WESTBENGAL NEWS

200 Days of ‘Change’:Promises are Always to be Broken

2012-01-22T22:18:00.003+05:30

Why Target?

200 days are not sufficient time to evaluate thework of any State Government. The target-based campaign was first started bythe bourgeoisie political parties of United Sates of America and Eastern Europeas a part of their election campaign. Though the targets are often forgottenafter the election and those parties are least interested to fulfill thetargets once the election is won. This electoral tactics has been blindlycopied by TMC before the 15th Assembly Election of West Bengal. In reality TMChas even plagiarised the slogan "Change We can believe in" fromAmerican President Barrack Obama.

Target of 200 Days

Prior to the last Assembly Election of the StateTMC could not publish any English translation of their Election Manifesto.Instead of doing so they have created another separate document called as'VISION DOCUMENT'. The documents set the target of the work to be completedwithin 200 days of the new Government. That document contained mainly a littlesection of the Election Manifesto and the list of the works, which shall bedone within first 200 days from the formation of TMC led Government in WestBengal. A Careful reading of two documents brings out the dissimilarity andcontradiction.

In some aspect by using the jugglery of wordsagainst the Left Front, TMC has informed that they will continue with the workdone by the former Left Front Government. In many aspects they could not dareto reject the truth. We shall look into few declaration made by TMC and try tosee how far they have been fulfilled.

False Claim on Investment

TMC led Government has maintained its heritageof False claim of success in Industrial Development in the state. In realitythe Government has failed to draw any new flow of investment in the State. Thenew Government has failed to bring out its new land policy yet. This failurehas resulted in massive set back of the Government to bring any new investmentin any of the major sectors. Above all the CM has clearly declared that theGovernment will place all seek industries in auction for sell whereas it waspromised in TMC's election manifesto that it will resurge seek industries andsave them.

Farmers Suicide: Bengal Enrolls Itself inthe List

West Bengal has not witnessed with the instanceof farmer's suicide where other states in India had laths of incidents of suchkind. The farmer policy of the earlier Left Front Government could successfullytackle the situation by providing adequate support to ensure the price of thecrop by way of continuous land reforms. The Government changed; TMC came topower and brought a shift in the policy towards farmers, which has forced thefarmers to get into the crisis, and made suicide as the only resort to themarginalised farmers. Till the date under the new regime 6 farmers and fieldworkers have committed suicide with the burden of huge loan. Compared to thelast year the farmers have suffered a huge crisis. They have been even forcedto distress sale the crops. Since the Panchayat have been paralysed by the newGovernment, the job under NREGA has been stopped. The so-called Government ofmaa-mati-manush has reversed the success of land reforms of earlier Left FrontGovernment by issuing directive (memo no. IRC/624/11).

The Neoliberal Solution in Transport

The TMC led State Government has started toenforce the neo liberal economic policies in State owned transport system. Ithas already stopped the payment of pension to the retired workers of the statetransport corporations. Even the current workers are not receiving the regularsalary in those corporations. In August a CESTC pension holder lady hascommitted suicide after the non-payment of pension. More serious situationaroused when the almost 18,000 current workers received their salary for themonth of October, not before 30th November. The Transport Minister SubrataBakshi has told that the Government shall offer the VRS package to thetransport workers to resurge the sickness and also it will stop the bus servicefrom all non-profit making roots.

The Poor Financial Situation

Before the Assembly election the TMC used tocomplain against the earlier Left Front Government that it is responsible forthe huge debt of the State, after the election the same has been boomerangedagainst them. Even the situation is so grave that West Bengal has been elevatedat the top among the states in the amount of debt. In last six months the newGovernment has taken a loan f Rupees 10,000/- from the market, which is almostdouble of the loan amount taken from the market in last year (Left Front Government).The Finance Minister of the State Dr. Amit Mitra has promised that theGovernment will increase 30% at the average earning of the state, but inreality the growth rate is only 15%. It is quite impossible to reach the targetlevel before this year ending.

The Action for Seek Industries: CM

TMC had declared in their Election Manifestothat 'All Seek Industries will be resurged' but on contrary to that declarationOn 4th November the Chief Minister has declared the declared that the seekindustries of the state shall be sold in auction. It shows the dual policies ofTMC before and after the election.

Land Reforms Stopped

The new Government by issuing a direction (memono. IRC/624/11) has declared that the Government will come out from the path ofLand Reforms and the distribution of lands to the landless people. The memo hasbeen issued on 18th October. The Policy determination Committee, appointed bythe new Government has termed the policy of land reforms followed by Left FrontGovernment as 'Robbery of Land'. The Committee has also stated in their draftrecommendation that the Government will take punitive measure against suchrobbery of land.

Net Failure in Rural Development andNREGA

During the time of Left Front Government in WestBengal the state had secured its position out of first five states inimplementation of NREGAs (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act). The newGovernment has brought down the state out of last 4 states. In the financialyear 2010-11 the number of job days created under NREGAs was total 15 crore andin this year the number has reduced to only Rs.2 crore. The failure has drawnthe attention of the Central Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh that hehas written a letter to the Chief Minister (no. FTS-66592/2011) where he haswritten that the state is currently having Rs.1823 crore but out of that Rs.900crore have been left unutilised.

Reduction in the Expenditure on MinorityWelfare

In the last financial year the budget allotmentin minority welfare under former Left Front Government was Rs.664.46 crore. Thenew Government has reduced Rs.30.66 crore the allotment in minority welfaredrastically in the first budget itself. The budget maintained silence on thelarge section of minorities left out of the purview of the Multi sartorialDevelopment Project of the Central Government. The budget has not spent asingle word on the English Medium Madrasas of the State. The programmes takenby the earlier Left Front Government to provide the rehabilitation packages tothe divorced, homeless and helpless minority women have been completely ignoredin the budget. These forgetfulness shows that the so-called minority friendlyattitude of TMC was just like a mask, which has been already taken off.

Fascism: The Late Realisation ofMahasweta Devi

The honeymoon period of TMC-and so called 'CIVILSOCIETY' (Sushil Samaj) is over within first six months of the new Government.At least the statement made by Mahasweta Devi On 21st November indicates that.The conflict raised due to the refusal by the Police to grant permission for apublic meeting called by APDR at Metro Channel. While condemning such actionMahasweta Devi asked whether they have knowingly invited fascism in State ornot. The conflict has also attracted the statement of Kabir Suman, a TMC MP,which has reminded the CM that as an opposition leader she made a continuous 26days dharna at that Metro Channel only. Late is better than never. Althoughlate, but the so-called Susheel Samaj has started to realise the original faceof TMC.

How Many Days Singur shall Wait to GetBack the Promised Land?

TMC had declared that their Government willreturn the lands belong to the UNWILLING FARMERS of Singur after the formationof the new Government. With the lapse of time those farmers are also realisingthat the promise was nothing but a pre election gimmick. 100 days, 200 days...no one knows how many days they wait to get back the land.

Return of Power Cut

One of the major successes of the Left FrontGovernment was that it could reduce the power cut in the state. The change inthe Government has taken back to the time of Power cut. The Government hasfailed to make a plan to maintain the supply of electric in the state. Over allthey have indicated that it might have to increase the price for electric underthe compulsion.

Syndicate, Promoters and TMC

The evil nexus between Syndicate, Promoters andTMC has been revealed after the murder of TMC worker Swapan Mandal atKeshtopur, 24 Parganas (North). The main accused Partha Sarkar and others arealso the well-known TMC leader of the area. The situation indicates that theevil nexus got strengthened during the first six months of the change.Unfortunately the Government is doing nothing to break such nexus except theverbal attack and counter attack among the TMC leaders.

Curtailment of Panchayat Right

Panchayat of West Bengal was considered as amodel to rest of India under Left Front Government. It was West Bengal, whichwas the real torchbearer of decentralisation policy and the three tiersPanchayat system to ensure peoples participation in local Governance. But thenew Government has done nothing to consolidate that success. Instead of doingso they have taken initiative to curtail the rights of Panchayat by empoweringthe executive. In order to do so the CM met the BDOs and SDO and issued thedirection to them.

The University Ordinance

The new Government has already proclaimed anOrdinance to destroy the democratic system in the Educational Institutions.They are trying to adopt the nominated managing committee system. This amountsto an attack on democracy established in the state by Left Front in last 34years.

CM at Police Station

On 6th November the CM herself had visitedBhowanipur Police Station to resolve a criminal dispute, which is not onlyunprecedented but also dangerous for a democratic system.

Police Firing

On 1st December the Police of the new Governmenthas fired on a peaceful protest at the demand of electricity at Nainan ofMagrahat, 24 Parganas (South). 4 People including three women and a twelveyears old girl died in that firing. In last six months police has fired severaltimes at Asansol, Pandaveswar, Haroa and Bagula. One person died at Asansolincident and one woman died at Bagula by the bullets of the police of newGovernment.

Alteration of Charge Sheet to Save aMinister

The CID under the Home Minister and ChiefMinister Smt. Mamata Banerjee has deleted the name of one of the ministers ofher ministry, Mr. Arup Roy, from the charge sheet filed in connection to themurder of a TMC leader of Bally, Howrah. This incident is also unprecedentedand dangerous for an impartial judicial system. In another incident under thedirection of the law minister of the new Government police has withdrawn amurder case against the congress anti socials at Krishnanagar. The Police havealso shown partiality to arrest a TMC councilor who was connected to a murderat Tarapeeth, Rampurhat.

Falsification Continues…

There are thousands incidents in last six mothduration of the new Government which revels the inefficacy of the Government torun the state. The declarations at Election manifesto remained unfulfilled andthe Governments action does not indicate its willingness to fulfill them innear future. So the writing of the CM in a document to mark 100 days of the newGovernment that it has finished maximum work of 200 days within 90 days onlytells us that Falsification continues... either in opposition or in Government,because the name of the party is TMC.

SOURCE: http://www.cpimwb.org.in/feature_details.php?features_id=13

Isolate ‘Maoists’ Politically for Enduring Peace in Jangal Mahal

2011-12-11T21:05:00.001+05:30

By Nilotpal Basu

ULTIMATELY, the truthhas come out. Not that it was not known; but now that it has comestraight from the, so to say, horse’s mouth; the chief minister ofWest Bengal and the Trinamool Congress supremo has eventually lashed out at the‘Maoists’ for their heinous crime of engineering the Ganeshwari Expresstragedy which took the toll of 148 innocent lives. Contrary to whatshe has been claiming all this while that the CPI(M) and the Left wasresponsible for the tragedy to defame her and the Railway ministry – she hasultimately conceded that it was clearly the handiwork of the ‘Maoists’.

What is the provocationfor this belated ‘discovery’? Two activists of the Trinamool Congress had beengunned down by a ‘Maoist’ squad in a hamlet on the foothills of Ajodhya inPurulia district – an integral part of the jangal mahal areain West Bengal which continues to remain infested by ‘Maoist’activity. There is no doubt that these were murders most vile and all rightthinking people would condemn these with all the strength that one canmuster. The bodies of these hapless victims were brought to Kolkataand in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi – the `apostle of peace’ – thatthe chief minister blurted out her ‘pearls of wisdom’.

The travails of the TMC andits maverick supremo are not only bizarre as one would think. It is at the sametime extremely sinister. The growth of the ‘Maoists’ – obviously, not interms of popular support but its depredations and mindless violence in thedistricts adjoining the Jharkhand and Orissa borders – was quite strange. Anyavid reading of the history of Left adventurism in the country makes one tocome to an interesting conclusion. While Naxalbari was the cradle of the Leftadventurist movement in the country and the CPI(M) and the Leftsuffered most due to its violence in the late sixties and early seventies, themovement completely petered out, particularly after the Left Front assumedoffice in West Bengal in 1977. The agrarian reforms and the protectionand consolidation of the democratic rights of the working people completelyisolated the Naxalites in the state. The resumption of theiractivities in early parts of the first decade of the new century started asarmed incursions from Jharkhand initially and later on from Orissa. The thicklyforested jungles on the borders of these states provided the natural cover, aswell as, the strategic base that the ‘Maoists’ needed to move on to WestBengal.

The Left had from thevery beginning, maintained that the ‘Maoist’ movement cannot be treated merelyas a challenge to law and order. Their involvement in these forestfringe areas was not because of their compassion for the poor and the tribalswho suffered from locational disadvantage and consequent comparative lack of development. Despitethis, the agrarian reforms and other benefits of decentralisation had expandedsocial sector development. It is because of this, the Left hadalways been politically strong in these areas. Premised on theseexperiences, the Left, therefore, argued for facing the challenge of ‘Maoist’violence through a three pronged response; first, on the question of targetedsocio-economic development, secondly on the question of political-ideologicaloffensive to isolate them from the people- and finally, based on these two, toinitiate administrative actions of the security forces that would finally besuccessful in containing the violence.

As opposed to this, thecentral government had always pitched for all out administrativeconfrontation. The home minister, P Chidambaram, the fountainhead ofsuch an exclusively confrontationist approach even mooted the idea of deployingthe military and the air force to snuff out the ‘Maoists’.

However, the maverickTMC supremo was totally opposed to the very idea of taking on the‘Maoists’. Because she understood that in order to undermine andweaken the Left in these areas which have traditionally been the bastion of theLeft, the ‘Maoists’ could prove to be her hatchet men. The ‘Maoists’– the opportunists that they are – found these to be extremelyconvenient. Their complete ideological bankruptcy and penchant formilitary strategy created conditions for the coming together of these twoforces. West Bengal’s recent history – from the ‘Maoists’ involvement inthe Nandigram agitation and the present West Bengal chief minister’s opendalliance with the ‘Maoists’ in Lalgarh - the alliance was eventually madeofficial. The media savvy ‘Maoist’ Polit Bureau member Kishanjiannounced from behind his masked face that the ‘Maoists’ would love to see theTMC supremo as the next chief minister of West Bengal in an interview to AnandaBazar Patrika before elections.

This was music to herears. This made her to claim that there are no ‘Maoists’in West Bengal. And, she was not even acknowledging thekillings of hundreds of CPI(M) and Left activists and leaders who were beingsnuffed out by these ‘Maoist’ marauders. And, she did everythingpossible to politically delegitimise the operation of the state and centraljoint security forces to protect the life and livelihood of innocent citizenswho were at the receiving end of the mindless ‘Maoist’ violence.

The complicity was socomplete that while the ‘Maoists’ had hijacked a train, the Rajdhani Express,the Railways under her charge did not even mention the ‘Maoist’ involvement inthe complaint that the department filed. And, finally, came theshocking allegation in the wake of the Gyaneshwari tragedy. Not only did sheclaim that these gruesome deaths of the Ganeshwari passengers were not theresult of ‘Maoist’ depredation but actually they have been done by the CPI(M)and the Left to discredit the Railway Ministry! The intellectuals – the `civilsociety’ her close band of trumpeters for `political change’ in fact went astep further. They actually called a press conference on the eve ofa crucial municipal election in Kolkata and directly charged the CPI(M) ofengineering the tragedy. These intellectuals – of whom some are noweven part of the cabinet of the present West Bengal government –justified their position by claiming that ‘Maoists’ did not explicitly take theresponsibility for the incident.

Now that the TMC supremohas assumed the chief minister’s office, she has to reconcile with the harshcold reality. She thought that the zeal with which the ‘Maoists’ had workedovertime to see her in the office that she holds today would continue to do soeven after the objective has been secured. But, as we know, the‘Maoists’ show extreme opportunism in siding with this or that bourgeoispolitical party for carrying on with violent methods to physically eliminateall political opposition. The ‘Maoists’ clearly had an agenda thatthey would use the TMC to ensure the physical elimination of the CPI(M) and theLeft to facilitate their own physical stranglehold over a regionwhich had remained a bastion of the Left.

CHICKENS COME HOME TOROOST

But, now the chickenshave come home to roost. The latest dramatic turn of events saw thefelling of that very ‘Maoist’ leader who once wanted to anoint the TMC supremoas the incumbent chief minister of West Bengal. This is thereal irony. The operation of the joint security forces which washeld back for almost five months had to be ultimately allowed since the‘Maoists’ were not sparing the TMC functionaries once they had been able toregroup with the relief that the new government had provided. Theprocess of the so-called negotiations which was bound to fail because of thepan Indian nature of the ‘Maoist’ activity also further emboldened them.

It is in this backgroundthat the gun battle ensured in the forests of Burisole which has by now becomea household name – as the site which marked the elimination ofKishanji. In a way, this was inevitable. Far from being arevolutionary movement, which the ‘Maoists’ claim to lead, apparently he foundhimself thoroughly isolated and encircled – that is what the security forceshad claimed.

But strangely, neitherthe chief minister nor any of her top ranking officials from the police or thegeneral administration had come out with any authentic version over thesequence of events which led to the elimination of Kishanji immediately afterthe announcement of the incident. More than anybody else, it is theirsupporters – particularly those sections of liberal persuasion – some of themeven sympathetic to the ‘Maoist’ cause have come out quite sharply against thesame government and the security forces for having done what they did.

In doing this, they seemto have taken a leaf out of chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s book of records.She did exactly this in questioning the elimination of Azad – the spokesman ofthe ‘Maoists’. She had actually demanded enquiry into Azad’s `murder’ not onlyoutside but also in the parliament itself. In fact, directed by the court, aninquiry is still going on about this incident.

Now that Kishanji hasbeen eliminated, the same charges are being leveled. It is beingalleged that the security forces had him in custody and this amounts to a `coldblooded murder of a prisoner in custody’. It is now for the stategovernment to clarify the real course of developmenttransparently. Rule of law would require that of her government.

However, in a publicmeeting recently, the chief minister has claimed that the security forces hadencircled Kishanji for three continuous days. The forces had alsomade an announcement over a public address system that he would be allowed asafe way out . But according to her, he did not respond positively and firedback. This is what led to the armed confrontation which saw her onetime `well wisher’ dead.

SINISTER RELATIONSHIP

The convergence ofpurpose which brought the TMC and the ‘Maoists’ together to eliminate the Left– does no longer exist. The functional alliance appears to have comeunstuck. And, therefore, this belated admission over Gyneshwari Expresstragedy and this renewed restoration of the joint security forces’ operationleading to the elimination of Kishanji.

But the tenuous exerciseto try and balance the relationship between these two sinister forces hadcontinued for the last few months since the new government in WestBengal had assumed office, now seems to be finally over. Thegroup of interlocutors who had been officially appointed by the stategovernment to carry out the discussions with the ‘Maoists’ have finally thrownup their hands. And, in the statement issued recently expressing theirinability to carry on the process, they have squarely blamed the stategovernment for having killed Kishanji `in cold blood’.

The course of thesinister alliance has really come to complete its vicious circle. Sadly,the TMC and some of their grassroot level activists who are also poor andvulnerable have also now come to suffer from the mindless violence of the‘Maoists’.

But the chief ministeris not prepared to accept the reality. While she has lambasted the ‘Maoists’and their liberal sympathisers who don the mantle of the humanrights organisations for failing to condemn the death and killings of haplessvictims of the mindless ‘Maoist’ violence – even going to the extent ofpointing out that a large number of activists of the Lefthad suffered – she failed to concede that she herself had shownsimilar proclivities.

To compound her almostcriminal negligence in shielding the ‘Maoists’ – she is actually stillmaintaining that the CPI(M) and the ‘Maoists’ are in league. This isnot withstanding the fact that after the Lok Sabha elections alone almost 250CPI(M) activists and leaders mostly poor and tribals laid down their lives inthe course of taking on the political and ideological challenge of the‘Maoists’. But still there is time. The threat that‘Maoist’ violence poses to the life and livelihood of the most downtroddensections of the society in the remotest jungles of West Bengal canonly be repulsed by the joining of forces. The unity of all political partieswho believe in the rule of law and securing life of the people must acttogether to isolate the ‘Maoists’. It is the only enduring way toestablish peace. And, elimination of a single individual –however important he may be – cannot mark the end to the mindless violencewhich the ‘Maoists’ had been perpetrating. The restoration oflegitimate political activities of all political forces in the affected areasof jangal mahal area is the only rational course to achieve thatobjective.

People’s Democracy, December 04, 2011

Mass Civil Disobedience by LEFT FRONT in Kolkata

2011-12-11T20:54:00.001+05:30

THOUSANDS of people assembled at RaniRashmoni Road in Kolkata on November 28 to protest against the anti-peoplepolicies of the Trinamool and Congress run central and state governments;against price rise; against the reign of terror in West Bengal andthe undemocratic ordinance issued by Mamata Banerjee government on education.Streams of people gathered in downtown area in large processions. After theprotest meeting, more than 6000 people courted arrested led by the Left Frontchairman, Biman Basu, the leader of the opposition in West Bengal assembly,Surjyakanta Mishra, and various other leaders of the Left Front. The leadersappealed to the rest of the gathering to refrain from going forward.

Before courting arrest, the Left Frontchairman said in his speech that prices are continuously increasing because ofthe faulty policies of the central and the state governments. A systematic attackis taking place on democracy in West Bengal with the government trying to takeback through undemocratic means the hard won rights of the people of WestBengal.

At the same time, a reign of terror has been unleashed in the statewhereby 48 Left activists have been killed in the recent past. It is in protestagainst such anti-people policies of the government that the Left Front hastaken up the movement of mass civil disobedience. In his speech, Biman Basualso stated that the Trinamool Congress has always supported the policies ofthe central government both during the NDA as well as UPA rule. In the case ofincrease of petrol and fertilizer prices, the Trinamool was present in thecabinet meetings in which the decisions were taken. Therefore theymust also take the blame of the anti-people policies of the central government.

In his speech, the leader of theopposition, Surjyakanta Mishra said that the state government is resorting toillegal decisions sitting in the Writers’ Building. They are trying to curb therights of the panchayats. On the other hand political opponents are beingkilled and farmers are being evicted from their lands. Surjyakanta Mishra alsosaid that the chief minister broke all laws when she personally went to apolice station to release supporters of her party. In protest against allthese, the Left Front has taken to the streets and will continue the movementfor furthering the interests of the people.

CPI state secretary Manjukumar Majumdar,RSP leader Kshiti Goswami, Jayanta Ray of Forward Block were among others whoaddressed the meeting.

The mass civil disobedience movement wasthe culmination of many such programmes which were taken up in the districts.The Left Front and Kisan Sabha have organised mass protest actions throughoutthe state. All sections of the people participated in large numbers in the callfor civil disobedience. The central programme inKolkata was in fact the biggest such mobilisation after the assembly electionsin the state.

People’s Democracy, December 04, 2011

UPA's most vociferous critic may script her own political decline in the state

2011-11-12T21:15:00.001+05:30

West Bengal's Madame NO

ByAditiPhadnis / New Delhi, Business Standard, November 12, 2011, 0:28 IST

Laterthis month, Mamata Banerjee will have been chief minister of West Bengal forsix months. Time for a balance sheet?

First,all the things she’s managed to get done — only because they’re easier tocount. She’s taken some positive steps to revive the glory of the Presidency Collegeof Kolkata, the institution that has given India some of its best thinkers.She’s managed to defuse the Gorkhaland crisis by offering a tripartiteagreement, paving the way for the setting up of the Gorkhaland TerritorialAdministration (GTA) — an elected body for the Darjeeling hills.

Butmost of all, she has managed to establish a reputation as the most vociferouscritic of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) within the UPA.

Whenthe Centre increased the price of LPG earlier this year, Banerjee firstresisted (“the Centre did not take us into confidence…” and so on). Then shetook on a mien of martyred indignation (“the state government will bear theburden of the increase in LPG prices”) unconcerned about the fact that thestate government’s finances are in no shape to take on the burden. Shethreatened to withdraw from the UPA over the current round of petrol priceincrease, only to recant later.

AUnion minister has referred to Banerjee as a compulsive populist. It is hard todispute this description.

Takeher government’s attitude towards the price of electricity. West Bengal isconsidered a role model in power sector reform. The West Bengal StateElectricity Board (WBSEB) was trifurcated as part of power sector reforms thatbegan in 1985. In 2005-06, the state also corporatised transmission anddistribution. There are three power companies in the state now, carved out ofthe electricity board that together showed a profit of over Rs 300 crore for2010-11. The government did not privatise: and those employed by powercompanies (30,000 or so employees) are the only ones to get their salariesregularly because they don’t depend on the state government.

Butthings can change very fast. Demand for power has been rising and so has theprice of coal in a state that depends mostly on thermal power. With the massiveelectoral victory in her pocket, Banerjee could have increased the cost ofelectricity in the first week of assuming power without any difficulty.Instead, after she took over as chief minister, one of her first meetings waswith the power secretary and her bottom line was: electricity prices will notbe increased. In Kolkata, the only area where a private sector entity providespower, the cost of electricity was increased in April 2011 in sync with thecost of coal, and it is likely to increase again. In the summer of 2010, WestBengal had a peak demand shortage of between 500 Mw and 700 Mw, which isexpected to go up to between 800 Mw and 1000 Mw this summer. A perfectlyhealthy sector is going to be driven to sickness: because Banerjee doesn’t wantto become unpopular.

Butwhat she doesn’t realise is her troops are making her extremely unpopular.Somen Mitra, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP, took the unprecedented step ofbypassing his own party to complain to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in aletter about the activities of chit fund operators in Parliament — an importantMP from his own party is a big chit fund “entrepreneur” and was admitted to theTMC by Banerjee only recently.

Thebiggest problem (although it is not clear if she sees it as such) is: Banerjeeis TMC and TMC is Banerjee. Take her handling of the Maoist problem in theJunglemahal region. Subhendu Adhikari, described by TMC watchers as the man ofthe future, organised the TMC’s victory in east Midnapore. Adhikari ensured theLeft was routed in this area using his supporters, but also the rather morepersuasive powers of the gun. He is considered intelligent, popular andruthless. In Banerjee’s dictionary this spells threat. So, she bypassed him andasked another leader Mukul Roy to handle the Junglemahal problem. Roy made noheadway. So now Adhikari is back.

Thething is: no one knows who is in and who’s out. So the impulse is to ensurethere is enough for dinner tomorrow, for who knows what might happen atbreakfast today?

Forthe moment, Banerjee has little to fear from the parliamentary opposition. TheLeft Front’s disarray is embarrassing. Ill-health dogs former Chief MinisterBuddhadeb Bhattacharya, especially ahead of party meetings. The Left tradeunionists are lethargic, missing even the opportunity to mobilise stategovernment employees who are now beginning to get annoyed at the fact thattheir DA has not been revised because the state government doesn’t have the money.

Butthe challenges are snapping at Banerjee’s heels. West Bengal will see panchayatelections in 2012. How will the TMC fare? Will these elections represent thefirst glimmers of a Left comeback?

IfBanerjee goes on like this, she will be the one to have scripted it!

Didi’s dadagiri: Storms thana, gets arrested partymen freed

2011-11-12T21:08:00.001+05:30

By Madhuparna Das

Posted online: IndianExpress, Tue Nov 08 2011, 02:20 hrs

Kolkata : In an unprecedented intervention, West Bengal Chief MinisterMamata Banerjee stormed a Kolkata police station late last evening and forcedthe release of two members of her party arrested for rioting, arson andransacking the police station about an hour earlier.

The police action came after the men — along with a mob of 300 —clashed with policemen from the Bhowanipore police station who had asked themnot to burst high-decibel crackers late in the evening outside a cancerinstitute and a children’s hospital, and block both carriageways of S PMukherjee Road, a major south Kolkata thoroughfare.

The men were part of a boisterous Jagaddhatri Puja immersionparty. The puja is controlled and managed by one Jagannath Sau, a closeassociate of Baban Banerjee, one of Mamata Banerjee’s brothers.

Jagannath Sau has six cases — including extortion and cases underthe Arms Act — against him, said the officer-in-charge of Bhowanipore policestation. Sau was present at the spot — as was Baban Banerjee. Sau allegedlysupplies building material to local Congress and Trinamool leaders and menengaged in real estate promotion.

Chief Minister Banerjee — who rushed to Bhowanipore police stationfrom her Harish Chatterjee Street residence nearby — reportedly shouted atKolkata Police Commissioner R K Pachnanda, Divisional Deputy Commissioner (South)D P Singh, and the head of the police station for stopping the immersion party.The chief minister also has charge of the state home department, and the policereport directly to her.

Trouble began at around 9.30 pm. Local club Bhowanipore PlayersAssociation was taking its Jagaddhatri idol for immersion in a procession thatwas led by a loud band from the Sebak Sangha club, which is located at 14/1Rani Sankari Lane, very close to where Banerjee lives.

A DJ was playing “masala Hindi numbers”, witnesses said; and bothcarriageways of S P Mukherjee Road were blocked as club members set off loudcrackers right in front of Chittaranjan Cancer Institute.

A police request to club members not to disrupt traffic anddisturb patients quickly degenerated into an argument, and the policemen werepelted with stones and bottles. Police retaliated with a lathicharge, and themob entered the Bhowanipore police station, destroyed property and tried to setfire to several vehicles parked outside the police station. Private vehicles onthe road were attacked as well.

The chief minister arrived on the scene at around 10.45 pm —apparently walking all the way after receiving news that some of her partymembers and supporters had been attacked by police in what is a Trinamoolstronghold. She allegedly rebuked the Bhowanipore police station OC for havingobstructed the Puja procession, and got the police to release two men who hadbeen arrested for the rioting.

Tapas Saha and Sambhu Sau were allowed to go without cases being registeredagainst them, sources said. No case has been registered against the processionorganisers either. Officially police denied having taken anyone into custody.

Saha works full-time at Banerjee’s Kalighat party office. He issecretary of the Bhowanipore club, and has recently got a job with the IndianRailways. He was reportedly taken to hospital with injuries on his legs.

Sambhu Sau said, “Police arrested me and Tapas, threw us in thelock-up and began beating us. We are members of Trinamool Congress. The policerefused to release us even after our leaders, Dr Nirmal Majhi, Dulal Sen, andMinister for Urban Development Firhad Hakim reached the police station. Theyrelented only after Didi arrived. Didi is God to us. Didi arranged for mytreatment and sent Tapas to hospital.”

Ratan Malakar, Trinamool councillor from Ward No. 73 where theclub is located, said, “When our appeal to the police failed, Didi intervened.Her brother Baban Banerjee also reached the police station.”

Subhajeet Goon of Sebak Sangha club said, “After police told us tostop bursting crackers and playing loud music, we told them to take a look atour club banner and the address. Our club is located just beside Didi’sresidence. But the officer started abusing. After that we could not control ourrage.”

Goon added that Sebak Sangha members had gone to Banerjee’s homeat around 10.30 pm to complain. “Didi did not waste time and rushed to thepolice station. Didi got our brothers released.”

D P Singh, DC (South), said, “We are yet to identify the peoplewho ransacked the police station. We have started an inquiry. Some people werebursting loud crackers in front of the hospital and they were asked to stopdoing that. In no time, they attacked our officers and the police station.”

An inquiry has been ordered into the alleged police failure, itwas learnt from official sources.

Of threats and pressure tactics

2011-11-12T20:57:00.001+05:30

By Marcus Dam

THE HINDU, November 5, 2011 01:22IST

Is the Trinamool Congress' reaction tothe recent hike in petrol prices about its ‘tolerance' wearing thin or aboutfending off charges of complicity?

By threatening to pull out of theUnited Progressive Alliance government over the recent hike in petrol prices,the Trinamool Congress leadership is trying to wriggle out of a politicallydeleterious situation in which the Centre finds itself, as disaffection mountsover the spiralling prices of essential items.

Needless to say, the threat is beingmade from a position of strength, the Trinamool Congress being the secondlargest constituent of the UPA. If carried out, it could pull the rug fromunder the feet of the government.

Whether the threat will be carried outor not is, of course, another matter. But the Prime Minister is certainly infor some hard bargaining on his return from his overseas tour if the apple-cartis not to be upset. For, all such threats — by definition in political parlance— are, for all practical purposes, pressure tactics.

Under attack in recent times from both theLeft parties and, albeit with less stridency, the Bharatiya Janata Party, fornot speaking out against economic polices of the scam-tainted Congress-ledgovernment at the Centre, the Trinamool Congress has found in the fourth hikein petrol prices this year an opportunity to express its resentment over notbeing consulted by the Congress in matters of major consequence, despite beinga constituent of the UPA.

And in one fell swoop, it would alsoinvalidate claims by her political rivals that she, by being a silent spectatorin the government, is apathetic to the problems of the common man buffeted bythe rise in the prices of essential commodities.

That the Trinamool Congress is peevedover the Congress riding roughshod over it was made clear in the reminder byits chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that while apullout by the party would result in the toppling of the government at theCentre, it enjoyed a majority on its own and was not dependant on the Congressto stay in power in West Bengal.

Doubtless, the Congress in West Bengalplays second fiddle to the Trinamool — a political liaison that has rarely beenharmonious but has survived because of the Congress in New Delhi insisting thatit has. One can already see some more disgruntled sections of the Congress inthe State secretly delighting in Ms. Banerjee's most recent posturing.

“Somebody has to bell the cat. If weare outside the government, we can at least speak in the interests of thepeople,” Ms. Banerjee has remarked. But it would be politically naïve to assumethat the rise in the prices of petroleum products, the growing rate of foodinflation and the consequent burden on the common man are the only reasons forher grouse.

Ever since assuming power in May, shehas been expressing her displeasure over the Centre for failing to provide hergovernment with a special financial package that would bail the State economyout of the bankruptcy it has allegedly inherited. The issue dominates herrhetoric. Is the pullout threat also a pressure tactic for extracting from theCentre the financial assistance?

By her own admission, the government ofwhich her party is a part, has been responsible for the rise in prices ofpetroleum products “eleven times in twelve months” which she feels is“intolerable.” This begs the question why the Trinamool Congress was not asassertive of its opposition to the price hikes then, the way it is now. If onegoes by what Ms. Banerjee has to say, it is the party's “tolerance” which isnow wearing thin.

Or is it that the Trinamool Congress isfinding it difficult to fend off charges of complicity each time there has beena rise in prices and of pursing an economic line that is no different from thatof the Congress? For that has been the argument of the Communist Party of India(Marxist), its principal adversary in West Bengal.

At least the threat of a pullout fromthe government and all the hype it generates could be designed to project theimpression that the party is not just sympathetic to the common man's concernsbut that its position in the government should be taken more seriously by theCongress.

After all, over the past two-and-a-halfyears “we have not even been given a room [for the party] in Parliament,” notto talk of “we not willing to accept the burden [price rise] being thrust onthe people,” according to Ms. Banerjee.

And even before one can doubt theseriousness of intent, she pre-empts any questions that could be asked inreference to it. The Trinamool Congress is not “blackmailing or bargaining” asmight be made out by some, Ms. Banerjee, who has always had a penchant forhistrionics, has said. “Forgive us, but we have not done any wrong,” she says,her hands folded.

Why is WB CM Mamata Banerjee silent?

2011-10-29T18:26:00.001+05:30

TIMES NOW, 29 Oct 2011, 0937 hrs IST, AGENCIES

30 infants have died in 72 hours but that has still not prompted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to come out and clarify on what her government is doing to stop babies from dying in government hospitals.

Thirteen newborns died in the Burdwan Medical College and four more at Kolkata's B C Roy Children's Hospital, which has witnessed a series of crib deaths, taking the toll in the two government hospitals in West Bengal to 30 on Friday.

Though the deaths have raised a question mark on the standard of healthcare in paediatric hospitals in the state, authorities claimed that it was not unusual.

Since Thursday, four babies died at the B C Roy Children's Hospital and 12 at the Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, which also saw a death yesterday. "The one-to-three day-old babies were underweight and suffering from jaundice, encephalitis and septicaemia," Burdwan Medical College and Hospital Deputy Superintendent Tapas Kumar Ghosh said.

Deputy Director of Medical Education Susanta Banerjee and Health Commissioner Dilip Ghosh were sent by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to the hospital.

Banerjee said that there was no medical negligence in the death of the babies as they were referred in a moribund stage and that one or two deaths occurred daily. He said that in two and half months the number of beds would be increased to 190 from the current 60.

The Deputy Medical Superintendent of the hospital said the doctors did their best to save the lives of the babies at the hospital where 160 infants were being treated against its capacity of 60 beds.

At the B C Roy Children's Hospital, another four babies died taking up the toll there to 17 in the last three days. "Four babies, referred to us in a critical condition, died since yesterday," its superintendent D Pal said. There was "nothing abnormal or unusual" in the death of babies, mostly below one month, Pal said, as they were admitted in extremely critical conditions.

Pal said on an average, five infant deaths occurred in the hospital of the daily admission of nearly 300, mostly referred by district hospitals.

Noting that the hospital was overburdened with patients referred from district hospitals, Pal maintained that the best of care was given to the babies admitted.

The health department earlier gave a clean chit to the B C Roy Children's Hospital after an internal inquiry. The Director of Medical Education said no lapse was found in the treatment of the babies, who were brought in a moribund state.

http://www.timesnow.tv/videoshow/4387550.cms

Sixteen more babies die in WB govt hospitals; toll 29

2011-10-29T18:26:00.000+05:30

The Asian Age, 28 Oct, 2011

Four more babies died at Kolkata's B.C. RoyChildren's Hospital, which has witnessed a series of crib deaths, besides 12newborns in the Burdwan Medical College, taking the death toll in twogovernment hospitals in West Bengal to 29 today.

Though the crib deaths have raised a questionmark on the standard of medical care in paediatric hospitals in the state,hospital authorities claimed that it was 'not unusual'.

Twelve babies have died at the BurdwanMedical College and Hospital in Burdwan district and four at the B.C. RoyChildren's Hospital here since yesterday, authorities said today.

"The one-to-three days old babies wereunderweight and suffering from jaundice, encephalitis and septicemia,"Burdwan Medical College and Hospital Deputy Superintendent Tapas Kumar Ghoshsaid.

Doctors did their best to save the lives ofthe babies, but all were born with critical complaints at the hospital where160 infants were being treated against its capacity of 60 beds, he said.

In Kolkata, at the B.C. Roy Children'sHospital, another four babies died taking up the toll there to 17 in the lastthree days.

"Four babies, referred to us in acritical condition, died in the hospital in the last 24 hours," itssuperintendent D Pal said.

There was 'nothing abnormal or unusual' inthe death of babies, mostly below one month, Pal said, as they were admitted inan extremely critical condition.

Pal said on an average, five infant deathsoccurred in the hospital of the daily admission of nearly 300, mostly referredby district hospitals.

Stating that the hospital was overburdenedwith patients referred from district hospitals, Pal maintained that the best ofcare was given to the babies admitted.

But The health department yesterday gave a cleanchit to the B.C. Roy Children's Hospital after an internal inquiry.

Director of Medical Education SushantaBanerjee said no lapse was found in the treatment of the babies, who werebrought in a moribund state.

Demand coal royalty from Centre, Left’s Asim tells govt

2011-10-26T15:35:00.000+05:30

Express News Service Posted online: Tue Oct25 2011, 05:56 hrs

Kolkata : Amid Chief MinisterMamata Banerjee’s demand for a financial package from the Centre, AsimDasgupta, the former finance minister in the Left Front government, on Mondaysaid the state government should demand Rs 5,000 crore coal royalty from theCentral government.

He said other states too have been getting coalroyalty from the Centre and thus they cannot oppose the West Bengalgovernment's demand. The state government's demand for a financial package fromthe Centre had angered other states like Gujarat and Tamil Nadu whose chiefministers, Narendra Modi and Jayalalitha respectively, had allegedstep-motherly treatment by the Centre.

Addressing mediapersons in Kolkata, Dasguptasaid the Centre has not given the state any royalty for the coal dug up fromBengal since 1991. “Moreover, there is a Supreme Court order on giving coalroyalty to the states,” he added.

Dasgupta, who had been handling the state'sfinances for nearly two decades said the incumbent government has nothighlighted the coal royalty while demanding financial aid from the Centre. Heeven termed that some of the claims made by the Mamata Banerjee-led governmenton the financial status of the state as “misleading”. “The total revenuereceipt of the state government is Rs 65,848 crore of which 74 per cent and not94 per cent, as claimed by the present government, is spent on paying salaries,pensions and interest,” said Dasgupta, who called the new government as“incompetent”.

Dasgupta said the total income of the stategovernment stands at Rs 87,643 crore, and out of this 63 per cent is spent ofsalary, pensions and interest to the loans. He said the remaining, Rs 32,713,crore be spent by the state to meet various expenses.

Alleging that the incumbent government has notbeen able to manage the state’s finances effectively, Dasgupta said the LeftFront government had borrowed Rs 5,000 crore from the open market last year,but the new government has borrowed Rs 10,000 crore in the same period thisyear. He also said that while last year the state government had been able toincrease the tax collection to 29 per cent, this year the growth has been only19 per cent against a target of 30 per cent.

He also rejected the government's claim that thestate has “humongous” debt. The former finance minister said that while Bengal hasa debt of Rs 1.92 lakh crore, other states like Maharashtra has a debt of Rs2.36 lakh crore and UP has Rs 2.35 lakh crore as debts as on March 31,2011.

Asim data duel with Mamata

THE TELEGRAPH, Issue Date: Tuesday ,October 25 , 2011

Calcutta, Oct. 24: Former finance ministerAsim Dasgupta today opened a war of numbers with Mamata Banerjee by callinginto question the data used by the chief minister to seek special assistancefrom the Centre to overcome Bengal’s financial woes.

During her meeting with Prime Minister ManmohanSingh last week, Mamata had highlighted that the state government was left withonly 6 paise from every rupee it earned to fund development and blamed thecrisis on the Left’s 34 years of “misrule”.

“Out of one rupee, 94 paise are spent on salaryand other responsibilities of the state. Only 6 paise are left for development.How will we do with such little money? The Centre has to think,” she had saidin Delhi.

Dasgupta said that according to the financialstatement (Abstract of the Annual Financial Statement 2011-12 and Trends ofExpenditure and Growth Trajectories) tabled by his successor Amit Mitra, thestate’s outgo on salaries, pension and interest payment constituted 74 per centof the revenue receipts.

No one from the government was available toexplain the accounting Mamata had used to arrive at the 94-paise figure.

“I don’t know how the figure of 94 was arrivedat,” Dasgupta said.

“If the Centre extends help to the stategovernment, it will be good. But what was said while seeking extra assistancewas misleading and incomplete,” he added.

Dasgupta has held several news conferences inthe past five months to rebut Mamata’s claim that the Left’s misrule hadplunged Bengal into bankruptcy. On all such occasions, the attempt was todefend the Left record and its policies by rolling out economic data.
Today, he went on the attack, first questioningthe numbers that form the basis of Mamata’s strident demand for special centralassistance, the absence of which even after five months in power appears to befrustrating her. Non-Congress states have opposed a special package for Bengal,alleging this would amount to discrimination against them.
“This government had set a target of 30 per centgrowth in tax revenue collection, but till now the growth has been only around19 per cent. In the corresponding period, we had achieved a growth of around 29per cent last year,” said Dasgupta.

The former finance minister also mentioned thatthe new government’s market borrowing had touched Rs 10,000 crore — the highestamong all states — in the five months of the current fiscal year while the LeftFront had restricted it to Rs 9,500 crore for all of 2010-11.

“Government employees have not received even oneinstalment of the dearness allowance this year,” he said. The issue of arrearsand DA for government staff is sensitive as the state employs over 10 lakhpeople.

‘Unfit to drive’, 156 fire engine drivers hired by Left told to take a retest

2011-10-23T22:35:00.000+05:30

SabyasachiBandopadhyay

INDIANEXPRESS, Posted online: Thu Oct 20 2011, 02:37 hrs

Kolkata: The West Bengalgovernment has ordered a retest for a batch of 156 engine drivers of the FireService department who got their jobs about eight months ago after goingthrough all necessary tests.

Theorder was issued by Indevar Pandey, Principal Secretary, Fire department, sometime back after Director of Fire Services Gopal Bhattacharya wrote to thegovernment that 27 of the 156 drivers, who were recruited during the fag end ofLeft Front rule, were not fit to drive fire engines and were recruited withoutproper tests.

Sincethe 27 could not be singled out, the fire department called all the 156 for aretest of their driving skills.

“Thetests are going on. I will not say anything more on this,” Bhattacharya toldThe Indian Express.

Themove, however, has not gone down well with a section of officials believingthat it could lead to complications.

“Ifany of the drivers goes to court, the government would be in a fix as they weretaken in after all the tests, including medical. Apart from that they are inservice and have been receiving salary for the past eight months. How can youtake a retest now? What will you do if any of them disqualifies,” asked oneofficial.

Inanother mysterious development, the complaint sent by Bhattacharya to the Secretarywas on Wednesday found missing from the file.

“Thismust have been an insider job, somebody is trying to shield the man or group ofmen who were responsible for those appointments during the Left Frontgovernment,” said one official.

TheFire Department is facing a leadership crisis as Pandey, who handles two otherdepartments as well - Home (Personnel) and Disaster Management — hardly findsany time it.

“Henever sits in his office in the Fire Department. Many projects and plans havefallen. The department is in doldrums,’’ an official alleged.

Coal shortfall hits steel production in West Bengal

2011-10-23T22:32:00.000+05:30

IANS, Oct 18, 2011, 02.48pm IST

KOLKATA:Production in the secondary steel sector of West Bengal has fallen as heavyrains have prevented the state-run Coal India Limited (CIL) from supplyingenough of the vital raw material.

Thesector expects to be further hit because there will be no e-auction of coal forit this month. It is on hold to divert the raw material to power stations.These auctions are a 'lifeline' to the secondary steel sector.

Coalsupply to power and steel plants are badly affected as the coal giant wasunable to meet its target in the first half of the current fiscal, the outputfalling short by around 20 million tonnes (MT) due to adverse weatherconditions.

Againstthe target of 196 MT, largely due to heavy rains the Maharatna company couldproduce only about 176 MT of coal from April to September.

Steelmakerssaid the coal crisis for the steel sector will aggravate further with CIL'srecent decision to offer four million tonnes of additional coal by e-auction tothe power sector in October.

"Plantsin West Bengal are on the verge of closing down due to acute coalshortage," Kolkata-based Shyam Steel director Lalit Beriwala told IANS."We have been particularly facing severe shortage of coal for the last sixmonths because of short supply from the CIL."

Beriwalasaid the state was currently producing at half its installed capacity.

"Nonew coal linkage has been given for the last four years in the state," hesaid.

Hesaid prices of coal distributed through e-auction were very high; moreover, notrader should be allowed in the e-auction because they tend to jack up prices.

Thecoal distribution policy in the country has to be changed, he said.

OnCIL's decision to put on hold the e-auction for the month of October, Beriwalasaid it will aggravate the coal crisis for steel producers as they purchased abulk of coal through this medium.

"Now70 percent of the steel plants will be closed down in West Bengal. I do notknow what will be the fate of industry in the state if the government does nottake any action," he added.

Anothermajor steelmaker in the state, Jai Balaji Group, said it had resorted to morecoal import from abroad.

"Forthe last few months, we have been facing severe shortage of domestic coalsupplied by CIL and its subsidiaries," Jai Balaji Group chairman andmanaging director Aditya Jajodia said.

"Dueto that our coal import has been increased by 25 percent. As a result cost ofsteel production has soared by about 40 percent," he added.

Jajodiasaid CIL's decision on e-auction of coal was a "negativedevelopment". "It will hurt steel sector as a whole," he added.

SantoshBajaj of the Merchants' Chamber of Commerce ( MCC) said the steel sector in thestate was facing supply as well as demand constraints.

"Bengalsteel plants are facing a raw materials crisis, more in the recent times,because of the short supply in coal. Demand for steel is low because of lowspending on infrastructure. If demand was high then the base price would havebeen higher. It would have ensured good profit for steel makers," Bajajsaid.

Moreover,according to him, steel producers are also facing a working capital crisis asinterest rates are too high.

"Financiallythey are in a pathetic condition," he added.

Low foodgrain production in high-yielding states: Study

2011-10-23T22:29:00.000+05:30

BUSINESS STANDARD / New Delhi October 17, 2011, 1:09 IST

Rajasthan,Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Karnataka have shown high-growth momentum inagricultural foodgrain production during the last five years and have thepotential to contribute significantly to India’s foodgrain basket.

Theshare of these low-foodgrain yielding states in the total foodgrain productionof India have improved from 17.4 per cent to 19 per cent during 2002-06 periodover 2007-11 period.

However,the contribution of the states with high-yield foodgrain production likePunjab, Kerala, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh to the national basket hasdeclined from around 41 per cent to around 38 per cent during the same period,a study conducted by PHD Chamber Research Bureau said here today.

Jharkhandposted 40 per cent growth in the foodgrain production during the lastfive-year-period (2007-11) over the previous five-year period (2002-06),growing from 2.28 million tonnes (mt) (annual average) in 2002-06 to 3.20 mt(annual average) during 2007-11 period.

Similarly,Rajasthan posted a foodgrain production growth of 21.84 per cent over the sameperiod, growing from 12.62 mt (annual average) in 2002-06 to 15.38 mt (annualaverage) during 2007-11.

Foodgrainproductions in Karnataka and Maharashtra have also grown at impressive rates of24.09 per cent and 22.3 per cent, respectively, the PHD Chamber study said.

Thegreen revolution effect of high-yield agrarian states like Punjab, and UttarPradesh seems to be fading. The foodgrain production growth in these states hasreached a saturation point, the study pointed out.

Punjab,the significant contributor to the foodgrain production of India where per hectareyield is also highest in the country (4,148 kg/hectare), has registered aroundeight per cent growth in the last five-year period (2007-11).

Foodgrainproduction in West Bengal (2,561 kg/hectare) and Uttar Pradesh (2,260kg/hectare) have grown at modest (-)2 per cent and eight per cent,respectively, the study added. Kerala with 2,896 kg/ hectare foodgrainproduction has grown at a disappointing (-) 10.9 per cent.

Itis a matter of concern that the states with high yield of foodgrain productionlike Punjab, Kerala, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh have registered a decliningtrend in the growth of food grains.

Theircontribution to the national basket has declined from around 41 per cent in2002-06 period to around 38 per cent during 2007-11 period. In comparison tothis, the share of the low-yielding states including Rajasthan, Maharashtra,Jharkhand, and Karnataka have improved from 17.4 per cent to 19 per cent duringthe same period, according to the study.

Onthe contrary, states with low-foodgrain yield per hectare, which have not beenexploited to the fullest, have registered high-growth potentials during theperiod, the study said.

West Bengal madrasas see conspiracy in Mamata’s affiliation offer

2011-10-23T22:25:00.001+05:30

Submitted by admin4on 16 October 2011 - 4:00pm

By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net

Kolkata: In a setback to West BengalChief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s move to please Muslims, a representative bodyof private religious madrasas in the state has rejected Mamata’s offer ofaffiliation to 10,000 madrasas. West Bengal Rabeta Madaris-e-Islamia Arabiarejected the offer saying there is a conspiracy to bring religious madrasas inpolitical fold.

“Muslim should be aware of thegovernment recognition offer for Islamic madrasas. Most of the Islamic madrasasin West Bengal are following the syllabus of Darul Uloom Deoband and MazahirUloom Saharanpur. Any madrasa run by Rabeta will never take Governmentrecognition announced by the Chief Minister of West Bengal,” said Mufti AbulQasim Nomani, Chancellor of Darul Uloom Deoband.

(L-R) Chancellor of Darul Uloom Deoband Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani, MaulanaSiddiqullah Chowdhury, Principal Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur Maulana Sahid, Profof Jamia Sahi Muradabad Mufti Salman.

Addressing a press conference hereon 13th October, Maulana Nomani said “If Government wants to do something leavetargeting Madrasa. Madrasa should have right to go their own way, destinationIslamic Education.”

“Religious Madrasa should not takeany Government Assistance. In Sachar Report we have seen only 4% Madrasastudents. The rest are going to school or modern education centres. Governmentshould take care of schools not Muslim-run Islamic Madarsa. Madrasas areteaching Islamic lesson. We have right to teach Islamic Education and buildIslamic Educational Institution to our choice, which stated in IndianConstituency. We will abide Indian Constituency not State run Government Rule,’Maulana Nomani roared.

He and other leaders of West BengalRabeta Madaris-e-Islamia Arabia questioned the affiliation offer of the CM byraising the issue of the number of madrasas in the state. They said the largestmadrasa body Rabeta is running only 700 madrasas. So how will the govt get10,000 madrasas in West Bengal?

Maulana Siddiqullah Chowdhury saidthe declaration of recognition to 10000 Madrasas by Mamata Banerjee led WestBengal Government is totally fake. Because there are not 10000 madrasas in WestBengal right now. It is a conspiracy against Islamic education, he said.

In reply to a question aboutMamata’s claims that 90% of Muslim development issues has been coveredsuccessfully, Chowdhury said, the people of West Bengal knows well, they aredoing nothing. This is a totally fake propaganda.

Principal of Mazahir UloomSaharanpur said: If Madrasas are willing government assistance then Islamic Lessonmight be dropped. So, Muslims should keep distance from Government Affiliation.

These eminent clerics and heads ofrenowned madarasas in the country were speaking at a press conference called atthe end of two-day conference (12-13 Oct) of madrasas called by West BengalRabeta Madaris-e-Islamia Arabia at Jamia Islamia Madani near Dumdum Airport inKolkata.

The conference was attended byaround 700 Madrasas from 19 districts of the state. Eminent figures whofeatured the conference were Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani (Chancellor of Darul UloomDeoband and president of All India Rabeta Madaris-e-Islamia Arabia) MaulanaShahid (Principal of Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur), Mufti Salman (Professor ofJamia Shahi Muradabad) and Maulana Yusuf (Gujarat Darul Uloom). The conferencewas presided over by Maulana Siddiqullah Chowdhury.

From deferent districts of WestBengal lots of Islamic clerics and teachers attended the conference.

Some important points discussed atthe conference:

1. To make good relation amongMadrasas and should take care to build up coordination.

2. Rabeta Members will have an eyeon Anti-Madrasa campaign

3. To increase quality of learningsystem-- Madrasa concern has to be taken special care.

4. To save Islamic Culture we haveto spread benefit of Islamic education in the society.

5. Darul Uloom Deoband and JamiatUlama-e-Hind advised to keep safe distance from Government Financial help torun the madrasa. Madrasa should follow as usual process to collect donationform Muslim Community, society.

6. Govt of West Bengal declared togive the government affiliation to the 10000 Madrasa in West Bengal. This isthe conspiracy to manage the Madrasa in political outfit. So, Madrasa shouldnot take any government recognition.

'Mamata failed to deliver on promises to Maoists'

2011-10-23T22:19:00.001+05:30

LastUpdated: Sunday, October 16, 2011, 11:31

Ashok Jiban, Jhargram: Spokesperson of the People's Committee against PoliceAtrocities (PCPA), Ashok Jiban, has said that West Bengal Chief Minister MamataBanerjee has failed to deliver on the promises she made to the Maoists beforethe state elections.

Whilereacting to recent statements by Mamata Banerjee, Jiban said: "She(Banerjee) talked about peace during her visit here. We also want peace and formaking the environment conducive for peace she will have to keep her promisesand then the process of continuous discussions will bring back permanent peacehere."

Healso said that the Maoist prisoners arrested during the conflicts must bereleased as was promised earlier.

"Firstwe want withdrawal of the security forces, then we want the unconditionalrelease of all the prisoners and withdrawal of false cases. In the past, whenthe CPI(M) established a new government, they released prisoners without anycondition. Uttar Pradesh government also released prisoners on her birthday,recently the Orissa government also released prisoners and the military juntagovernment of Myanmar controlled by Army also released 6300 prisoners. They alldidn't establish their respective governments with any promises but the ChiefMinister of West Bengal made these promises before the elections," headded.

Jibanalso said that Banerjee's call to the Maoists to give up arms is a farce asthere are other gangs controlled by political parties, which need to bedisbanded.

"TheChief Minister said that the rebels have given up arms. But the people don'thave any arms. It is in the hands of the CPI(M)'s Harmad. It is in the TMC's(Trinamool Congress) Bhairab Bahini's hands. Arms are also in the Maoist'shands, but Maoists are not like the Harmad and Bhairab gangs because they havetheir own ideals. They should not be compared with these gangs under anycircumstances. But these gangs attack villages regularly so their arms must beseized first," he asserted.

ANI

Congress says ministers not being allowed to work in Bengal

2011-10-23T22:16:00.000+05:30

INDIAN EXPRESS, Posted online: Fri Oct 14 2011,09:20 hrs

Malda : Congress, which runs an alliancegovernment with the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, today alleged itsministers were not being given a free hand to work in the state and warnedagainst "undermining" the party's importance.

"Congress party workers are not beinggiven a free hand in the state despite being an alliance partner. This shouldbe protested against," said senior West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committeeleader Abdul Mannan.

"The Trinamool Congress governmentshould work for the betterment of the people of the state and this has to bedone jointly with the Congress," he said, addressing a party panchayatfunction here.

Addressing the gathering, WBPCC chief PradipBhattacharya said, "Congress' importance as an alliance partner should notbe undermined and should be judged realistically."

"Workers must learn to shed theirfrustration and work for the party," he added.

Don’t include Dooars, Terai in GTA: Tribal leaders

2011-10-23T22:12:00.000+05:30

Last Updated: Wednesday, October 12,2011, 15:37

Chalsa (WB): Adivasi leadersof Dooars and Terai in West Bengal today met state Chief Minister MamataBanerjee and said they would not allow any area from the two tribal regions tobe included in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration formed recently.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha had demandedat the time of the GTA agreement that some mouzas of the two adivasi regions beincluded in the authority. While Dooars has 98 mouzas, Terai has 123.

The Dooars lies on the foothills of theeastern Himalayas around Bhutan while Terai is the area near the Siwalik range,the lowest outer foothills of the Himalayas.

Representatives of various adivasiorganisations like the Toto Kalyan Samiti, Bodo People's Forum and AkhilBharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad in a meeting with the Chief Minister here putforward three alternatives.

Either an authority on the lines of theGTA to be named as Adivasi Territorial Administration for the two regions beformed, an Adivasi Autonomous Council be created or both the regions beincluded in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

They also submitted some memorandumscontaining their demands to the Chief Minister.

Mamata said she needed some time toconsider their demands.

PTI

Centre committed to Katwa thermal power plant: Shinde

2011-10-23T22:09:00.000+05:30

Farakka (West Bengal), Sep 28 (PTI): The Centre today saidit is committed to setting up the Katwa thermal power project in West Bengal.

"NTPC will set up a power plant in Katwa. Ialso announce that we will offer 50 per cent of the capacity to thestate," Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said here today.

He was speaking at the inauguration of full-loadcommercial operation of NTPC''s 500 MW stage III unit at Farraka.

With the addition of 500 MW, the Farraka thermalpower plant''s total capacity increased to 2,100 MW.

Shinde''s assurance brought new hope to thepower project, which is mired in problems of land acquisition, although heasked the state government to arrange for land and water.

State power minister Manish Gupta, who was alsopresent at the event, said that the government would offer full cooperation andsupport to Centre’spower projects in the state.

The West Bengal Power Development Corporation issupposed to transfer the 1,320 MW thermal power project to the NTPC which hasacquired only 458 acres out of 1,100 acres required for the project.

NTPC Chairman Arup Roy Choudhury also expressedhope, saying the new land policy favours government support of infrastructureprojects.

"We are also ready to pay the land ownersdirectly the price the WBPDCL had paid. We need the original land owners'' listfrom the government," he said.

Gupta called for permission for setting up hydelpower projects in the northern part of the country and in Bhutan.

Meanwhile, NTPC is targeting to reduce share ofimported coal for Farraka plant to 10 per cent from 20 per cent by increasingdomestic coal supply.

CPI (M) Keshpur Zonal office set on fire by Trinamool hooligans

2011-10-21T17:25:00.000+05:30

27th September, 2011

West Midnapore: Morethan hundred Trinamool hooligans with firearms attacked CPI (M)'s zonal officeat Keshpur in West Midnapore district Tuesday morning. Trinamool activists, whowere taking out a rally near the office, attacked Comrade Jamshed Ali Bhavanbuilding; they barged into the office premises, ransacked it and set the groundfloor on fire. Near about 45 party workers are trapped on the second floor ofthe office then. The incident happened before the police force deployed there.But they didn’t intervene or resist Trinamool attackers. After Rapid ActionForce rushed to the site, Police had to resort to lathi charge to control thecrowds.

The attack was launchedallegedly after some CPI (M) supporters were seen with arms at the office. Thiscould not be confirmed. Actually, after the last assembly election police andTrinamool hooligans two times searched Keshpur Zonal office with the allegationthat there were lots of arms inside the party office. But they didn’t findanything.

This time story was slightlydifferent. On Monday, there was a clash between two factions of TrinamoolCongress at Mirpara village of Keshpur left one dead and several injured. A groupof TMC supporters at Panchami received information that one Ajmera Biwi wasattacked and her home ransacked at Mirpara village. When some local leadersreached the spot at around 2:30pm, they found the other faction waiting forthem with arms. The armed group also belongs to Trinamool. Soon an altercationfollowed and the new group opened fire. Sheikh Samiyet (18) was criticallywounded after two bullets hit him. He was rushed to Midnapore Medical Collegewhere he succumbed to his injuries. Among the injured were Roshan Khan (35),Moinuddin Khan (28) and Jalal Khan (40). All three were hit on their legs bystray bullets.

Trinamool West Midnaporedistrict President Dinen Roy, however, refused to see it as an intra-partyclash. But SP Midnapore (west) Praveen Tripathi said, "There was violencebetween two groups. Bullets were fired, villagers were attacked. We havereports of several injuries and one person have been killed. We have arrestedthree people in connection with the violence. The role of political parties isunder scrutiny."

Actually, these two groupsbelongs to Chitta Garai, Trinamool block president of Keshpur and AsishPramanik, who contested as TMC candidate of Keshpur in last assembly election. There was palpable tension at Panchami villagewere the two factions have been at loggerheads. The bone of contention betweenthe two warring factions is over the controlling of the locality. But after theincident Trinamool state leadership want hushed up the factional war. Aftertheir instructions, late on Monday evening, the TMC members started ademonstration in front of Keshpur police station demanding a thorough search inthe erstwhile CPI (M)-dominated villages that have huge arms in store. And inthe morning they attacked CPI (M) Zonal Office.

West Bengal Left Front Chairmanand CPI(M) state secretary Biman Bose strongly condemned the attack. He said, ‘Manyworkers have been injured. Around 45 of our workers have been locked inside thefirst floor. The miscreants are trying to set the office ablaze.’ Biman Bose said, ‘After the assembly electionTrinamool and Police force jointly attacked, ransacked, set fire more than 600hundred of our party offices. Our 40 comrades killed. TMC govt. and partylaunched a Political vendetta against us. This should be stopped immediately ina democratic system.’

Missing a historic chance

2011-09-20T19:53:00.001+05:30

ByPraful Bidwai

Monday,September 19, 2011

DidIndia snatch defeat from the jaws of victory during its prime minister’s firstvisit to Bangladesh in 12 years? The answer is largely yes, although the visitalso registered some gains. On balance, the Indian leadership squandered ahistoric chance to overcome mutual distrust and transform the India-Bangladeshrelations to a point where they reflect the potential for exemplary cooperationbetween the two neighbours, with huge benefits to both and to the South Asianregion.

Thevisit’s biggest vitiating factor was West Bengal Chief Minister MamataBanerjee, who adopted an unreasonable and parochial stand on sharing the watersof River Teesta and pulled out of the trip. Could her obstinacy andtemperamental behaviour have been anticipated? Was enough groundwork done toprepare her for an equitable sharing of the river’s waters? There are twodivergent accounts of this. One says Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’srepresentatives, including National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon, triedhard to convince Banerjee that the interests of her state, in particular, theNorth Bengal districts, were being taken care of in the Teesta agreement withwater shared in a 52:48 ratio between the two countries. Banerjee first agreed,but suddenly raised micro-level issues, such as sharing the flows during thelean season. During that season, West Bengal, she insisted, would concede nomore than 25 percent of the flow at a barrage called Gazaldoba, which lies 90km inside Indian territory. Menon took this proposal to Bangladesh fordiscussion.

Butmeanwhile, Banerjee abruptly decided to boycott the trip. She is reportedlyextremely keen to build a base for her Trinamool Congress party in NorthBengal, where the Left and the Congress are traditionally strong. According tothe second account, the Central government failed to reassure Banerjeesufficiently, and could have done so had it worked harder on the largerpicture. At that picture’s centre is the historic wrong India committed byunilaterally diverting the waters of the Ganga by building a barrage at Farakkain 1975. This was grossly unfair in and of itself. Worse, the diversion causedenormous losses of food and fisheries production in Bangladesh for almost twodecades. According to Ashok Swain of Sweden’s Uppsala university, Farakkachanged the river’s hydrology, “disrupted fishing and navigation, broughtunwanted salt deposits into rich farming soil, [and] affected agricultural andindustrial production ...”, causing an annual loss estimated at 2 to 2.5percent of the GDP. This is equivalent to the effect of the entire InformationTechnology sector being taken out of the Indian economy! Even worse was thehuman tragedy, including large-scale displacement, destitution and forcedmigration.

Farakkabecame a symbol of Indian domination and stoked anti-Indianism in Bangladesh,which the Right cynically exploited. Anti-Indianism entered the mainstream.Banerjee could have been persuaded to understand the importance of undoing thisblunder. She might even have comprehended the inequity of the current Teestawater-sharing pattern, under which India reportedly has access to about 32,000cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water during the lean season for eightmillion people, while Bangladesh must make do with just 5,000 cusecs for 20million. Unfortunately, such a focussed effort was not made. Even if it hadbeen, it’s conceivable that Banerjee would still have been obstructionist – forwholly narrow, short-term political reasons. As a last resort, the Centre couldhave asked for more time to negotiate a satisfactory Teesta accord, and stilltried to get Banerjee on board. That didn’t happen. The Teesta failure is ahuge setback to the cause of radically reforming Indo-Bangladesh relations.

Singh’sDhaka visit was billed as a game-changer, which would pave the way for a Bay ofBengal community, including Burma, and provide greater linkages with Nepal andBhutan, thus promoting South Asian integration. It would also greatlyfacilitate transit and trade between India’s northeast and the mainland.Transporting 45 percent of all goods to the region through waterways, roads,rail and air links via Bangladesh would yield enormous savings in fuel andtime. The advantages of developing this backward and restive northeast cannotbe overstated. India must reverse the damage by negotiating fair and equitableagreements on all the shared rivers with Bangladesh as quickly as possible.India must acknowledge that Bangladesh has legitimate concerns about some Indiandam projects such as Tipaimukh in Manipur. These must be addressed in acooperative spirit. The Bangladesh government has acted positively on India’sdemands on transit and security. It has refused to provide sanctuaries toinsurgent groups from the northeast, enabling the agreement now being reachedwith the United Liberation Front of Asom.

PrimeMinister Sheikh Hasina has gone out of her way to meet Indian requests, oftenat the risk of being branded unacceptably pro-Indian. India should do more thanreciprocate all this. Indian policymakers need to remind themselves of theGujral Doctrine, a worthy principle which held that India’s dealings with allher neighbours barring Pakistan must go beyond strict reciprocity, togenerously unilateral gestures. (I would argue this should apply to Pakistantoo, especially in trade and people-to-people exchanges, but that’s anothermatter.) The Gujral Doctrine created goodwill for India, and helped counter thecharge that India has a Big Brother-like attitude towards its smallerneighbours and doesn’t hesitate to interfere in their internal affairs, as itdid by sending troops to Sri Lanka, imposing an embargo on goods going toNepal, and militarily intervening in the Maldives. It’s imperative that Indiarectify not just the image, but the object (its relations).

AsIndia-Bangladesh relations go, it is not enough for New Delhi to rest on thesmall gains made through the various agreements signed in Dhaka on the landboundary, biodiversity conservation, economic cooperation, and a $750 millionloan for trade infrastructure, etc. India must correct the huge imbalance inbilateral trade, with a deficit of $4.5 billion vis-à-vis a country that’s 15times smaller in economic size. Readymade garments make up 80 percent of Bangladesh’sexports. In 2008, India started giving “duty-free” access to them, but stilllevied a countervailing duty of 4 to 12 percent, thus taking away with the lefthand what was given with the right hand. The garment quota was raised fromeight million pieces to 10 million last year, but Bangladesh exhausted thisyear’s quota in the first six months.

Indiastill has 480 items on its “negative” trade list for Bangladesh. But if allthese were to be given true duty-free access, it would cost India a paltry $5million loss in revenue, according to a 2008-09 estimate by the Centre forPolicy Dialogue in Dhaka. Such access would greatly boost investment, growthand employment in Bangladesh, with immense benefits for regional integration.India must develop imaginative strategies in trade, economic and culturalcooperation, education and action to combat climate change. Bangladesh is oneof the world’s most climate change-vulnerable countries. Parts of India’s EastCoast are equally vulnerable. Cyclone Aila, which devastated large swathes inBangladesh and India’s Sunderbans, showed this in 2009.

Asa precondition for this change of stance, India must stop seeing itselfprimarily as part of the global Big League and relate seriously to the SouthAsian region to which it belongs, geographically, culturally and strategically.

Thewriter, a former newspaper editor, is a researcher and peace and human-rightsactivist based in Delhi. Email: prafulbidwai1@yahoo.co.in

http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=68341&Cat=9

Mamata Banerjee and our disappointment

2011-09-09T21:02:00.000+05:30

Syed Badrul Ahsan

THE DAILY STAR, Wednesday, September 7,2011

OP-ED

Ground Realities

There is little question of thepre-eminence Mamata Banerjee holds in Indian national politics, a place she hasearned over the years through, first, her active role in the Indian NationalCongress and then in her own Trinamul Congress. She was a leading voice ofdissent in West Bengal (recently renamed Paschimbanga) until she ran the LeftFront out of power in the state in May this year. Equally significant has beenher role in two union governments, in which she has served as minister forrailways both times. Her present role as a crucial coalition partner in the UPAgovernment in Delhi is a reality the powers that be in India do not ignore, forreasons which are only too obvious.

It was therefore only natural foreveryone in Bangladesh to have been enthused by the thought that MamataBanerjee would be on the team Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would lead to thetalks with the Bangladesh government in Dhaka. As chief minister of a statewith which Bengalis on this side of the political frontier have shared culture,indeed heritage and for a long time a state of unified politics (until thevivisection of the subcontinent in 1947), she certainly could have lookedforward to a warm welcome from us. Now that she has decided not to be inBangladesh with her nation's prime minister, we are truly saddened andgenuinely surprised.

Our surprise is there because herrefusal to be in Dhaka has given a sudden battering to our expectations. Where wehad expected that Ms. Banerjee would play a major role in ensuring that thepeople of Bangladesh and the people of Paschimbanga shared the waters of theTeesta, as they have shared so many things throughout their long association inhistory, we are now left handling a situation where we must scramble to undosome of the damage she may have done to the future of India-Bangladeshrelations. Clearly, the chief minister is unhappy at the way the Manmohan Singhgovernment has been conducting negotiations with the Bangladesh government,with the probable terms of the deals Delhi and Dhaka mean to reach on keyissues of common interest. By opting out of the trip to Dhaka, she has likelypushed back an opportunity for Bangladesh and India to inaugurate a new, moremutually beneficial relationship between each other.

We understand that Mamata Banerjee ismiffed at the union government's failure to take her on board as it has soughtto hammer out a deal with the Bangladesh government. The government, she hasreasons to feel, would not have dealt with a Left Front administration (had itbeen in office) the way it has dealt with hers. She puts it across to peoplethat the Indian prime minister has kept her in the dark about the negotiationsin Dhaka. That, again, is rather a far-fetched idea, seeing that it would bepolitically naïve, even suicidal, on the part of the Delhi authorities toignore a critical state, one with which Bangladesh shares much more than riversand a border, as they go into hammering out a deal with Prime Minister SheikhHasina and her government. The extent to which Ms. Banerjee's feelings may havebeen misplaced is borne out by the fact that the union government kept herfully apprised of what it meant to do in Dhaka. Senior government functionarieswere in touch with her three times and kept her posted on the details of thedraft agreements to be discussed with the Bangladesh authorities. That onlyupholds the collegial attitude the Manmohan Singh administration has adopted ingovernance. Where the Trinamul is concerned, the prime minister has beenparticularly careful, especially since he needs the Banerjee government'ssupport on any deal with Bangladesh over the Teesta waters and especially againbecause the Trinamul Congress happens to be a key element in the rulingcoalition in Delhi.

The question, ours, is then simple:given the facts, why did the Paschimbanga chief minister pour cold water, inthat clichéd manner of speaking, on a bright new promise that looked about toopen up a shining new dawn for the people of Bangladesh and India? That mattershad been discussed with her, that the political system India is governed byaffords little room for the centre to bypass state governments on anything ofeither a domestic or international nature, is a truth that does not come intoquestion. And yet Mamata Banerjee, clearly for reasons that she has not speltout, reasons we suspect have to do with domestic Trinamul politics in herstate, has now pushed the entire gamut of Delhi-Dhaka negotiations into a badstate of uncertainty. We cannot but reflect on whether Jyoti Basu or BuddhadebBhattacharjee would do what Mamata Banerjee has done. Basu remains a hugelyloved figure in Bangladesh. Bhattacharjee has always been aware of thehistoricity of the links which have consistently kept the two Bengals in astate of firm bonding.

Our disappointment at Mamata Banerjee'swithdrawal from the negotiations in Dhaka is deep. Even so, we keep hope going-- that Manmohan Singh and Sheikh Hasina will yet strike a deal which willreinforce the links between their countries, that they will give a new meaningto history through injecting new substance and impetus into its various andvaried contours.

The writer is Editor, Current Affairs,The Daily Star. E-mail: bahsantareq@yahoo.co.uk

Manmohan says Mamata assented to Teesta deal

2011-09-09T20:48:00.000+05:30

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addresses the

media on board his special flight to Delhi on Wednesday.

By Praveen Swami

THE HINDU, September 8, 2011 (On Board air india one)

Indian negotiators still unaware of WestBengal's special objections to water deal, highly placed sources say.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has saidthat the West Bengal government assented to a strategic water-sharing agreementwith Bangladesh before backing out of it over the weekend — and thus forcingIndia to resile on its international commitments.

Dr. Singh said he had consulted withChief Minister Mamata Banerjee for over a month on the details of the treaty,asking National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon “to seek guidance from her.”“I was told that all technical details were sorted out,” Dr. Singh toldjournalists on-board his flight home from Dhaka.

Last week, the Trinamool Congressraised objections to the draft treaty at a meeting of the Cabinet's PoliticalAffairs Committee. “I again sent Shankar Menon to visit Kolkata,” Dr. Singhsaid. “He had a meeting, and what the Chief Minister said, and what Mr. Menonunderstood, he took to Dhaka, and the arrangement was made.”

But, Dr. Singh continued, “some otherfactors came up and therefore Ms. Banerjee said that she will not accompany meto Dhaka. “It was only subsequently,” he insisted, “that I learned herdisagreement was on account on what we were attempting to do on the Teesta.”

Indian negotiators, a highly placedgovernment source told The Hindu, have still received no explanation for WestBengal's eleventh-hour decision to reject the draft water-sharing treaty —making it impossible for them to explain the country's stand to theirBangladesh counterparts or to lay the foundations for an alternative agreement.

Bangladesh's Prime Minister SheikhHasina Wajed said on Tuesday night that New Delhi and Dhaka had “reached anunderstanding on water-sharing in the Teesta and Feni rivers” — the firstofficial acknowledgment of just how close negotiators were to closing a deal.

The agreement, diplomatic sources toldThe Hindu, envisaged that India would be entitled to just under half theTeesta's waters, and called for both sides to carry out joint studies on howmuch was available before setting up a bilateral body charged withadministering the treaty.

However, New Delhi was forced back outof the deal just hours before the Prime Minister's arrival in Bangladesh, afterMs. Banerjee refused to travel with him to Dhaka. Ms. Banerjee has made notoffered an explanation of precisely what objections she has to the proposedtreaty, but sources in her party said the draft presented to Bangladeshdiffered from the one she discussed with Mr. Menon.

The Prime Minister declined to discussMs. Banerjee's claims, saying he did not want to “enter into a disputation.”

Thetroubled Teesta

Even though farmers in Bangladesh willbe the immediate beneficiaries of the Teesta treaty, it has huge implicationsfor India. The treaty, which will provide a template for agreements to sharethe waters of 53 rivers with Bangladesh, will also help India establishprinciples for pressing its claims to rivers originating in China.

India and Pakistan began talking aboutthe Teesta's waters soon after Independence. The talks went nowhere. In 1961,India adopted unilateral plans to build a barrage on its side of the border,raising concerns downstream.

Following more years of failed talks,the United Nations General Assembly adopted a consensus statement in 1976 whichdirected both countries to arrive at a “fair and expeditious” agreement. Eventhough the India-Bangladesh joint rivers commission held over a 100 meetings, adeal could not be hammered out.

Bangladesh completed construction ofthe Dalia barrage, the country's largest irrigation project, in 1979. The Daliaproject was intended to use the Teesta's waters to irrigate some 540,000hectares of land in the country's northern rice-growing heartlands. From 1985,the 4,500-km canal network meant to carry the Teesta's waters to farmers openedits gates.

The farmers got the water theydesperately needed — but then, just a few years later, the canals ran dry.

In 1993, farmers in West Bengal beganto get water from the Gazoldoba barrage in Jalpaiguri, which India had built onthe Teesta. The Indian project supplied water for 228,000 hectares — farmerswho used their votes to ensure that their needs were met before Bangladesh.

From 1996, scholars Yoshiro Higano andMuhammad Fakrul Islam have noted, India's “exclusive control of the Teesta'swater in the dry season at Gazoldoba made the Dalia barrage useless.” In themonsoon, they said, releases of water from the barrage caused “floods and bankerosions, leading to serious suffering”.

In 1997, though, a draft treaty onthe Teesta was hammered out, a year after the former West Bengal ChiefMinister, Jyoti Basu, helped steward a landmark treaty on the Ganga. “He was a great man,” the Prime Minister acknowledgedtoday.

Little progress was made in the decadeand a half since, breeding bitterness in desperately-poor Bangladesh wherefarmers are hit by crippling water shortages in low-rainfall years.

New old name : West Bengal became Pashchimbanga

2011-09-09T20:41:00.000+05:30

BySUHRID SANKAR CHATTOPADHYAY

FRONTLINE,Volume 28 - Issue 19 :: Sep. 10-23, 2011

West Bengal sheds the colonial legacy in its name bybecoming Pashchimbanga, but not everyone is happy.

THEproposed change of name of the State of West Bengal to Pashchimbanga has rousedmixed emotions. The new name was accepted unanimously at an all-party meetingon August 19, following the submission of the proposal of the two-membercommittee set up for the specific purpose of changing the name. The two membersof the committee were State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee ofthe Trinamool Congress and Leader of the Opposition Surya Kanta Mishra of theCommunist Party of India (Marxist). “The main rationale behind the name changewas that we all wanted to drop the colonial legacy attached to the name WestBengal. All other States have dropped any such colonial appendage and it wasimportant for us to do so too,” Mishra told Frontline.

Thefirst choice of the Left Front was “Bangla”, which was reportedly not liked bythe Congress. “Our second choice was Pashchimbanga, which we proposed mainly tofacilitate a unanimous decision,” said Mishra. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee,while maintaining that her party, the Trinamool Congress, did not have anyparticular favourite, said her own personal choice was “Bangabhumi”. But shewas quick to accept “Pashchimbanga” as the consensus choice.

EARLIER MOVE

Ironically,in 1999, when there was a move to change the State's name during the chiefministership of the late Jyoti Basu, it was the Left that had suggested thename Pashchimbanga. The Congress rejected it in favour of “Bangla”. However,when an all-party delegation from the State went to meet the then Union HomeMinister, L.K.Advani, the matter was not met with much enthusiasm. “Theproposal was not directly turned down, it was suggested that the name Banglawas too similar to Bangladesh, which might lead to future confusions,” Mishratold Frontline.

REACTIONS

Theannouncement of the new name was accompanied by a collective groan ofdisappointment from across the State. From intellectuals and celebrities tostudents and professionals, many have been vocal about their dissatisfaction.The main objection is that it is no change at all, as Pashchimbanga intranslation means West Bengal and has always been in use in the vernacular. “Ido not find this change of name satisfactory. Pashchimbanga and West Bengalamount to being the same thing. There has been no real name change. Ipersonally would have preferred the name Banga or Bangabhumi as the ChiefMinister herself said she would have liked,” the legendary Bengali thespianSoumitro Chatterjee told Frontline. The renowned film director Mrinal Sen wasof a similar opinion. “The word Pashchim should not be there. I believe itshould be Bangla or Bangabhumi,” he told Frontline.

Neitherwere people convinced by the justifications provided by the government for itsdecision. One of the reasons cited was that the State would be going a fewnotches up the alphabetical order (from ‘W' to ‘P'), which would improve itsprospects vis-a-vis other States during Central meetings and conferences. “Ifgoing up the alphabetical order was a criterion, then why not simply change thename to Bangla? Besides, the name does not make sense as there is no ‘Purbo'[East] Bengal any more. It is also a completely Bengali name that many of thenon-Bengali speaking people of the State might find difficult to pronounce,”said Pratik Mazumdar, a final year B.Com student of St Xaviers' College,Kolkata.

Almostthe same voice of dissent could be heard from within the Congress ranks. OmPrakash Mishra, general secretary of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress, foundthe whole exercise “unnecessary” and “superfluous”. “This will not bring in theintended benefit as a name change of a State can hardly be justified on thegrounds of either administrative convenience or supposed support due to a changein the order of precedence in the alphabetical arrangement of the States in theIndian Union. This purpose would rather be served then by renaming our State aseither Bengal or Banga,” he told Frontline.

HISTORICALLY INAPPROPRIATE

Theeminent historian Sabyasachi Bhattacharya also feels that this change is nochange at all. “I see no reason why West Bengal should still preserve itsfragmented identity like this. There was once an East Punjab for a very briefperiod after Partition, but that name was soon dropped and it became simplyPunjab. There was also an East Pakistan province which later became a sovereignnation, Bangladesh. Such things should not affect the identity of the people ofa region,” he told Frontline. Bhattacharya believes that the most applicablename would have been “Banga”. “The name is not only present in the nationalanthem – Dravida Utkala Banga – but also has its origins in ancient texts andin Sanskrit. The term West Bengal was coined by the British during thepartition of the region,” he said.

Theorigin of the name of Bengal is shrouded in mystery. In History of Bengal(volume one), edited by R.C. Majumdar, the historian H.C. Raychaudhuri wrotethat there was no mention of the land now known as Bengal in Vedic hymns.However, the Puranas and the epics, which came later, refer to various parts ofthe region as Vanga, Gauda, Pundra and Samatat. In the epics, there isunambiguous mention of the “Vangas” – the people of Vanga. In the Ramayana,they are mentioned among a number of peoples with political relations with thekings of Ayodhya; and in the Mahabharata, Bheema, after defeating the lord ofthe “Pundras” (as people of north Bengal were referred to), is said to haveattacked next the king of the Vangas.

Fromthe seventh century onwards, the Buddhist Pala dynasty consolidated its holdover the region, which became a major centre of Mahayana Buddhism. Around thistime, Gauda (in the central part of West Bengal) became the power centre of theregion. In the subsequent consolidation and unification of the region that tookplace under the Pala and Sena dynasties, references to Vanga as a politicalunit can be found in various inscriptions dating back to the latter half of theeighth century. In fact, the titles Vangapati and the Gaudesvara for the rulerof the region became interchangeable. The name “Vangaladesha” can be tracedback to the 11th century in epigraphic and literary records.

TheSena dynasty fell to the cavalry of Ikhtiyar-ud-din Bhaktiyar Khilji, who, itis said, conquered the region with just 17 soldiers on horseback. Thus beganthe Muslim rule in the region, culminating in the Mughal conquest in the 16thcentury. Abu'l-Fazl (1551-1602), the author of Akbarnamah, threw some light onthe origin of the name of Bengal when he wrote: “The original name of Bengalwas Bang. Its former rulers raised mounds measuring 10 yards in height and 20in breadth throughout the province which were called ‘al'. From this suffix,the name ‘Bengal' took its rise and currency.”

THE FIRST PARTITION

Theterm West Bengal first came into being in 1905 when Lord Curzon, the thenGovernor General, decided to partition Bengal into two halves on administrativegrounds, though many people believed that the move was meant to stamp out anyrepublican sentiment that was on the rise. East Bengal was created in October1905, and along with Assam, this new province was placed under a LieutenantGovernor; West Bengal, along with Bihar and Orissa, was placed in charge ofanother Lieutenant Governor. This unleashed a massive political agitation,which forced the colonial rulers to review their decision. Finally, the twoparts of Bengal were merged into one province under a Governor in 1911. Bengalwas once again partitioned in 1947 when one half became East Pakistan, and theother once again became West Bengal, this time a State of the Union of India.

GOVERNMENT STANDS ITS GROUND

Inthe face of mounting criticism, the Chief Minister stood her ground. On August23, she defended the move in the Assembly, saying that the choice of“Pashchimbanga” (which she admitted was already in vogue even in administrativeuse) was a politically unanimous one and was final. The upshot of the wholeexercise, which reportedly took just 10 minutes, was simply to drop the Englishversion of “Pashchimbanga”. “In the past we have had endless arguments aroundthe choice of a name, but till now there was no change and the name West Bengalremained. This time we were all determined to change it,” said Mishra.

100 days of 'Paribartan'

2011-09-09T15:05:00.000+05:30

KOLKATA: WHAT are the highpoints of the first 100 days of the TMC-Congress government in WestBengal?

Organised terror against the opposition, whichhas claimed lives of 33 Left Front activists, injured hundreds; 684 women wereassaulted physically, 508 molested and 23 raped; nearly 40,000 had to leavetheir homes under threat. An unprecedented extortion campaign is going on invillages.

Campaign of political vendetta, using statepolice forces for that purpose. More than 1500 false cases have been registeredagainst the CPI(M) leaders and activists. CPI(M) leaders, including MLA andformer minister Sushanto Ghosh, have been put in prison. CPI(M) state committeemembers have been targeted too.

Land grabbing and comprehensive attack onpanchayats.

A unique budget without budgeting, withoutfinalisation of sources of revenue and expenditure.

Refusal to discuss budgets of importantministries, including home, in the assembly. The chief minister herself isin-charge of these ministries.

Reversal of decisions, hastily announced by thechief minister and other ministers. One of the more important one is retardingon the re-establishment of the legislative council in the state.

Lots of nominated committees with the TMC andpro-TMC people, presiding over the jeopardising of normal governmentalfunctions.

May 20, 2011

Mamata Banerjee sworn in as the Chief Ministerof the state at 1.01 pm on 20.05.2011 (not at 1 pm!). It was propagated earlierby Mamata that their cabinet would be smaller in size. But the reality wasabsolutely different. The cabinet was as big as it can be. Even AnandabazarPatrika's editorial dated 21.05.2011 expressed discontented note on that.

The ChiefSecretary called the name of Kashinath Mishra, TMC MLA from Bankura, when hewas calling the names of the ministers for taking oath. Mishra didn't move.Some media carried the news that Mishra has been dropped from the probablelist. But the official list was not corrected. First instance of maintainingliaison.

Chief Minister's Office Decorated at HerOwn Cost?

It was propagated that Mamata Banerjee has paidRs. 2 lac for the decoration of her office at Writers' Building. But accordingto the Public Works Department only the electrical renovation of CM's officecost Rs. 13 lacs 95 thousand. It is clear that Rs.2 lac is too insufficient forthe cause but enough to get the media hype.

Treasury is Empty. But…

It was a constant campaign of TMC that thetreasury of the state has become empty during Left Front's tenure. Let's lookinto some developments:

a) CM announced on 24 May that the teachers willget their salary on 1st day of each month. How could she manage the money?

b) Cabinet took decision on 8 June that theywould recruit 46000 teachers. How their salary can be managed?

c) TheHigher Education Minister announced on 21 June that 300 new colleges and 5 newUniversities will be formed in the next five years. Did he mean that thefinancial infrastructure of the state is strong enough to carry on the associated financial liability?

d) The new Government is taking initiation forcreating Bidhan Parisad, which would involve extra expenditure of Rs. 100crores. How can this fund be managed?

e) A project of Rs. 10 crores on beautificationof the city has been taken. Then the treasury is certainly not empty.

Whatever they have campaigned all areblatant lie.

EMPLOYMENT

The document, celebrating 90 days, published bythe new government has proclaimed that it has already provided jobs for2,79,286 people in its first months. The break up shows that out of those jobs2 lakh jobs have been given in the private sector and the 79,286 have beenprovided in the government offices. The government did not bother to disclosethe names of the private sector where the jobs have been given and thegovernment sector break up reveals that most of the posts have been proposedand created. So, as yet the government has not provided any jobs.

URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Most of the works cited in the book released bythe TMC-led government are the repetition of the projects and works undertakenby the government of West Bengal during the tenure of the Left Front.

The modernisation of the Coochbihar Airport andthe commencement of Kolkata-Coochbihar flight - in reality, the wholeinfrastructural work, was done during the time of the Left Front government andthe project was waiting for its official inauguration.

The draft policy for the street vendors was alsointroduced during the time of the Left Front government, although it is falselycited as a success of the new government.

A project of Rs 500 crore for job generation anda project of Rs 800 crore for building urban houses, has been falsely claimedby the TMC government as its success. They were also the projects taken up bythe Left Front government.

Educational Sector is Under Attack

This small period can be related with thesemi-fascist terror in West Bengal during 1970's. The Governor, with hiscapacity of Chancellor, wrote a letter (dated June 15) to all the Universitiesnot to take any policy decision and not to do anything beyond routine work. Thedirection of the Governor was in anticipation of policy change by the newlyconstituted committee in the education sector. It has made all the processstalemate. Several-elected Students' Union were attacked. Many SFI supporterswere prevented from collecting admit cards of University examination. AProfessor was heckled by the TMC goons in Burdwan University for citing KarlMarx in a lecture.

Gorkhaland instead of 'Switzerland'

Left Front Government controlled the demand ofseparate state by extending autonomy. With the creation of Darjeeling GorkhaHill Council (DGHC) Left Front Government solved the movement for separatestate 'Gorkhaland'. It was an instance for entire country to solve separatistdemand. But the new Government legitimized the demand of separate state raisedby their supporter Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) by signing the agreement onGorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). The pact was signed on 18 Julybetween the State Government and GJM. The agreement was not even discussed inthe assembly. Many maujas of Tarai and Doors were included under GTA. BimalGurung, the GJM chief, therefore said afterwards that this pact is the firststep towards 'Gorkhaland'. In the election manifesto Mamata said in her ownpopulist tone that why North Bengal cannot be Switzerland? But after becomingthe Chief Minister she could only ensure the 'Gorkhaland'.

Reversal of Land Reform

The class interest of TMC has become unmasked.The rank and file of TMC is taking stance for the interest of landowners. Onlyin this short period 508 peasants were evicted from 830 acres of land; 4707legal patta-holders (vested land given to landless) were evicted from 1529acres of land and 3511 bargadars or sharecroppers were evicted from 1522 acresof land. 124 incidents of looting the crops from total 1486 acres of landhappened in this period. In total 68 incidents 165 acres of land were destroyedto teach CPI(M) supporters a lesson.

In Haroa of North 24-Parganas, landlords withthe help of TMC land-grabbers were trying to drive away poor farmers from theirland and prevent them from cultivation have organized attacks. The police andthe administration were offering full support to the attackers. On July 9, whenevicted peasants assembled at a place called Gazitala in Haroa to reestablishtheir right to cultivate in their own land to resist forcible eviction, TMCland-grabbers armed with deadly weapons attacked them from different direction.Even the police opened fire on the assemblage of those poor cultivators withoutany provocation. Four persons, all tribal, were injured in this joint attack ofTMC and police. 12 rounds of firing by the police marked barbaric act ofterrorism. The joint attack of TMC and police also took place in Dwipkhandavillage of South Dinajpur where they opened fire on an assemblage of peasants,patta-holders and sharecroppers.

The peasants of the state are now resisting theattack and holding the red flag tight.

Joyous Recall of Their 'Martyrs' by TMC

On 21 July of 1992, Mamata Banerjee went tocapture the Writers' Building forcibly. Left no way out police opened fire and13 persons of that rally died. It was a matter of grief but an outcome ofirresponsible and undisciplined political movement. TMC claimed these people astheir martyrs and used to observe the day every year. But this year theobservation turned into celebration. The film star public representatives ofTMC presented show of entertainment in memory of those martyrs. The other filmpersonalities even danced with their popular film songs. The joyous event leftone clear message that using dead bodies for narrow and dirty political purposeis no more required in this changed context.

Media are also Under Threat

Even the fundamental right is under threat. Youhave to be faithful to Mamata Banerjee even you are a journalist in theMamataland.

The ChiefMinister shouted at the reporters of 24 Ghanta television channel on 30th Juneat Writers' Building when they asked her about the causes of child death inGovernment Hospital. A pro-TMC Bengali newspaper 'Bartaman' also expressedtheir concern on this autocratic attitude in a report dated 1 July. They wrote,today the CM has shown red eye to the journalists of one house. If there is noprotest same will be the situation of the reporters of the other houses. For writing such thing 'Bartaman' wascautioned by TMC. In two successive issues (8 July & 15 July) of 'Jago Bangla', their organ, this opinion of thesaid vernacular daily was criticized openly.

TheAssociate Editor of 'Sambad Protidin' was present in the dais of the partyprogram of TMC on 21 July. The Editor ofthe same newspaper got place in the Rajya Sabha for extending political supportto TMC.

When thereporters asked Bimal Gurung about their stand on Gorkhaland', the CM stoppedthe reports from asking such questions.The incident happened on 30 May at Writers' Building.

Voice of Autocracy

The voiceof the opposition was gagged for two years during emergency but the CM of WestBengal said on 21 July that theopposition should not speak for next ten years.

TheGovernor uttered 'maa-mati-manush', the slogan of TMC, in his address in theAssembly on 13 June. Even the Governorhad to synchronize his voice with the political slogan of TMC. Just after a fewdays Left Front observed the 35-yearcompletion of emergency. How well the present and the flash back converge!

The CMvisited Bangur Institute of Neurology in Kolkata on 26 May. The program was notknown to the Director of the Institute but her pet media were well aware of theschedule. CM entered into the wards with the media personnel.

TheDirector expressed his concern that it can invite infection to the patients. CMwas furious and asked the Director to meet her at the Writers' Building. TheDirector expressed his prefixed schedule of many surgery cases. A notice of suspension was served to the Director on thatvery day without any show cause notice.

Kolkata will be London!

Please don't laugh. Just look at the first stepof this process initiated by Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Introspectiontowards the budget of KMC would reveal that the allocations in all prioritysectors have decreased in this financial year. In 2010-11 Rs. 276 crores wasallocated in road maintenance whereas the budget allocation of 2011-12 in thesame sector read Rs. 180 crores. In 2010-11 Rs. 129 crores was allocated in slumdevelopment whereas the budget allocation of 2011-12 in the same sector readRs. 84 crores. In 2010-11 Rs. 114 crores was allocated in health sector whereasthe budget allocation of 2011-12 in the same sector read Rs. 95 crores. Theallocations on disaster management and conservation of parks & water bodieshave also reduced to Rs 2 crores and Rs 4 crores respectively. Onlyillumination on parks and roads got higher allocation in this year. Fromprevious year's Rs. 150 crores it raised to Rs. 240 crores. One can easilyunderstand the policy of exterior decoration and curbing the fundamental needs.This is the first chapter of Kolkata's transformation into London!

'Spit' Ranjan in The Court of NorthBengal University

Ranjan Silsharma was nominated to the Court ofNorth Bengal University. Who is the person and what was the reason of upsurgeafter his nomination? This person was involved in spitting to the DistrictEducation Inspector when he was leading a demonstration of TMC. TMC expelledhim but he rejoined the party after winning the Siliguri Municipal Election asan independent candidate. The same person is now the Deputy Mayor of SiliguriMunicipality. One can easily understand how cosmetic the expulsion was. Thisperson with such background was nominated to the Court, the highest decisionmaking body of the North Bengal University by the new Government. The reactionwas very bad from all the corners. Ranjan was forced to resign. But hisselection was an ominous indication and his promotion as the Deputy Mayor ofSiliguri Municipality in further substantiates that.

Purchasing Laptops Without Tender

The State Government felicitated 62 top studentswho passed Madhyamik and Higher Secondary in the month of June. All of themwere presented a laptop made by one local company, which supported TMC indifferent issues. The Government did not invite any tender for purchasinglaptops. This resulted criticism from concerned corners. The unofficial organof TMC 'Sambad Protidin' wrote that the laptops were gifted by the concernedcompany. But 'Anandabazar Patrika' wrote that those laptops were bought by theCM and it was her personal gift. The two media houses eager to guard thisillegal transaction could have discussed between themselves! One should alsonot forget that the successful students of Madrasahs were not felicitated bythe Government, which was a departure from the activities of the Left FrontGovernment.

Mamata's 'Daharbabu'

She was not CM then. Mamata said in an interviewwith Star Ananda television channel that Rabindranath Tagore offered fruitjuice to Mahatma Gandhi when he broke fast in Beleghata, Kolkata. Shocking itwas! Actually Rabindranath died six years before Gandhiji's fast at Beleghata.So what? When Mamata speaks press can't question. Now what she did afterbecoming the CM? She was addressing a Government program to observe HulRevolution of 1855 and to commemorate the death of legendary tribal leadersSidhu and Kanhu in the said Revolution. The program was organized at Sidhu KanuDahar at Esplanade, Kolkata. Dahar means street and the Left Front Governmentnamed the adjacent road of Curzon Park by the name of Sidhu Murmu and KanhuMurmu. Mamata mistook "Dahar" to be the name of a third triballeader. She kept on saying "Dahar babu" (Mr. Dahar) without realisingher mistake even once. As the programme went on, "Dahar babu" keptcropping up now and then.

Issue of Appointment Letter Stopped inEducation Sector

Sishu and Madhyamik Sikshakendras are thecenters, which impart education up to class VIII standard, and generally theunder-privileged children come in these centers. The TMC Government stoppedissuing appointment letters to the teachers of those centers on 28 July. The7th Left Front Government took initiation to acknowledge the service of thoseteachers by increasing their salary. The extension of the scheme was to makethem permanent. Issuing appointment letters were also initiated in the tenureof the 7th Left Front Government. Now said order of the TMC Government has putthe future of 68000 teachers of these centers before a question mark. Nearabout 19 lacs students are connected with these centers. Their future too isunder a threat.

Soumitra Chatterjee's Play Stopped!

The legendary Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee,aged 76 years, still is tireless in stage. The Left Front Government launchedRepertory at Minerva Theater and sanctioned the play King Lear. Soumitraperformed the lead role in the play. Its first performance was held in November2010. After that all shows of the play was house full. But the TMC Governmentdissolved all repertory committees and stalled all shows. The play has not beenstaged, as the theatre group is not being given bookings either in Minerva orin Rabindra Sadan, the two auditoria where the play was being staged before.The obvious question is being raised that even Soumitra Chatterjee is beingsubjected to political vendetta?

West Bengal to Follow The Ruinous Path ofRail?

Mamata Banerjee, in her tenure as RailwayMinister, only promoted populism and gimmick. Even the Minister of State forRailway Bharat Singh Solanki told in question-answer session in Rajya Sabha on13 August that they need 1 lac 25 thousand crores of rupees to complete theprojects of setting up new tracks, change of gauge and double lining. But thedepartment's financial condition was not congenial to finish these projects. In2008-09, total excess fund with the Railways was Rs. 4457 crore, whichdecreased to less than 1 crore in 2009-10. Safety and security of thepassengers were also under serious question.

On 5 August, CAG reports on railway waspublished and discussed in Parliament. The report showed that on one hand theincome of the department decreased and on the other hand the expenditureincreased heavily. Railway Development Fund is almost empty. The report furthersaid that during 2007-08 total excess fund with the Railways was Rs. 13431crore, in 2008-09 it came down to Rs. 4457 crore and in 2009-10 it read as Rs.75 Lac. Reserve Fund and Depreciation Reserve Fund also has been hugelyreduced. Maintenance of tracks, buying of new engine, coach and wagons aretherefore being affected.

The said scenario has happened only due toignoring fundamental aspects of Railway and using the service solely forelectoral dividend. Should our State follow the same ruinous path?

'Dalatantra', The Party Rule

The word 'Dalatantra' (party rule) was used todefame Left Front especially CPI(M). It was created by media as a part of hatecampaign against CPI(M). But the boasting of party rule is now becomingprevalent in every step the TMC led Government is initiating. Every committeeconstituted in this brief period unquestionably speaks of 'Dalatantra'. Samesort of committees Mamata formed in her tenure as Railway Minister and placedher pet intellectuals in those committees. Now we can see the Bengal model ofthat misdeed. The Government nominees in Governing Bodies of Government AidedColleges were asked to step down before their term is over. It was initiated toprovide berth for the TMC minded intellectuals. The elected Chairmen ofDistrict Primary Education Councils were advised (?) by the School EducationMinister to resign. The incident happened on 3rd June. The chairmen of WestBengal Council for Primary Education, West Bengal Board of Secondary Education,West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education and School Service Commissionwere replaced by known pro-TMC faces before their term are over.

Bank had to issue Notification againstTMC Leader

The Sabhadhipati of South 24 Parganas ZillaParisad Samima Bibi and her husband Rahman Ali Sheikh were accused of notrepaying the loan taken from Vijaya Bank. Even the bank authority had to issuea notification with the photograph of them stating that they are going to startlegal action against them as the couple had outstanding of 15 lacs 80 Thousand809 rupees. The notification was also issued for public interest. Rahman AliSheikh took the loan and Samima Bibi was his guaranteer. Mamata claimed South24 Parganas Zilla Parisad as the best one in the state. The performance of theSabhadhipati very well speaks of the standard…

'Unwilling Farmers Demand Only 40 Acresin Singur!

The Singur problem has not removed but hasbecome much complicated when the new Government had decided to return the landsto the 'unwilling farmers' by the force of the special legislation. TheGovernment stipulated one month time for the 'unwilling farmers' to apply forreturning their land. After end of that period on 22 July only 310 'unwillingfarmers' claimed as minimum as 40 acres of land. It is becoming amply clearthat the demand of TMC to return 400 acres of land was a sinister politicalmotive.

Result of Higher Secondary ExaminationLeaked

The result of Higher Secondary Examination wasleaked in Star Ananda television channel well before the official pressconference. The incident happened on 4th June. Chief Minister not only defendedthe incident but openly said in the Writer's Building that she would compensatethe loss of other channels by giving some scoops. This unethical and illegalthing was only designed to favor the channel that has almost becomespokesperson of TMC.

JANGAL MAHAL

The chief minister had earlier declared thatthere will be 23 new ration shops in jangal mahal area to ensure fooddistribution. Unfortunately, not a single one has been established in WestMidnapore district, where 11 of 23 blocks of jangal mahal are situated.

The government has a proposal for the creationof 10,000 Special Police Officers to tackle the 'Maoist' situation in jangalmahal like the Chhattisgarh government. In this context the government hascompletely dumped the Supreme Court’s order against the creation of SPOs totackle the 'Maoist' problems.

Meanwhile, the 'Maoists' have started toregroup.

RURAL DEVELOPMENT

The performance of TMC-led government in thespecific sectors like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment GuaranteeAct is not only poor but also much lower than the performance made during thetenure of the Left Front government. The contrast with the tenure of the LeftFront government can be easily seen. The government has claimed that a totalnumber of 1 crore 59 lakh working days have been created whereas the same was15 crore at the time of the Left Front government.

Abundant of Country Loquor Factories

The source is a report published in Bartaman, ahardcore anti Left newspaper. It said that the State Government has issuedlicense for 12 new country liquor factories. 20 such factories are in thewaiting line. The State had 15 country liquor factories before this initiative.Getting the application form @Rs. 25000 and deposition of license fee of Rs. 5Lacs is the requisition. The intention of the new Government is pretty clear…

Even Congress is Under Trouble

Krishnendu Choudhuri, Congress MLA ofEnglishbazar was assaulted by some TMC hooligans. The speakers in a rally ofINTUC in Kolkata on 23 June said that the working class of the state is underattack since the new Government has taken charge. Sanjib Reddy, the All IndiaPresident of INTUC wrote a letter to the new CM Mamata Banerjee to take stepsagainst the attack on the working class of the state. Pradip Bhattacharya, thePresident of Congress State Committee, also wrote letter to the CM requestingher to take action against the increasing incidents of Congress workers beingharassed by TMC-backed musclemen. Such poor is the condition of Congress who isan ally of this new Government.

MLA, Ex-Ministers are Under Attack

On 21 May, the TMC hoodlums ransacked the houseof Basudeb Mete who is the Left Front MLA of Ausgram. Gauranga Chatterjee,CPI(M) MLA of Pandebaswar was beaten by Police and TMC goons when he wasleading a procession against forcibly land acquisition for extension of coalmine on 21 June. On 22 July Abdus Sattar, the former Minister, was assaulted bythe TMC hoodlums when he went to Amdanga to stand beside the invaded CPI(M)workers. Subhra Parui, the CPI(M) candidate in Khanakul, was assaulted and molestedby the TMC goons.

'Silent Terror'

'Silent Terror' is being organized in manypanchayats. TMC goons are threatening Left Front panchayat members. In someplaces they have forced the sabhadhipati of some Zilla Parisads. In someincidents after moving no confidence motion they are not allowing the electedLeft Front panchayat members to attend the meeting. By this way they arecapturing some panchayats. In some incidents they are threatening Left Frontpanchayat members to sign any paper on their demand and ultimately connectingthem in false cases.

Political Vendetta Against Susanta Ghosh

Former Minister, present MLA and CPI(M) leaderSusanta Ghosh is facing an incident of political vendetta by Mamata BanerjeeGovernment. The police have acted on a nine-year-old case against SusantaGhosh. Shyamal Archarya, the complainant in the case, also has a caseregistered against him. About a year-and-a-half ago a huge cache of arms wasrecovered from his residence. His photographs in combatant uniforms were alsorecovered. CID could not produce any substantial evidence against him. SusantaGhosh even had to be hospitalized after constant interrogation by CID for 30long hours. Now CID is also filing other cases against Susanta Ghosh. Thedirection of CID's action is unprecedentedly controlled by the Writers'Building.

Tortured People are Forced to Suicide

Sadhan Samadder of Burdwan, Brishaketu Khamariof East Medinipur, Gagan Digar of West Medinipur, Tapan Deb of Siliguri, SaritJosh of Burdwan, Abdul Matin of West Medinipur and Sital Maity of WestMedinipur had to commit suicide after being terribly assaulted by the TMChoodlums. Many of them had directly mentioned the names of TMC goons asresponsible in their suicide notes. Police is not taking any initiative toarrest the culprits.

Rampant extortions of TMC Goons

The trend is becoming open secret especially inrural Bengal. The TMC goons are imposing hefty fines on the workers andsupporters of Left Front. The common people are also facing the problem in manyareas. 1911 people of 12 districts have been fined. The amount is huge - 11Crores 45 Lacs 50 Thousand rupees. The minimum amount was Rs. 1000 per head andthe maximum amount was Rs. 33 Lacs on a single person. He was allowed to pay ineasy installments.

Heinous Conspiracy of Arms Seizure

The newly elected Government is using theadministration to conspire against CPI(M) in the name of 'seizure of illegalarms'. This is being carried out to give legitimacy to those heinous attacks.TMC has taken recourse to a campaign of 'arms search' in CPI(M) offices. Asection of media are also playing dangerous part in this hate campaign. TMCgangs are attacking or cordoning Party offices and houses of Party leaders byraising false allegations of 'storing of arms'. In most cases, they themselvesare taking responsibility of such a 'search'. In some cases, when the policereached the place, ransacking had already been completed. The nature ofrecovery itself clearly indicates that the weapons are being dumped in pondsand paddy fields by TMC activists in the vicinity of houses of CPI(M) leadersand party offices in the night and they themselves call the police and identifythose spots.

Flood and Inaction of Government

40 people died due to flood in West Bengal. Butthe Government was not ready even to declare that as flood. Previously when theLeft Front Government asked central assistance to combat flood situation, thethen opposition supremo Mamata Banerjee called that 'man made flood'. Now inpower, she is not ready to acknowledge the fundamental problem of the commonpeople.

The Reign of Terror

30Left Front activists, leaders and supporters were killed

12women were raped

7women were molested

157 women were severely injured due to attack

1622 Left Front activists, leaders andsupporters were hospitalized

1681 Left Front activists, leaders andsupporters' house were ransacked

750 offices of CPI(M) in all over the Statewere forcibly captured

84offices of different Left mass organizations and trade unions were ransackedand captured

In69 colleges of the State elected Students' Union were forcibly captured by theTMC goons from SFI

17boards of 'Ganashakti', the organ of CPI(M) West Bengal State Committee, wereeither captured or demolished

293 Left Front activists, leaders andsupporters were arrested in false and fabricated cases

11Crores 45 Lacs 50 Thousand rupees was collected as 'fine' imposed by TMChoodlums from 1911 people of 12 districts.

Blackout days to be back, govt can't afford coal

2011-09-07T18:30:00.000+05:30

TNN Sep 6, 2011, 06.22am IST

KOLKATA: Brace for regular, or shall wesay "rotational", power cuts in the city. West Bengal PowerDevelopment Corporation Ltd (WBPDCL) has drawn up a roster for shutting downits three power stations as coal companies have cut down supply to the stateagency. They have threatened to reduce it even further unless the MamataBanerjee government pays up Rs 590 crore in dues immediately.

This roster will be sent to Writers'Buildings soon. But more importantly, WBPDCL's decision will force state powerutility West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (WBSEDCL) toprepare its load-shedding schedule because the shortage of coal supply willdirectly hit power generation.

The ultimatum sounded by WBPDCL hasreached Writers' Buildings already, but no respite has been offered by theMamata Banerjee government as the state finance department has thrown in thetowel, saying it can't shell out anything for the moment.

Coal companies have cut down on supplyover the past two months because WBPDCL, which is the major power supplier tothe state utility, has been unable to pay for the coal. The supply has comedown from 18 rakes a day to 10. Things have come to such a head that WBPDCLwill now have to shut down the power stations. All five - Kolaghat, Bakreswar,Bandel, Santaldih and Sagardighi thermal power stations - will be shut downduring various parts of the day, thus supplying less power every day.

The 'shutdown' roster will directlyimpact power supply and, in turn, make WBSEDCL draw up its own load-sheddingschedule.

Power utilities have been going throughan abject funds crunch from the beginning of the current financial year as thestate government refused to revise power tariff in accordance with the coalprice hike from April 1. This alone has led to a loss of Rs 500 crore forWBSEDCL.

Moreover, chief minister Mamata Banerjee- who recently gave up the power portfolio to Manish Gupta - refused to allowthe power utility to apply to West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission(WBERC) for the standard annual tariff revision. This would entail another Rs2,500 crore subsidy for the power utility. But the state finance department, towhich the power department has applied for the required subsidy, has alreadythrown in the towel, saying it doesn't even have anything to spare.

So, brace for acute power cuts like inthe 1970s and early-'80s. After becoming a power surplus state by the mid-'80s,West Bengal is now walking backwards on the power front.

CPI(M) candidate against Mamata files papers

2011-09-07T18:22:00.001+05:30

KOLKATA: Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate for Bhowanipore Assembly constituency Nandini Mukhopadhyay, who will face West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the by-election scheduled this month, filed her nomination papers here on Monday.

“Nothing is for certain in any election. We have fought elections where we have seen unexpected results. I hope I win this contest,” Dr. Mukhopadhyay told journalists after filing her nomination.

Bhowanipore is one of the seven Assembly segments of the Kolkata Dakshin Parliamentary constituency — a seat Ms. Banerjee has represented since 1991.

Dr. Mukhopadhyay said she would focus on the successes of the 34 years of the Left Front Government in West Bengal while campaigning in these elections, as well as the shortcomings that have been seen in the policies of Ms. Banerjee's government during its three months in power.

Dr. Mukhopadhyay is a professor in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering at Jadavpur University and an active member of the All India Peace and Solidarity Organisation (AIPSO) and the Forum of Scientists, Engineers and Technologists (FOSET).

The by-poll is scheduled to be held on September 25.

Mamata Banerjee's office has no space for freedom fighters

2011-09-04T21:46:00.000+05:30

DNA / Santanu Banerjee / Thursday, September 1, 2011 8:00 IST

Several changes have hit the Writers Building during the past 100 days since Mamata Banerjee became the Chief Minister. But amidst these, one important change that has gone unnoticed in the state secretariat building is that portraits of three Indian freedom fighters have gone missing.

A section of the government officials are searching for clues to the missing portraits of Binoy Krishna Basu, Dinesh Chandra Gupta and Badal Gupta — who entered the Writers Building as young men to challenge the British and become martyrs during the freedom struggle.

The trio entered the building on December 8, 1930 and shot dead a British official, Col NS Simpson, the then Inspector General Prison, Bengal. Subsequently, they engaged the top officials in a gun battle in the building — which is now called the Veranda Battle.

Though they were overpowered, two of them died — Badal on the spot and Binoy in hospital— after consuming potassium cyanide. Dinesh, who survived, was hanged.

During the Left front rule, a small stone slab was installed in their memory at the end of first floor corridor of the Writers’ Building. Later, portraits of the three were put up in the lobby of the chief minister’s office in 1980.

Interestingly, after Banerjee started her clean up operations at the Writers’ Building, which included changing the colours of the office, its lobby and giving it a new look, the portraits were taken off from the walls.

Now, the officials looking for clues to the missing portraits said: “When this government is ready to pay tributes to all famous men in history why are the portraits of the three missing?”

And what is more baffling, no one knows if the portraits will ever come back. However, some officials said: “The portraits were sent to artists for restoration work, so that they look better.” But even they did know how long that would take.

URL of the article: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_mamata-banerjee-s-office-has-no-space-for-freedom-fighters_1582250-all

100 Days of TMC-Congress Govt: A False Start

2011-09-04T20:25:00.000+05:30

KOLKATA: WHAT are the high points of the first100 days of the TMC-Congress government in West Bengal?

Land grabbing and comprehensive attack onpanchayats.

A unique budget without budgeting, withoutfinalisation of sources of revenue and expenditure.

Refusal to discuss budgets of importantministries, including home, in the assembly. The chief minister herself isin-charge of these ministries.

Reversal of decisions, hastily announced by thechief minister and other ministers. One of the more important one is retardingon the re-establishment of the legislative council in the state.

Lots of nominated committees with the TMC andpro-TMC people, presiding over the jeopardising of normal governmentalfunctions.

DARJEELING

As per the government’s claim, peace has been restoredin Darjeeling! But the reality is that the process of peace restoration,initiated by the government, has been done at the cost of recognising the termGorkhaland.

The process to establish Gorkhaland TerritorialArea has started. The survey will be conducted in order to include the newareas into the said territory.

SINGUR

The Singur problem remains and has become muchcomplicated with the new government’s decision to return the lands to theunwilling farmers with the force of the special legislation. The wholecontroversy has aggravated since it has gone to the court.

JANGAL MAHAL

Meanwhile, the 'Maoists' have started toregroup.

RURAL DEVELOPMENT

EMPLOYMENT

URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Most of the works cited in the book released bythe TMC-led government are the repetition of the projects and works undertakenby the government of West Bengal during the tenure of the Left Front.

The draft policy for the street vendors was alsointroduced during the time of the Left Front government, although it is falselycited as a success of the new government.

Peoples’ Democracy, September 04, 2011

Sculptor forced to leave studio

2011-09-04T20:17:00.000+05:30

PrithvijitMitra| TNN, Sep 1, 2011, 02.32AM IST

KOLKATA:He chips away listlessly at a block of marble, often stopping abruptly to stareat his chisel. Then he gets up and steps out into the balcony, pacing up anddown before he returns to settle down once again. The chipping starts, butsculptor GopalPrasad Mandal looks rattled and out of sorts. He has reason to be.Three weeks ago, Mandal, a retired teacher of the Government College of Artwhose works have been exhibited around the globe, was allegedly assaulted anddriven out of his studio in Behala. The reason: Mandal refused to give in tothreats from a group of locals who had been demanding money.

On August 12, as he wasentering his studio at Behala's Parui Kancha Road, Mandal was hit on the backwith a hammer by one of the labourers appointed by him to construct the studio.The bleeding artist rushed to the local Behala police station to lodge an FIR,but was allegedly asked to get a witness. Mandal was forced to register a generalcomplaint. Shaken by the sudden assault and persistent threats, he left thestudio where he had been staying for the last three months and has since beenconfined to his Salt Lake residence. More than 80 of his sculptures, includinga series of terracotta figurines that he was working on, are lying at theBehala studio. Mandal fears these could be stolen by labourers who still occupya portion of the two-storey house.

"A group of localyouths, who claimed they were TrinamoolCongress members, started asking for money ever since Istarted renovating the house in Behala which I bought in 2009. My plan was tocreate a sculpting studio on the ground floor and another one on the first floorwhich I intended to use for painting. Immediately after I appointed labourers,the youths came and asked for Rs 5,000. When I refused, they told me that Imust buy construction material from them. I agreed, for there seemed to be noother option. But the demand for money continued and they started threateningme," said Mandal.

In July, the youths cameto the studio and threatened the labourers who had been staying on the groundfloor. "Next morning, the labourers started heckling me for paymentsthough it was not due. The group was led by Ismail Sheikh, whom I had allowedto stay at the studio till the construction was completed. I asked him to moveout but he refused, saying he needed a week to make an alternative arrangement.He never left my studio," alleged Mandal, a disciple of legendary sculptorChintamani Kar.

As he was returning fromthe local market on August 12, Tohid Sheikh - a labourer who had been residingat the studio - allegedly charged at him with a hammer. Mandal ducked and thehammer landed on his back, creating two deep gashes under the shoulder. He hadto be taken to Vidyasagar Hospital. "I was taken aback, for I had noproblem with the labourers, least of all with Tohid whom I hardly everinteracted with. I suspect he was paid by the local toughs to attack me. Theyobviously wanted to teach me a lesson for refusing to pay up," he said.Tohid was later arrested and released on bail.

Mandal kept receivingcalls for money from the labourers. Last week, Ismail Sheikh asked for Rs30,000 as part payment for the construction job. Mandal took his son along tothe studio and made the payment. One of the local youths immediately took awayRs 5,000 and asked Mandal to pay an equal amount to Sheikh. "I told them Idid not have the money and will not make any further payment. But I am scaredto visit my studio now. They might try to kill me," said Mandal.

The sculptor claimed hehas lodged a complaint with the SP of South 24-Parganas, though the latter saidhe was yet to receive it. "The matter would be looked into once I receivethe complaint," said SP (South 24-Parganas) LN Meena.

Mandal, however, fearsthat it could be too late by the time police take action. "Almost half ofmy life's works are there at the studio. It would be a big loss for me if theyare stolen. All I want is to be able to return to my studio and resume work. Ican't work at my home for there's hardly any space," Mandal said.

Mayor Sovan Chatterjeesaid he couldn't act till he received a complaint. "I can't keep track ofwhat's happening in the lanes and bylanes of Behala. I will look into thematter once I receive a complaint," Chatterjee said.

Nothing personal in this fight: CPI(M) candidate

2011-09-03T17:20:00.002+05:30

Jhimli Mukherjee Pandey | TNN, Sep 3, 2011, 03.37AM IST

KOLKATA: While some consider her to be nothing more than a sacrificial lamb, there are others who have been congratulating her on Facebook for taking up cudgels against mighty Mamata Banerjee. But Nandini Mukhopadhyay could be best described as an epitome of cool and poise. For her, contesting the forthcoming bypolls from the Bhowanipore constituency with a CPI(M) ticket is just another assignment. And she has always completed her assignments with aplomb.

Forty-five-year-old Nandini is the most loved faculty member at Jadavpur University (JU) where she has been teaching computer science engineering since 1992. She had worked in two private firms - Software Org Systems and MN Dastoor - before that. A student of Kamala Girls' High School and Patha Bhavan, Nandini was always a bright scholar with computers her first love. After clearing the joint entrance examination, she studied computer science engineering at the then Bengal Engineering College (now Bengal Engineering and Science University).

Even after joining JU's tech faculty, her quest for creating next generation computers continued. She took a break from teaching to complete her PhD at University of Manchester. "In those days, computers worked on a single processor. My research was on parallel computing or on multiple processors that would increase the speed of the computer while making it a multi-tasker," she shyly explained in layman's language. Even today, when she is not teaching, you will find Nandini working to spread computer literacy among the underprivileged with like-minded friends. You will find her imparting computer lessons to poor kids in nondescript lanes and bylanes.

"I joined a movement to create free software that can be used for spreading computer literacy among people. This will help put computers to multiple use without spending much," she explained. With 10 research scholars working under her, Nandini is trying to do something innovative on grid computing and wireless sensor network.

But isn't contesting an election a tad different from her classroom and laboratory work? "Indeed. But I will give it my best shot. I was associated with the SFI during my college days and had been in the executive council of JUTA, my university's teachers' political wing, for a long time. So I'm not as far removed from politics as you might think!" she laughed.

But is the thought of fighting Mamata Banerjee scaring her, albeit, a wee bit? "Not at all," she quips. "I don't think this is a personal battle. We who have been baptized in Left politics know how to take a detached view of such things. I think my party has given me a great opportunity to fight for a cause and to uphold the values of the Left movement at a very difficult time. I will definitely try to win," she said with conviction.

How does she rate her opponent? "She is indeed mighty and I respect her for the fact that she has single-handedly catapulted her party to power with a landslide victory. I will walk the miles at the hustings backed by this respect but will also try to uphold our point," she said.

MLAs can now earn 5K more

2011-09-03T17:01:00.000+05:30

TNN, 3 SEPT. 2011

KOLKATA: It was a windfall for Bengal legislators on Friday. The new government, despite financial constraints, increased their daily allowances by Rs 250 for the days they attend the assembly sessions or the committee meetings. Under the new system, MLAs can earn up to Rs 32,000 (including their Rs 12,000 salary per month) - which means a hike of Rs 5,000 from what they got earlier.

State finance minister Amit Mitra also had some good news for his ministerial colleagues. They will also get the daily allowance for attending the House, on a par with MLAs. Ministers, till now, were only entitled to a monthly remuneration of less than Rs 10,000. This, for them, is an added bonus.

"There are 24 Assembly standing committees with 10 members each. In addition, there are 15 other committees with 20 members each. So roughly, almost every member of the house is a member of these committees, if not more. When they attend a committee meeting, the MLAs will be entitled to this enhanced daily allowance too. It is difficult to pinpoint the actual but Roughly for the MLAs, if they attend the twice-a-week meetings, they get allowances for all the five days in a week. The meetings are usually on a Monday and Friday. So a bare calculation indicates they can earn Rs 5000 a week or Rs 20,000 a month. However, these will purely be on their attendance," the finance minister said. The MLAs, therefore, now will earn Rs 5000 more every month only by attending the meetings.

A look at the Assembly records in the 2006-11 term show that on an average 47.8 Assembly sittings were held every year. Inspite of the bitter acrimonious prompting Trinamool Congress MLAs to boycott the session for a long time, the Assembly had 219 sittings. Even in this index, the MLAs - and ministers - can earn close to Rs 12,000 a year more. This, however, is much less compared to the Mps. The Mps, other than a Rs 50,000 a month salary, gets Rs 2,000 for every Assembly sitting.

Earlier, Mitra made a spirited defence of his revenue-generation proposals, saying by hiking taxes in IMFL, lottery and tobacco products and by simplifying the rather complicated

tax structures, he was confident of meeting the revenue targets. "West Bengal is the only state after Karnataka to have dematerialized the VAT registration process, a bottleneck that led to less compliance," he said.

Adra project in limbo as Railways, NTPC differ on land value

2011-09-03T16:54:00.000+05:30

Sat, Sep 03, 2011

Debjoy Sengupta, ET Bureau

KOLKATA: National ThermalPower Corporation's proposed project at Adra in West Bengal, which it plans toexecute with the Railways, has hit a roadblock over valuation of land on whichit is to be built. The power producer now plans to approach the RailwayMinistry for a resolution.

The 1,3200-mw thermal power plant is to beexecuted as a 26:74 joint venture between the two state-run entities. Over1,300 acres of land identified for the project belongs to the Railways. NTPCand the Railways need to agree on its pricing for the project to take off.

"We feel the price being asked is onthe higher side. The land is valued nearly at par with that in Kolkata, andNTPC executives are not too happy with the price being asked," an NTPCsource said, adding, "NTPC officials are planning to take up the issuewith the Railway Ministry so that it can be solved amicably."

The power producer is also waiting for thego ahead from the state government for acquiring land for another proposed1,600mw thermal power plant at Katwa in Bardhaman district. The stategovernment has acquired about 575 acres of land for the plant. NTPC needsanother 1,000 acres to start construction.

"We cannot start construction work onthis 575 acres," NTPC chairman Arup Roy Choudhury had said, adding that0.7 acres of land was needed for every megawatt of power generation capacity.

The memorandum of understanding for theplant had been signed in December.

Gorkha leader warns of agitation if bill does not fulfill promises

2011-09-03T16:51:00.001+05:30

Kolkata, Sep 3 (ANI): GorkhaJanmukti Morcha leader Harka Bahadur Chettri has said people demanding thecreation of a separate Gorkhaland state would agitate if the GorkhalandTerritorial Administration (GTA) Bill does not fulfill its promises.

Talking to reporters hereon Friday, Chettri said: “If some impediment is created, if the promisedautonomy is not given, if at the end of the day people feel that there is noprovision, no scope, GTA is not creating any employment, GTA is unable tocreate infrastructure that it aims to create, in that case, definitely peoplewill take to streets because nobody will have control over people if you failto deliver GTA,” said Chettri.

Meanwhile, Leader ofOpposition, Surya Kanta Misra slammed the state government for passing the billin haste.

“You see 54 amendments onthe part of the government itself show that they have not gone through the billproperly and even after giving 54 amendments, there is one provision that hasbeen passed in the house one of the amendments which is patentlyunconstitutional,” he said

“The Constitution has noprovision for the district level panchayat (council) in the Darjeeling neitherthe state act have it. They say the central government should agree to amend itin the parliament, but unless it is amended, so long it is not amended, even itis amended, only on the verbal assurance that it will get amended you cannotpass something unconstitutional in the assembly,” he added.

A renewed demand for aseparate Gorkhaland region, which would include Darjeeling and some contiguousareas of Jalpaiguri District, has created fresh turmoil over the past fewmonths.

The Gorkha population inWest Bengal is estimated to be around a million. (ANI)

Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Bill passed by Bengal Assembly

2011-09-03T16:48:00.001+05:30

Kolkata, September 3, 2011: The WestBengal Legislative Assembly on Friday passed the Gorkhaland TerritorialAdministration Bill with 54 amendments, overruling a demand by the Opposition to send it to a selectcommittee for further discussions.

Amid charges by the Treasury Benches as well as theGorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) legislators that this amounted to delayingtactics, Leader of the Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra said that peace anddevelopment go hand-in-hand and there was need to further discuss matters in apeaceful environment. He said peace might have returned to Darjeeling, butthere was tension in the Dooars and Terai regions. He later told reporters that the government was confusedand doing things that might be ultra vires of the Constitution.

Out of 54 amendments, 53 were moved by the government, accepting the demands of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. The government also accepted an amendment moved by opposition leader Surjya Kanta Mishra, relating to provision for reservation of seats in the GTA Sabha for SCs and STs and women. The government, however, didn't accept the amendment for reservation of women.
The state buckled under pressures from the GJM that wanted it to transfer financial and administrative powers along with executive powers to the GTA. It was incorporated in the amended version of the Bill that GTA would strive to establish ethnic identity of the Gorkhas as well as expediting their socio-economic, educational, cultural and linguistic development. The unnecessary mentions of the word 'Sabha' (the elected body of GTA) was dropped from the draft.
The mention of a zilla parishad was incorporated in the Bill.
Speaking on the Bill, chief minister Mamata Banerjee explained that the Centre would carry out the necessary constitutional amendment to make provision for a zilla parishad in Darjeeling. GJM member Harka Bahadur Chhetri explained that earlier the zilla parishad in Darjeeling had been abolished because the outgoing DGHC was functioning as zilla parishad.
Accepting GJM's demand, the amended Bill dropped the provision of the governor nominating two members to the Executive Sabha. All the 14 members of the Executive Sabha would now be nominated by the chief executive of GTA. The presence of one-third of members of the GTA Sabha would form the quorum for holding its meetings.
The principal secretary of GTA would not be transferred for a period of two years after assumption of office without consent of GTA. While the government in the draft Bill had agreed to delegate to GTA the power to make appointments only in Group-D posts, in course of the debate the CM agreed to GJM's demand and the amended version delegated to GTA also power to make appointments in Groups-B and C posts.
In a significant step, the government accepted an amendment moved by the leader of the opposition providing for reservation of seats in GTA Sabha for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs. "The reservations will be as per constitutional norms and the provisions of the agreement with GJM," minister Partha Chatterjee told TOI later. It appeared that GJM agreed to the amendment with reluctance. "We are prepared to accept whatever is the constitutional provision," GJM leaders Roshan Giri and Harka Bahadur Chhetri told TOI.
The CM also said that the governor who could nominate five members to the GTA sabha could also give nomination to representatives from these categories. Observers said this would pave the way for reservation of seats in the GTA Sabha for smaller communities like Lepchas and Bhutias as well as for adivasis who live in Dooars and Terai, where GJM has demanded areas for inclusion in GTA.
The chief minister announced that a development board would be set up for the Lepchas of Darjeeling under the state government. Lepcha groups are agitating in the streets of Kolkata for the past one month with this demand.
She said the government was taking steps to ensure that there was no discord between Gorkhas and adivasis in the process of identification of additional areas in Dooars and Terai for inclusion in GTA. She said Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikash Parishad which had held agitations against such inclusion had been misguided by vested political interests. She accused the previous Left Front government of not being serious in addressing the problem of Darjeeling.
GJM member Harka Bahadur Chhetri later explained that the process of GTA formation and the expert committee on identification of areas in Dooars and Terai submitting its report would proceed in a parallel process. "The holding of the election will not depend on the submission of report by the committee, which has six months' time," he said.

CPI(M) Alleges Model Code of Conduct Violation by CM

2011-09-03T16:05:00.000+05:30

Kolkata | Sep 03, 2011

The opposition CPI(M) today complained to the Election Commission that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee contesting a bypoll from the Bhowanipore assembly seat had violated the Model Code of Conduct.

CPI(M) state secretary Biman Basu in a letter to Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Gupta alleged that Banerjee, a candidate of the Trinamool Congress, had violated the Model Code of Conduct by promising jobs to students and youths at a rally in Kolkata on August 28.

Seeking immediate intervention by the Election Commission, Basu claimed that ministers and dignitaries came to attend the programme using government vehicles which was also a violation of the model code.

The CPI(M) leader alleged that the Election Commission had failed to take proper action during last the Assembly elections in the state on a large number of violations of the model code by the Trinamool Congress and the Congress despite complaints filed by the CPI(M).

The CPI(M) leader said he had enclosed two cuttings of newspaper clippings to the EC.

Banerjee is contesting the Bhowanipore seat to enter the assembly in the stipulated six months as she is not a member of the House. The election will be held on September 25.

Left Front fields JU professor against Mamata

2011-09-02T21:56:00.003+05:30

Kolkata, Sept 1 (IBNS): The Communist Party of India(Marxist) has fielded a professor of Jadavpur University against West BengalChief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the assembly by-election from Bhowanipur.

Mamata Banerjee, who defeated the Left Front inthe April-May state election ending the 34 year long rule of the Marxists, isfighting the bypoll scheduled on Sept 25 from the Bhowanipore assembly seat tobe elected to the state assembly to continue as the chief minister of thestate.

The Left Front nominated CPI (M) candidate is Dr.Nandini Mukhopadhyay and she is a professor in the Computer Science &Engineering Department in Jadavpur University.

West Bengal PWD minister and Trinamool Congresslegislator Subrata Bakshi has resigned from the Bhowanipur seat earlier toenable Mamata Banerjee to contest.

Mamata Banerjee is an MP from Kolkata (South)seat, but not a member of the state assembly.

A resident of Golf Garden in south Kolkata,Mamata's challenger Mukhopadhyay did her Ph.D. in 1999 from the University ofManchester, UK. She did her M.E. in 1991 from the Jadavpur University and herB.E. in 1987 from Calcutta University. Her research area is Parallel Computing,Grid Computing and Wireless Sensor Networks.

The CPI (M) candidate taking on a politicalbehemoth like Mamata Banerjee, whose win is seen as a forgone conclusion, wasassociated with the left student movement.

Meanwhile, CPI(M) has put up Subid Ali Gazi forthe Basirhat (North) assembly constituency where a by-election was necessitatedafter the party MLA Mustafa Bin Kashem had an unnatural death at the city MLAHostel soon after the election in May.

Few claimants for seized Singur land

2011-08-31T22:11:00.000+05:30

The district administration, which continues to scrutinize applications, expects only about 300 more valid claims to emerge from among near 2,000 lodged with it

Romita Datta

LIVEMINT, Posted: Sat, Aug 13, 2011. 12:33 AM IST

Kolkata: Only about 300 protesting farmers have so far managed to establish, with valid legal documents, their “rightful title” to the land seized from them in 2006 for Tata Motors Ltd’s small car factory in Singur. Their collective ownership is 40 acres at the most.

The state government gave farmers a month’s time till 22 July to file applications with the Hooghly district administration to reclaim land that they were forced to give up for the factory. The district administration, which continues to scrutinize applications, expects only about 300 more valid claims to emerge from among near 2,000 lodged with it.

Under the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act, 2011, the first law passed by the newly elected Trinamool Congress government of the state, the administration seized the 997-acre plot allotted to Tata Motors and its component makers, with the aim of redistributing it among farmers. The Act named some 2,200-odd farmers as eligible to reclaim land, and their collective ownership was pegged at around 300 acres.

The Act said only those farmers who protested against the 2006 land acquisition for the now-abandoned Nano car factory by not receiving payment from the state government were entitled to reclaim as much land as was seized from them.

These people, named in the Act, were asked to file applications with the Hooghly district administration with proof of ownership, but it now appears that a “large majority” of these erstwhile landowners have no documents to establish their title to the land.

“So far, applications of only about 310 people have been found to be valid,” said Rabindranath Bhattacharya, a Trinamool Congress legislator from Singur and the state’s minister for agriculture. He was also one of the key leaders of the Trinamool Congress-spearheaded agitation against the factory.

“Going by the trend so far, we expect the number (of valid applications) to rise by another 300 at best,” he added.

District magistrate Sripriya Rangarajan refused to comment, saying she was busy dealing with the flood-like situation in Hooghly.

“A large majority of the applicants are unable to prove their ownership,” said Pulak Sarkar, Singur block development officer. “It appears from the hundreds of applications processed so far that a lot of people in that list (in the Act) have sold their land, and the people who currently claim to own these tracts of land have no document at all to establish their ownership.”

Moloy Ghatak, the state’s law minister and vice-chairman of an expert panel overseeing the land redistribution, said it would not be possible for the state government to return land unless people could establish their claim with valid legal documents.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has said that at least 400 acres of land was forcibly seized by the erstwhile Left Front government of the state. She demanded the return of 400 acres to the erstwhile owners, and didn’t budge from it, forcing Tata Motors to pull the plug on the Singur project.

According to the records of the state’s land and land reforms (L&LR) department, erstwhile owners of some 51 acres couldn’t claim compensation because of ownership being under legal dispute. Erstwhile owners of around 90 acres were found to be living abroad, and didn’t bother to collect compensation.

“To be realistic, only a little over 150 acres could be redistributed among local farmers in the best case scenario, but it now seems that only about 70-80 acres would be reclaimed,” said an officer of the L&LR department, who did not want to be named.

“We don’t know yet if people who live abroad have reclaimed land; if they have, the figure could go up, but only marginally.”

Incidentally, the erstwhile Left Front government had offered to carve out 70 acres from the plot allotted for the small car factory, to be developed and redistributed among all farmers forced to give up land for the project. It also offered to sweeten the cash compensation.

But Banerjee spurned the offer and continued to protest, which eventually led to the factory being moved to Sanand in Gujarat.

romita.d@livemint.com

Farmers divided over Singur land bill

2011-08-31T22:06:00.000+05:30

Priyanka Gupta

CNN-IBN

Updated Jun 17, 2011 at 04:25pm IST

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Singur Bill seems to have opened a Pandora's box. More than 10000 willing farmers handed over their land to the Tatas for compensation and a job. They are now prepared to take the government to court over the bill.

Sixty-year-old Swapan Kumar Das, one of the farmer who exchanged his land with the Tatas for compensation and a job for his son Soumen, feels cheated. 15 days from retirement at Singur, he's not looking forward to rest after decades of work. Instead, he is bracing himself for uncertain times.

Swapan Kumar Das said, "We have lost everything either way. We thought we will get jobs because there will be an industry and I spent the money to build my house. My son trained for the Tatas for two years like others and now he has no job and he is too old to study."

More than 10,000 people willingly gave up their land for the Singur project of the Tatas. Uday Das a local doctor is one of them. He is now leading those farmers who believe they are victims of both the Left and the TMC-led governments.

"We will challenge the bill in court because it is not fair. One government makes a decision, another government comes makes another decision. What about us! Why should we suffer in between?" said Uday Das.

Another farmer Rabindranath Bolen who exchanged his land with the Tatas is upset over the fact that his land will be given to someone else.

"Why should my land be given to someone else. I gave my land for industry not to give to someone else. Where is the public purpose in this?" said Bolen.

On the other hand, those farmers who struggled for six long years to get their land back have openly welcomed the bill.

Mahabir, a farmer who had to unwillingly give up his land, said, "We have fought for so many years and lived in poverty, this bill promises that we will get our land back, but why should they who took the compensation and willingly gave up their land now crib? You can't have it both the ways.

With several promises being made and broken, the Singur chapter has become a turbulent one for Bengal, with all eyes now on Mamata Banerjee to see if she can keep the people of Singur from being divided.

Office renovation of Chief Minister

2011-08-31T22:01:00.000+05:30

Bengal becomes biggest borrower

2011-08-31T21:46:00.000+05:30

THE TELEGRAPH, Issue Date: Wednesday, July 27, 2011

SAUMITRA DASGUPTA AND DEVADEEP PUROHIT

July 26: Bengal has become the biggest borrower among all states in the country, both the current and previous governments going neck and neck in raising loans in the first four months of this financial year.

Data available with the RBI suggest that the new Trinamul Congress-led government has raised Rs 5,000 crore in the two months since Mamata Banerjee took over as chief minister of the cash-strapped state on May 20.

The coalition government’s borrowing blitz began on June 7 when it raised Rs 3,000 crore and followed that up with two tranches of Rs 1,000 crore each on July 5 and 19. These loans came on top of borrowings worth Rs 5,173 crore by the Left Front government during its final months in office.

The combined effect of the borrowings by the two governments is that Bengal has now earned the dubious distinction of becoming the biggest borrower among the states. Last year, Bengal was ranked sixth among states in terms of annual borrowings.

Bengal’s borrowings now stand at Rs 10,173 crore — almost 70 per cent higher than last year’s level of Rs 6,000 crore during the same period. What’s worse is that its borrowings in the first four months of the current financial year at Rs 10,173 crore is 7 per cent higher than the Rs 9,500 crore it had borrowed in the 12 months ended March 31 this year.

State finance minister Amit Mitra declined comment on the borrowing programme of the state government.

“The borrowing spree will compound the problems that the government is facing. The government will have to find ways to increase its own revenue,” said a senior state government official on condition of anonymity.

Although the Centre has increased the plan budget for the state from Rs 17,985 crore to Rs 22,214 crore and promised to give more funds to Bengal, it has also suggested that the state government find ways to shore up its revenue collections.

While the state waits for Delhi to loosen its purse-strings, the question that is being asked at Writers’ is why does the government need to borrow so much? Is it to pay salaries, pension and interest on outstanding loans?

The available figures, however, don’t support this hypothesis. The monthly outgo on salaries, pension and interest on outstanding loans is around Rs 4,000 crore while the revenue earnings per month are around Rs 5,500 crore.

“A new government has to deliver on its promises and a lot of new projects are being taken up. As most of them have been announced without obtaining consent from the finance department, borrowing is the only option,” said a state government official.

Some of the big announcements by the chief minister include laying embankments in Aila-affected areas, rural healthcare upgradation, creation of 36 primary health care centres in Jungle Mahal, drinking water projects in Purulia, West Midnapore and Bankura, jobs for 10,000 tribal young men and women as part of a special police force in Jungle Mahal and the creation of 46,000 teachers’ posts.

“The state government doesn’t have the funds to roll out all these projects at one go and that’s why there is a need to borrow,” said an official. Borrowing by a state government is not a sin and Bengal can borrow up to Rs 17,000 crore a year.

But excessive borrowing has its ramifications. The borrowings will put a greater strain on Bengal’s finances since the interest payout will increase with yields (the rate of interest that the bond holders earn) climbing by 44 basis points from around 8.17 per cent last year to around 8.61 per cent at present.

The rising yields appear to have deterred the other states from accessing the RBI loan auction window. That’s the reason why Bengal’s borrowings account for almost 28 per cent of the total state government borrowings of Rs 37,023 crore till date.

Uttar Pradesh — the second highest borrower this year — has raised Rs 5,000 crore till date, less than half of what Bengal has garnered in the four-month period.

Cry of the comrades

2011-08-31T21:37:00.000+05:30

TNN, Aug 14, 2011, 04.00AM IST

All hell didn't break loose after the change of guard in West Bengal as the Left had predicted. The sun did shine after May 13 when the comrades found themselves relegated to a poor double-digit figure (62), and the last 10.03 pm metro from Esplanade was packed with men and women like it was the day before.

Banners changed from red to green (the Trinamool's favoured colour), indicating shakeups in the para rickshaw and bus unions. Local party offices that served as nuts and bolts to the "CM to LCM (local committee member)" command structure, running parallel with the administration, found themselves out of sync. And the men and women who ate and drank power for 34 long years in cosy collusion with the local police became targets of Trinamool Congress in select city pockets - from Jadavpur to Beliaghata, Kasba to Sealdah and Maniktala.

Even Left-dominated bodies that used to mobilise consent in favour of the government of the day, carving out ideologically-suitable policies, were suddenly under threat. Elected student representatives in some of the city colleges - Asutosh, St Paul's and Thakurpukur - were forced to resign while some of the nominees in the Left-dominated college governing bodies were unable to enter the institutions.

"The ruling Trinamool Congress occupied one local committee office and 13 branch offices in these areas," says the CPM's Kolkata district secretariat member, Kallol Majumdar. "Seven trade union offices affiliated to Citu have been locked from outside. In some places, party members were threatened and beaten up when they refused to fall in line. Local Trinamool councillors led the attack in St Paul's College, Thakurpukur College, Asutosh College, and forced the SFI union representatives to resign."

Such was the concern that the chancellor of all state universities, governor MK Narayan, in a written directive on June 14 asked varsities to refrain from making fresh selections at all levels and stop nominating people to governing bodies till further orders.

Yet there is no public outrage. People at large do not seem concerned with the much-touted assault on "democracy", a cry coming out loud from a CPM left in the opposition. A substantial number views it as just an attack on the "party-dominated mechanism" that ran roughshod over the state all these years. Worse is the scene in the villages - the traditional political minefields of Bengal - spread over Hooghly, Burdwan, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas. Then there are the three troubled districts of Jangalmahal - West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura - where CPM activists are on the run. Most of the CPM-managed panchayat offices are locked and deserted, even those in an area from where CPM strongman Anil Basu won the 2004 Lok Sabha polls with a record one lakh-plus margin.

According to CPM insiders, if things continue like this, the party will have a tough time fielding candidates in the 2013 panchayat polls. The party's North 24 Parganas leader Amitava Nandi says "supporters are staying outside their home. Their complaints to the police are not being entertained".

CPM leaders in Alimuddin Street, the party's nerve centre, are busy re-energising the party committees down to the unit level of which at least 30% has become defunct. To begin with, the party has planned a series of showdowns in front of the Legislative Assembly and Parliament in August. "We are now holding party committee meetings at various levels, organising protests at local levels. We will hit the streets after the monsoon. Prior to that the party will hold a three-day meet at Alimuddin Street beginning August 20 to identify the issues and chart out our future course," says CPM state secretariat member Gautam Deb.

But that's easier said than done. After such a long stint in power, the Bengal CPM still could not mobilise public opinion on issues like abnormal price rise - this, despite falling field prices of vegetables, even paddy. People do not take the official Left line seriously on these things anymore. "The CPM's legacy of mass movement became blunt long ago with its desperate overtures to continue in power. The party identified some of these factors in 2010 after the Left debacle in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. But we could not engage with the masses. We need to begin from scratch," a senior CPM state committee member said.

Perceptions vary over what course the strategy should now take. For instance, a minor section in Alimuddin Street still hopes to gain by targetting the Mamata Banerjee government, telling people the goodies that the Left Front government handed out. Others, however, want the party to build movements against the "anti-people policies" of the Congress-led UPA government and "expose Mamata Banerjee's double standards."

With the organised movements in factories and tea gardens becoming weak, and the Left students' movement losing its sheen, the CPM is confronted with the phenomenon of identity politics - in the Darjeeling Hills as well as the plains. "We do not expect to regain support in the Hills in the near future. At the same time, our party can't associate itself with Bengali chauvinist organisations such as Amra Bangali in Siliguri. We have to try and address the concerns of all ethnic populations and nationalities such as Nepali, Rajbanshi, Lepcha, Bhutia," says CPM state committee member and former minister Asok Bhattacharya.

Former land and land reforms minister Abdur Rezzak Molla feels that the Left movement in Bengal can't revive without broadening its fold. "The Left Front made history. But this formula won't work if we can't expand the Left family and come out of our old practice," he says. In tatters and demoralized, it will take a while before the comrades can come out of the pit they have dug themselves into.

Petro Chem ministry reviews PCPIR scheme

2011-08-31T21:31:00.000+05:30

Anindita Dey / Mumbai

Business Standard, June 17, 2011, 2:18 IST

The department of petrochemicals at the Centre has started a review of its flagship scheme, the Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Regions (PCPIR).

Officials said the ministry aimed at creating a window for government funding support and had proposed this to the Planning Commission. It is evaluating the scope of budgetary funding into these projects, apart from the specified mode of VGF (viability gap funding and through public private partnership (PPP).

A committee of the ministry has proposed government grants in the form of gross budgetary support or tax breaks for investors coming into the zone. PCPIR is the flagship scheme of the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers, with approved investments worth Rs 1,54,512 crore in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Orissa and Tamil Nadu.

Under the extant project guidelines, there is no budgetary support and the entire funding is to be done by the participants, which includes a government petrochemical public sector undertaking (PSU) as anchor investor. The VGF scheme provides financial support in the form of grants, one-time or deferred, to infrastructure projects undertaken through PPPs.

The review follows sluggish growth in the projected investment inflow into the various projects of the PCPIR zones approved across India. The ministry met state government reprentatives and have asked for inputs to modify the scheme so as to attract investment in the PCPIR zones.

Officials said a major reason for the slow inflow was recession in various parts of the world. Various state governments extended infrastructure support but very few have offered tangible funding help, apart from Gujarat, till date. Gujarat has notified the PCPIR under the rules for special investment zones and thus extended several tax-related advantages to incoming investors into its Bharuch PCPIR.

The ministry has also taken the initiative of organising major trade fairs in Europe and Latin American countries such as Brazil, Argentina and Mexico to attract foreign investment.

Till date, the Bharuch PCPIR in Gujarat has received Rs 70,000 crore of investments and the state government has completed 60-70 per cent of land development. Petronet LNG is setting up a 1,200 Mw power plant. ONGC Petro Additionals Ltd, a joint venture of ONGC and Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation, is the main anchor investor, with committed project investment of Rs 16,400 crore.

The investments are for a Rs 13,000-crore multi-feed petrochemical cracker and Rs 3,400-crore carbon extraction unit.

The newly approved PCPIR for Tamil Nadu, at Cuddalore and Nagapattinam, has received government support of Rs 5,120 crore. This will be part of investments in external infrastructure of Rs 13,800 crore, over and above an estimated investment of Rs 99,750 crore.The Visakhapatnam and East Godavari PCPIR in Andhra Pradesh has attracted additional investment of Rs 9,600 crore, apart from investment commitment of Rs 73,000 crore through its main or anchor investors — a consortium of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and GMR. The state government has committed Rs 2,132 crore for developing physical infrastructure, followed by Rs 10,565 crore from private parties and another Rs 6,334 crore through PPP.

Similarly, for the newly approved Orissa PCPIR at Paradeep, the anchor investor, Indian Oil Corporation, is setting up a 15-million tonne per annum refinery, likely to be commissioned in March 2012, at a cost of Rs 29,777 crore. The PCPIR is expected to attract total investment of Rs 2,77,734 crore.

World Bank report lauds Bengal for development in Ganga basin

2011-08-31T21:27:00.000+05:30

NEW DELHI: Critics of the Left Front in West Bengal may have blamed its 34-year rule for underdevelopment there, but a World Bank report has commended the state for growth and poverty reduction in the Ganga basin.

The World Bank report on the river Ganga, however, said other basin states -- Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand -- are hit by a "disproportionately high incidence of income poverty" and lagging in development and eradication of poverty.

"These basin states have a disproportionately high incidence of income poverty and, with the exception of West Bengal, have generally lagged in growth and poverty reduction," World Bank's Project Appraisal Document on National Ganga River Basin said.

According to the report, the Ganga basin is the most populous in the world, with more than 400 million people in India alone.

"It accounts for 25 per cent of India's water resources, and the five states on its mainstream are home to more than 50 per cent of the poor people in the country," it said.

The report said the Ganga basin exemplifies a typical "hydraulic civilisation", where achieving water security to harness the river's productive potential and limit its destructive potential is critical for sustenance and economic growth.

The report was made public last week after the government signed a $1 billion loan agreement with the World Bank for cleaning the river, which is seriously polluted and under extreme environmental stress.

PTI , Jun 19, 2011, 10.28am IST