance. We have to strive together for the progress of the region like members of one family. I will pay visits regularly. We want to see that the people in the hills are always smiling,” she concluded.

 

Fuel Price Hike: Abhishek Banerjee walks home as a mark of protest

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The Trinamool Congress and several associations today took part in a huge protest rally at the foot of the Mahatma Gandhi statue on Mayo Road. Speakers highlighted the plight of the common man in the face of all essential prices going up because of the incessant rise in petrol and diesel prices. The rally culminated with a speech by All-India Trinamool Youth Congress President Abhishek Banerjee, in which he exhorted those present to continue with the protest by boycotting all transport and walking home from the protest rally.

 

Highlights of Abhishek Banerjee’s speech:

At the very beginning, I want to announce a special decision. After the culmination of today’s meeting, we are going to walk home and boycott transport to protest the fuel price hike. Those who are willing may please join us in this protest.

The prices of petrol and diesel have been going up every day for the past 16 days. There is no abatement, there is no compensation. This is affecting the prices of almost everything, hurting the common man badly. Very soon, thanks to the Modi government at the Centre, the price of petrol will reach a century. Before that, we must try to bowl the team out, so that the woes and suffering of the people all over the country will cease.

One after the other, the Modi government has been pursuing anti-people policies. But let me tell you, the Trinamool Congress is not a party that will welt to this continuous onslaught. With every new threat, we stand steadfast and know how to counter each of them. They promised “achhe din”, they promised jobs, they promised so many things…but all this is just talk. Very unlike what the Trinamool Congress has been able to do under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee. We have delivered what we have promised.

They are trying to dictate what the people should wear, what to eat, where to go, where to not go, whom to speak with, whom to meet – is this the freedom that people should be subjected to? For every juncture of one’s life, one is required to produce Aadhaar card. Is this not curbing one’s freedom and right to privacy? These are policies that the our party is vehemently against. We stand for the welfare of the people. That is our primary concern.

Another protest against the fuel price hike will be held by the Trinamool Youth Congress on May 31 in a similar manner. We will not stop till there is relief for the common man. The Karnataka poll outcome has sounded their farewell bell. We will bid them the remaining goodbye with the vote in 2019.