Tag: TMC

Nandigram Dibas: 10th anniversary of the massacre during CPI(M) rule

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Today is Nandigram Dibas. We remember the martyrs who fell to the bullets of police and cadres, under the instructions of CPI(M) on this day, ten years ago.

In January 2007, farmers in Nandigram erupted in protest against a proposed special economic zone (SEZ).

On March 14, the then Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya sent 2,500 policemen to ‘recapture’ Nandigram, but unofficially, they were accompanied by CPI(M) cadres.

Officially, 14 farmers died in the firing, but over 100 were declared “missing”. A similar attempt in November by the cadres finally ‘recaptured’ Nandigram. Buddhadeb Bhattacharya showed no remorse as he said, “They (farmers and Trinamool activists) have been paid back in their own coin.”

In its final report, the People’s Tribunal on Nandigram had called the violence of March 14, 2007 a “pre-planned, state-sponsored massacre” carried out “to teach a lesson” to people opposing the SEZ project on their land.

The Tribunal report, handed over to Gopal Krishna Gandhi, Governor of West Bengal on August 8, also called for the re-arrest of the ten CPI(M) cadres taken into custody earlier by the CBI but let off on bail due to the deliberate laxity of the West Bengal State police in filing charges against them within the statutory period.

 

ফিরে দেখা নন্দীগ্রাম

২০০৭ সালের ১৪ ই মার্চ পশ্চিমবঙ্গের পূর্ব মেদিনীপুর জেলার নন্দীগ্রামের ১ নম্বর ব্লকে ১৪ জন নিরাপরাধ গ্রামবাসীর প্রাণ ছিনিয়ে নিয়েছিল সশস্ত্র পুলিশ ও একদল বন্দুকবাহিনী। এছাড়াও আহত হয়েছিল হাজারের উপর নিস্পাপ গ্রামবাসী যাদের মধ্যে অনেকই মহিলা এবং শিশুও ছিল। মিডিয়া ও বাইরে থেকে যাতে কেউ ঢুকতে না পারে, তাই তারা নন্দীগ্রামের ঢোকার সব রাস্তা বন্ধ করে দিয়েছিল।

শুধুমাত্র একটি টিভি চ্যানেলই সেই মর্মান্তিক হত্যাকাণ্ডের ও মারপিটের লাইভ কভারেজ করেছিল। ঠিক দুদিন পরে অর্থাৎ ১৬ই মার্চ হাজারের উপর গ্রামবাসী সারা গ্রামে শান্তিপূর্ণভাবে প্রতিবাদ করার জন্য আবার একত্রিত হয়েছিল। সেইসময় প্রিন্ট মিডিয়া ও অন্যান্য টিভি চ্যানেলগুলি গ্রামে ঢুকে গ্রামবাসীদের কাছ থেকে সেই দিনের ঘটনার বিবরণ নিচ্ছিলো। কিছু তথ্যচিত্র পরিচালক ও সেইদিনের ঘটনাগুলি রেকর্ড করছিল। পরে অনেক সমাজসেবী সংস্থা সেইদিনকার ঘটনার প্রতিবাদ করেছে ,তারা গ্রামে ঘুরে আহত গ্রামবাসীদের আর্থিক সাহায্যও দিয়েছে।

দোল উৎসবে শ্রী গৌরাঙ্গের নামকীর্তন করতে করতে একদিকে যেমন হিন্দুরা গ্রামের তিন দিকে জড়ো হচ্ছিলো, অন্য দিকে মুসলমান সম্প্রদায় মানুষরাও পবিত্র কোরান পাঠের জন্য জমায়েত হচ্ছিলো। এইভাবেই গ্রামের সমস্ত মানুষজন এক অহিংস শান্তিপূর্ণ আন্দোলনের মাধ্যমে এই ঘটনার প্রতিবাদ করছিল।বিভিন্ন সূত্রের খবর এই হাজারো গ্রামবাসীর জমায়েত কে লক্ষ করেই হঠাৎই শুরু হয়েছিল কাঁদানে গ্যাস ও গুলির বৃষ্টি।

নন্দীগ্রামের সেই নারকীয় গুলিচালনার ঘটনার পর আজ দশটি বছর কেটে গিয়েছে। নন্দীগ্রামের অমর শহীদদের আমরা ভুলিনি, ভুলবো না।

Bengal Govt to convert totos to e-rickshaws

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In the ongoing operation to replace the totos plying in the state, one thousand e-rickshaws were introduced in North 24 Parganas on Friday.

State Transport minister Suvendu Adhikari officially introduced the vehicles at an event in Barasat. So far, 4,000 totos have been replaced by e-rickshaws all over Bengal.

This is a major step by the state government towards promoting e-vehicles. There are around one lakh totos and another one lakh vanos, both of which are indigenously-built passenger ferrying vehicles, in the state. Steps have already been taken to replace the vanos by e-carts.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had asked the Minister to ensure that no toto driver is rendered jobless after the totos are replaced.

 

টোটোর জায়গায় ই-রিক্সা চালু করবে রাজ্য সরকার

টোটোর জায়গায় ই-রিক্সা চালু করার যে সিদ্ধান্ত নিয়েছিল রাজ্য সরকার, সেই লক্ষ্যে গতকাল উত্তর ২৪ পরগনার বারাসাতে ১০০০টি ই-রিক্সা চালু করলেন রাজ্যের পরিবহণ মন্ত্রী শুভেন্দু অধিকারী। সমগ্র বাংলায় ৪০০০ টোটোর বদলে ই-রিক্সা নামানো হয়েছে।

সারা রাজ্য জুড়ে ১ লক্ষ টোটো এবং ১ লক্ষ ভ্যানো চলাচল করে। ভ্যানোর জায়গায় ই-কার্ট চালু করার পদক্ষেপ নেওয়া হয়েছে। পথ নিরাপত্তার স্বার্থেই চালু করা হয়েছে এই ই-রিক্সা।

মুখ্যমন্ত্রী মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ের উদ্যোগ ছিল টোটোচালকদের স্বার্থ রক্ষা হবে এবং কেউ রোজগার হারাবেন না।

 

Week 1 of the second leg of Budget Session: Trinamool plays responsible Opp

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The second leg of the 2017 Budget Session of Parliament began with the Members of Parliament (MP) of the Trinamool Congress staging a protest near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi inside the Parliament complex on the issue of the killing of two Indians in America.

Inside Parliament also, the party played the role of a responsible Opposition by raising important issues, speaking on key legislations and opposing the Government where required.

LOK SABHA

March 9, 2017

Adjournement Motion
Saugata Roy spoke on the issue of the killing of two Indians in USA.

Bills
Ratna De Nag spoke on The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar spoke on The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

Zero Hour
Pratima Mandal raised the issue of installing sanitary napkin vending machines for girls in schools.

March 10, 2017

Bills
Kalyan Banerjee spoke on The Admiralty (Jurisdiction & Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2016.

Question Hour
Ratna De Nag asked Supplementary Questions on chronic diseases.
Saugata Roy asked Supplementary Questions on the confiscation of assets of economic offenders.

Zero Hour
Pratima Mandal raised the issue of the need for the awareness on generic medicines.
Ratna De Nag raised the issue of the need for subsidies for potato growers.
Md Idris Ali raised the issue of the need for the setting up of Central schools in his constituency and on the need for the waiver of interest on loans for farmers.

RAJYA SABHA

March 10, 2017

Bills
Sukhendu Sekhar Roy spoke on The Enemy (Amendment & Validation) Bill, 2016. Trinamool walked out in protest of the manner in which the Bill was taken up in the House.

Question Hour
Vivek Gupta asked Supplementary Questions on the providing of free Wi-Fi facilities by the Railways to stations in eastern India.

 

Thus, during the first week, Trinamool Congress raised the crucial issue of the security of Indians living in USA, to underline the importance of which its MPs even staged a protest inside the Parliament complex and raised important points while supporting the Bill on maternity benefits. On March 10, it staged a walkout in protest against the inadequate discussion before the passing of The Enemy (Amendment & Validation) Bill, 2016. The party’s MPs also raised various issues of local as well as regional and national importance through during the Question Hours and Zero Hours.

Sukhendu Sekhar Roy speaks in Rajya Sabha on The Enemy (Amendment & Validation) Bill, 2016

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Full Transcript

Sir, so far I understand, this Bill has been introduced by the Government following the Supreme Court judgement in a particular case that the Hon’ble Leader of the House has mentioned. We must not consider this Bill in the ambit of one case; it has wider ramifications. The 1968 Act allowed for vesting of enemy properties with the custodian after the war with China and Pakistan, as rightly pointed out by the Hon’ble Leader of the House. After the 1965 war, there were the Defence of India Act provisions, which are all right.

This Bill amends the Act to clarify that even in the following cases, these properties will continue to be vested with the custodian:

 

  1. The enemy’s death, which is all right,

 

  1. If the legal heir is an Indian, on which we have certain objections, because legally as an Indian citizen, this Bill is depriving property to Indian citizens. If there is no title after 1965, then nothing is inherited by the Indian citizen; then there is no question of putting this clause in this definition.

 

On the one hand, the Government is saying that after 1965 there is no title to the property by the enemy and now the Bill seeks to amend that if the legal heir is an Indian, then also he is not entitled to the title of the property. If there is no title, then how does this come? So this is contradictory, in my point of view, and so this should be removed.

Also, Sir, if the enemy changes his nationality to that of another country. Now the Hon’ble Leader of the House has mentioned about going from Pakistan to London, which is all right in that particular case. The question is, Sir, here are so many things which are not in this Bill. When Punjab and Bengal were partitioned – it was not the partition of India, it was the partition of a few districts of Bengal and Punjab only – and when millions of evacuees came from other parts of Bengal and Punjab, that is, East Pakistan and West Punjab, how much compensation has been given by the Government of India to the evacuees? Nothing has been said in this Bill about that – because the enabling provision has been made, that after the selling of the property, the custodian can sell out the property, can dispose of the property, and after the disposal where would the proceeds from the sale go, how it will be utilized, nothing has been said in the Bill. Whether, out of the sale proceeds, the evacuees or their descendants can get compensation or not; nothing has been stated.   

After the emergence of Bangladesh in 1971, the evacuees of erstwhile East Pakistan got only ex gratia, not compensation, from the Government of India to the extent of 25 per cent of their total claims; therefore, 75 per cent of their total claims is still remaining.

This Bill has been brought on a piecemeal manner just to thwart the judgement delivered by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in a particular case. That is why I have objections on principle on this Bill, because if the Government is serious to take into consideration all aspects related to enemy properties then, in my view, those things should also be addressed in a proper manner, and for which a comprehensive Bill is required to be brought by the Government.

Lastly, the way the Bill has been introduced today – I cannot blame the Chair, because it is in the List of Business – I have already stated and Mr Jairam Ramesh and other Hon’ble Members have also stated the practical difficulties. This is a serious Bill which could not be discussed in a proper manner. We can understand the difficulties on the part of the Government because of the March 14 deadline. So on March 14 itself we could have discussed and passed this Bill after a threadbare discussion.

This is why, in protest against the indifferent attitude of the Government, to not to respond to the request made by the Opposition, I walk out, Sir.

 

 

Kalyan Banerjee speaks on The Admiralty (Jurisdiction & Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2016

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FULL TRANSCRIPT

Thank you Madam for allowing me to speak on The Admiralty (Jurisdiction & Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2016. Firstly, I must point out that I respectfully disagree with the statements made by the Hon’ble Minister. The Minister while making the statement said the Bill is also covering the environmental issues. I am sorry, Sir. Under clause 4 this is not the scope. You have also referred to that in case of leakage of oil etc. This will come within the purview of this. Therefore, I respectfully disagree with the statement made by him in respect of two issues.

This Act was necessary for long rather I say it is unfortunate that although Supreme Court in 1992 directed the Central Government to come up with a law which will fulfill the need of the day, when 151 reports of the Law Commission were existing. But unfortunately from 1992 to 2016, no one paid any heed to the circumstances. Today it is needed and therefore I am not opposing, as far as the substance of the Bill is concerned.

Madam, I will just mention two or three things. The claim which is required to be decided by the High Court by reason of this enactment of the Act, itself has been codified under Clause 4. The jurisdictions have been said there.

Clause 2, Sub Clause K, states “territorial water shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in the ‘Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and other Maritime Zones Act, 1976’. You have incorporated a provision and that is a vague provision. Which High Court has the jurisdiction on the sea itself?

I have an experience being a Lawyer; we had a dispute with the Odisha Government in respect of territorial water. However, both the Hon CMs discussed and resolved the problem and it is now working very good. I will point out to the Honourable Minister, kindly clarify this, this Bill is bringing another area where more interpretation is required to be done by the Court. You have to clarify and clear it.

Clause 17 Sub Clause 2, “shall not withstand the appeal of admiralty proceedings pending in the High Court immediately before the commencement of the Act, shall continue to be adjudicated by such High Court in accordance with the provisions of this Act.”

What does it mean? Firstly, “shall continue to be adjudicated by such High Court” – if you have said it is alright. The moment you are saying with accordance of the provisions of the Act, there is no clarity in this section. Will Kolkata will go to Odisha, or any other places will go to another? If a proceeding is pending in the High Court, will it continue in the High Court? Then the language of the statute needs to be made clear. You are creating a confusion by saying that before the commencement of the Act, it will continue to be adjudicated by such High Court in accordance with the providence of this Act.

Now I want to make a point to the nation its self. A national problem has emerged. You are giving the jurisdiction to the High Court to decide but do you know how many vacancies are there in the High Courts? How will they take the load? Not a single High Court is in a position to function.

Why you are not fulfilling the vacancies? The National Judicial Appointments Bill was passed here. Ultimately the Supreme Court declared it ultra vires; we have to accept this. We cannot have any ego on that. Neither the legislature nor the executive can have any ego with the judiciary. This has to be sorted out. If there is an ego with the judiciary regarding the filling of the vacancies kindly fill it up.

My suggestion to you (also it is a very difficult job for you) is that the territorial water jurisdiction has to be identified. Now it is not much difficult because of the new mechanisms like satellite etc.

You have to identify the part about water belonging to West Bengal and Odisha. If you identify that part you will find the question regarding the jurisdiction by the court that would be lesser and easier job. In the future if you will try to do it will be great helpful. This is my suggestion. With this I give you thanks. This Bill has been long pending since 1992. Let it be passed. There is no difficulty. With this I conclude.

Thank you.

 

Idris Ali speaks on the need for setting up Central schools in his constituency & loan waiver for farmers

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FULL TRANSCRIPT

I have come from Basirhat constituency which is in the border area. There is not a single Central school in my area. My prayer before the Government as well as to the Hon’ble Minister, through you, is to establish a Central school, as early as possible, because there is a 9 km area with no Central schools.

Number two, my humble prayer before the Central Government through you, Sir, is that the interest on the loans to farmers should be waived by the Central Government.

Number three, the preference for the loan waiver should be people belonging to the SC/ST and minority communities.

 

Ratna De Nag speaks on the need for subsidies for potato growers

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FULL TRANSCRIPT

Thank you very much Sir.

Potato growers in Bengal and some other States like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are facing difficulties as their produce is sold at half the price. With the result they are incurring huge losses; they are not deriving any profit in spite of toiling in the farm to produce potatoes. There is an urgent need to provide subsidy to the potato growers as the Union Government extended subsidy to the rice growers.

To give an example how potato growers is undertaking hard times: 1 bigha of land = 1600 square yards; whatever they are spending they are not able earn profit. On the other hand they are losing Rs 2000 to Rs 10000. If efforts are not taken by the Central Government they would find it difficult to make both ends meet.

I would like to ask the Union Government to make measures to come to the rescue of the potato growers at this hour of despair and helplessness.

 

Vivek Gupta asks a Supplementary Question on the providing of free Wi-Fi facilities by the Railways in stations in eastern India

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FULL TRANSCRIPT

Sir, through you I would like to know from the Hon’ble Minister that, if you look at the stations as part of the reply, in the northern part of the country, the central part of the country, the southern part of the country, even the western part of the country – there are more than 15 stations in each part of the country, but when it comes to the east, there are only two or three stations.

I would like to know from him, Sir, when does he plan to remove this discrimination and ensure that the eastern part of the country also enjoys Wi-Fi as the other parts of the country do.

Sir, I want to know is RailTel Corporation outside the Government of India? I thought it was a subsidiary of the Government, because in the answer to my question on the details of funds allocated and spent, that it is done by RailTel Corporation without any fund allocation from the Government? Sir, I want to know whether RailTel Corporation is a 100 per cent subsidiary, because the figures are not mentioned.

About the Wi-Fi being given free, we want to know from the Minister till when would it be given free? When do they plan to charge?

 

Ratna De Nag asks a Supplementary Question on chronic diseases

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FULL TRANSCRIPT

Thank you, Madam. Public health is not in good shape. We see multifarious health issues being faced by us, be it diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, renal disease, malnutrition. Added to that, major allocation of budget for health is disturbing.

According to the statement laid by the Hon’ble Minister, according to the report of National Commission on Macroeconomics and Health, there were 380 lakh cases of cardiovascular diseases in the year 2005. And these were estimated to rise to 641 lakh cases in year 2015. This is a high time to go ahead with a new disease study control on chronic diseases. Madam, Hon’ble Minister has proposed to set up 30 branches of the national center for disease control in all the states with an outlet of 367 crore.

I would like to ask the Hon’ble Minister through you madam, how many branches of national center for disease control have been set up till now and is there any branch already set up in west Bengal which also addressed to chronic disease.
Thank You, Madam.

 

Bengal’s gram panchayat system among world’s best-managed organisations: World Bank

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The gram panchayat system of Bengal has been able to deliver the highest standards of services in terms of e-governance, general working and financial management even in areas outside the purview of regular work.

This has been acknowledge by none other than the World Bank, which has said in a recent letter from its vice-president, South Asia, Annette Dixon addressed to the State Government that in terms of efficiency, ease of doing things and transparency, the State’s panchayat system can be easily compared to the best-governed institutions in the world, and that this has been maintained for the last six years.

 

At the beginning of this financial year, 23 per cent of the targets set were accomplished by the panchayats. During the first three months of this year, the thousand gram panchayats achieved 80 per cent of their targets.

To bring transparency to the working of gram panchayats, the Panchayats Department of the State brought out an app. Details of all developmental work carried out by the gram panchayats, including the costs incurred as well as photographic evidence, are logged into the app, which are then verified by the Department. In the interest of transparency, too, it has been made mandatory by the Bengal Government that all tenders published by zilla parishads have to be published online, in the form of e-tenders.

According to data from this World Bank report, if the target is considered 100 per cent, the gram panchayats of Bengal have accomplished work equivalent to 235 per cent, such is their efficiency.

Under the able leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the gram panchayat system of Bengal has become the best in the country. In terms of all major parameters, and as attested by the World Bank itself, the gram panchayats of the State are the most transparent and efficient, bringing prosperity to all corners of rural Bengal.

 

স্বচ্ছতায় বিশ্বসেরার তকমা পেল বাংলার পঞ্চায়েত

রোজকার রুটিন কাজের বাইরে গিয়েও ই-গভর্ন্যান্স, পরিচালনা ও আর্থিক ব্যাবস্থাপনায় উৎকর্ষের নিরিখে বিশ্বসেরার শিরোপা পেল পশ্চিমবঙ্গ। বিশ্ব ব্যাঙ্কের অভিমত, সক্ষমতা, সাবলীলতা ও স্বচ্ছতায় বিশ্বের যে কোনও প্রতিষ্ঠানের শীর্ষে রয়েছে এরাজ্যের পঞ্ছায়েতগুলি এবং গত ছয় বছর ধরে এই ধারাবাহিকতা বজায় রয়েছে।

সামগ্রিকভাবে এক্ষেত্রে বিশ্বের শ্রেষ্ঠ প্রতিষ্ঠানের মর্যাদা দেওয়া হয়েছে বাংলার পঞ্ছায়েতকে। বিশ্ব ব্যাঙ্কের ভাইস প্রেসিডেন্ট অ্যানিটি ডিক্সন সম্প্রতি রাজ্য সরকারকে চিঠি দিয়ে নিজেদের অভিমত স্পষ্ট করেছেন।

রাজ্যের অন্তত এক হাজার গ্রাম পঞ্চায়েতের উপর লাগাতার সমীক্ষা চালানো হয়েছিল। দৈনন্দিন কাজের বাইরে গিয়ে গ্রামবাসীদের অর্থনৈতিক মানোন্নয়ন, মহিলাদের আর্থিক উন্নতি, ই-গভর্ন্যান্স, পঞ্চায়েত পরিচালনায় স্বচ্ছতাকে অগ্রাধিকার দেওয়া হয়েছিল। গত অর্থবর্ষের গোড়ায় শুরুতে ধার্য লক্ষ্যমাত্রার ২৩ শতাংশ ছাড়িয়ে গিয়েছিল। চলতি বছরের প্রথম তিন মাসেই এই এক হাজার গ্রাম পঞ্চায়েত ৮০ শতাংশের বেশি লক্ষ্যমাত্রা অর্জন করেছে।

গ্রামে রাস্তা, পানীয় জল সরবরাহ, নিকাশির কাজ যেমন চলছে তা গ্রামবাসীদের জানানোর জন্য মোবাইল অ্যাপ চালু করেছিল পঞ্চায়েত দপ্তর। এরই পাশাপাশি কর্মচারীদের বেতনও নির্দিষ্ট সময়ের মধ্যে দেওয়া নিশ্চিত করা হয়েছে। সেইসব কাজের বিস্তারিত তথ্য ও ছবি মোবাইলবন্দি করে পঞ্চায়েত দপ্তরে পাঠানোর পাশাপাশি কম্পিউটার করা হয়েছে। প্রকল্পর খরচও মোবাইলে জানিয়ে দেওয়া হয়।

বস্তুত আর্থিক স্বচ্ছতা বজায় রাখতেই এই উদ্যোগ। জেলা পরিষদ থেকে যেসব বড় প্রকল্প নেওয়া হয় সেগুলির ই-টেন্ডার বাধ্যতামূলক করা হয়েছে। এরই পাশাপাশি কেন্দ্র বা বিশ্ব ব্যাঙ্ক থেকে বিভিন্ন প্রকল্প খাতে বরাদ্দ অর্থ নির্দিষ্ট সময়ের মধ্যে খরচও করা হচ্ছে। গত ছয় বছর ধরে এই ধারাবাহিকতা বজায় রয়েছে।
বিশ্ব ব্যাঙ্কের তথ্য বলছে, লক্ষ্যমাত্রা যদি একশো শতাংশ ধরা হয় তাহলে পশ্চিমবঙ্গের গ্রাম পঞ্চায়েতগুলি ২৩৫ শতাংশ কাজ করেছে। যা কার্যত রেকর্ড।