'People rejected the Third Front alternative' : Shyamal Chakrabarty

Kolkata, 15 June, 2009,Times of India

The CPI(M) is undergoing an organisational review after the reverses in the Lok Sabha polls. Shyamal Chakrabarty , member of party's West Bengal secretariat and central committee, talks to Saugata Roy :

Q:What are the major factors behind the Left debacle in the recent Lok Sabha polls in Bengal?

Chakrabarty: There are many factors, national and local, behind our poor show. People rejected the Third Front alternative. Even if it is a fact that we are very much into coalition politics, and have been running the Left Front government in West Bengal since 1977, voters didn't like the kind of coalition we floated after we withdrew support to the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre.

Q: CPI general secretary A B Bardhan felt that Left's withdrawing support from the UPA government over the Indo-US nuclear deal was not proper. What is your view?

Chakrabarty:Bardhan is a senior Left leader and CPI is a major constituent of the Left Front. We should consider his comment with due importance because the withdrawal decision was finally adopted in the meeting of four Left parties in Delhi.

Q:How do you account for the downslide in the CPI(M)'s vote share in West Bengal?

Chakrabarty: There are many local factors such as our stand on land acquisition, performance of state government, and also the state party. Voters didn't accept our land acquisition process. The acquisition in Singur should have come after adequate discussion at the grassroots. The Nandigram case is a little different though. The government dropped the acquisition plan there. It gave compensation to landowners and now we need to work on models beyond monetary compensation for land losers and those dependent on the land, ...of something that can generate a stable income. But i must say that the acquisition experience is not all that negative. The party's performance has improved in Purulia where the government acquired land for industry.

Q:While pursuing industry did the Left shift from its mainstay - the rural and urban poor? Does the Left Front government need to reposition itself among the downtrodden?

Chakrabarty:I don't know how far this is true. After all, people go by perception. One of my friends rang me the other day and said the Congress government works in the interests of big business but projects itself as a saviour of the poor. And our government has been working for the poor, but the campaign is that we have turned pro-rich. Borrowing Noam Chomsky, i would say that the media has succeeded in manufacturing this view.

Q:There is a rumour that heads might roll in the government and the party.

Chakrabarty:I don't see any reason why individuals should be held responsible for a failure when the decision was a collective one. It holds true for everyone Prakash Karat, Biman Basu, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. Unlike other parties where individuals call the shots, the system in our party is different.

Jai Balaji to set up iron ore washing plant in Durgapur

KOLKATA:Sunday, 14 Jun 2009-It is reported that Jai Balaji Industries is to install a CDE iron ore washing plant at their facility at Durgapur in West Bengal. AS per release, with a capacity of 200 tonnes per hour, the plant for Jai Balaji Industries will be the largest installed by CDE in India.

Jai Balaji Industries have introduced the CDE iron ore washing system to replace their existing mobile dry screening system as they seek to improve the final quality of their iron ore which is subsequently used in a number of their steel manufacturing operations. The washing of iron ore reserves is proven to have many advantages over dry screening, most importantly the removal of many contaminants which have a detrimental effect on the final quality of the iron ore.

The introduction of the new CDE iron ore washing system will improve the final quality of the iron ore through an efficient and effective reduction in the levels of contaminants in the raw iron ore. These contaminants such as Alumica, Silica and fine silts and clays create inefficiencies in the steel production process and their effective removal can lead to substantial cost savings in production as well as allowing for the production of high quality steel products.

Mamata calls on Basu

KOLKATA: 14 Jun 2009-Trinamool Congress chief and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday called on Communist Party of India (Marxist) patriarch Jyoti Basu at his Salt Lake residence, saying that she wanted to pay a courtesy visit to a senior leader.

The CPI(M) patriarch congratulated the Trinamool Congress chief on her election victory and said he wanted her "co-operation". He also hoped that the Trinamool Congress would play its role of an Opposition. “I will not be there to watch the next election.” Basu told Mamata.

"I told him (Basu) I had no political issues. He told me he would not be there in the coming Assembly elections. I felt someone had prompted him to say these words," Coming out of Basu’s house, Banerjee told mediapersons: “I wanted to talk politics with Basu. But the presence of someone inside his room prevented me. I simply wished him a speedy recovery... I admire Jyoti Basu, his health is better and therefore I decided to meet him.” Mamata, was accompanied by Mukul Roy and Partho Chattarjee.

It was Ramola Chakraborty, wife of the State Transport Minister Subhas Chakraborty, who was present inside Basu’s room. She left only after Mamata’s departure. Ramola, when contacted, said she did not know about Mamata’s visit as it was unscheduled. As Basu’s personal secretary is on leave she has been visiting him at least twice a day, she said, adding that she just happened to be in the room when Mamata came in.

Mamata last visited Basu on June 5, 2007, to discuss Nandigram and Singur on the latter’s invitation.

Later, Mamata called on former chief minister Siddhartha Shankar Ray and briefed him about the law and order situation in the state.

Buddhadeb seeks funds for 'Sunderbans Chinese wall'

Kolkata:June 14, 2009 -Bengal wants Rs 15,000 crore to protect the area from cyclones and high tides. West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will seek Rs 15,000 crore from the Centre for building a “mini Chinese Wall” along the coastal area of the Sundarbans to protect the area’s 4.1 million people from further cyclones and high tides. The area was recently hit by cyclone Aila.

The chief minister is scheduled to meet the prime minister on June 19 in New Delhi where he will seek the grant. The plan is to build a concrete wall and embankments. Two days ago, state Finance Minister Ashim Dasgupta had met Home Minister P Chidambaram and sought Rs 10,000 crore for the project. After making several visits to the Sundarbans, the chief minister decided to raise the demand to Rs 15,000 crore.

Kanti Ganguly, the minister in charge of the Sundarbans, said this was a preliminary estimate and might rise. There are over 3,500-km embankments on various rivers in the Sundarbans, of which at least 400 km were destroyed by Aila and the high tide that followed. Ganguly told Business Standard that the entire stretch of 3,500-km riversides would not need concrete embankments.

Experts who examined the area after the devastation had said that there should be three lines of defence. The first line, exposed to the sea, should consist of mangrove rings, they said. It was noticed that the islands where mangroves were in abundance did not face the kind of devastation that visited other areas. The second line should be embankments and the third should be trees natural to the climate and soil of the Sundarbans, they said.

Prof Anandadev Mukhopadhyaya, an eminent oceanologist who has been conducting extensive studies in the Digha-Shankarpur coastline area that falls within the cyclone-hit zone, says construction of the concrete wall or embankments will go a long way in protecting the coastal area. He feels the mangrove belt is a must to protect the islands.The area is suffering from an acute shortage of drinking water, food and houses. According to Ganguly, more than 150,000 houses have been partly or fully destroyed by the cyclone. He said that after the cyclone, sea water entered the villages and seeped in a large number of mud houses. These houses, he said, might not last the coming monsoon.

Lapses in building up mass contact are the main reasons for the debacle

KOLKATA,13th June,2009(INN): The 13th session of the West Bengal State Committee of CPI(M) was held on 11-12th June, 2009. The main agenda of this meeting was to discuss the results of the 15th LokSabha elections in West Bengal and the future tasks in the post election period. The General Secretary of the Party, Prakash Karat and Polit bureau members Sitaram Yechury and S R Pillai were present in the meeting. The meeting was presided over by Benoy Konar.

According due respect towards the mandate of the people, the state committee deeply analyzed the political, organizational as well as the administrative reasons behind the election results. Drawing lessons from the election results, the state committee has decided to take up comprehensive rectification programmes on all fronts.

In the elections, the Left parties took the initiative to form an electoral understanding with non-Congress, non-BJP parties. However, the Third Front could not gain the confidence of the people. The attempt to unite all democratic and patriotic forces on the basis of an anti-imperialist ideological political stand in order to meet the electoral challenge, was not very successful. In the absence of acredible alternative force to meet the challenges of communalism and terrorism, the people voted for the Congress for a stable government. Some initiatives taken by the UPA government under the pressure of the Left also helped the Congress. All these factors affected West Bengal along with the other states in the country.

In our state, all kinds of divisive anarchist forces along with the ultra-left and ultra-right reactionary forces forged an alliance under the leadership of the Trinamool Congress centering on the issues of Singur and Nandigram. The electoral alliance between the Congress and the Trinamool Congress provided further fillip to this.

The state committee has opined that the party's organizational weaknesses have been reflected in the election results. Unprincipled activities, lack of mass contact and weaknesses in building up movements on a consistent basis, have all played their part in denting the support of the party among the people. The image of the party has been damaged.The state committee has called for serious initiatives to rectify the shortcomings. In spite of huge attacks against the party, we have secured the support of over 1 crore 85 lakh people in the state. 43 comrades have been martyred since the elections were announced. After the declaration of results these attacks have increased manifold.Through the process of self-introspection, there is an urgent need to strengthen the party and counter such attacks.

The state committee also opined that some neglect and sluggishness have crept into the work related directly to the people, particularly to the interests of the poor and working masses. There are shortcomings in the functioning of the Government, panchayats and municipalities with regard to maintaining proper class outlook. There have also been attempts to block the implementation of every programme of the government over the last two years. As a result the implementation of pro-people programmes of the government has been adversely affected.

The state committee has said that the divisive forces are receiving support of the reactionaries both within the country and outside. There are attempts to create divisions within the poor people by raking up divisive issues. This divisive agenda needs to be resisted with a proper class perspective.

As far as the immediate tasks in the post election situation is concerned, the state committee has said that attempts are being made to mount large scale attacks on the Party, the Left Front government and the people there by creating an atmosphere of anarchy and terror in the state. The party has to resist this attack by forging even greater unity both at the political as well as organizational level.

The aim of the opposition is to create divisions within the democratic and working people. The task is to unite the people by breaking these divisions. The party has to reach the people as their true friend. The work for the poor and the working masses should be given more priority in the tasks of the party, mass organization and the administration. Immediate and bold steps should be taken to stop non-communist activities and behaviour at every level of the party.

53 comrades participated in the discussion in the state committee. Summing up the discussion, Biman Basu identified certain programs as immediate tasks. In order to protect democracy and democratic rights of the people, we should take up the programme of movement immediately. The attempt to create anarchy in the state has to be resisted by organizing the people. State wide movements will be organized on the issues of price rise, universal public distribution system, providing BPL card toall poor families, changing the centre defined BPL criteria, expedite the process of granting SC/ST certificates, expediting the programmes for minority welfare and implementation of the rural electrification programme.

Participating in the discussion, General Secretary Prakash Karat said that while the third front has not been acceptable to the people in this election, the necessity of creating a third alternative has not ended. Although the present situation is one of adversity, the Party and the Left will be able to overcome it.

WB to go for PPP in tourism promotion

KOLKATA: 13 Jun 2009- While the state government has been encouraging PPP partnership in tourism infrastructure development for quite some time, it now intends to extend this request of partnership to private players in the publicity field as well, given that the biggest obstacle to Bengal tourism continues to be a negative perception in tourists’ minds. This was stated by Manabendra Mukherjee, West Bengal’s minister-in-charge for tourism, textiles, micro & small-scale enterprises, on Saturday. He was speaking at an interactive session organised by CII, Eastern Region, in association with the state department of tourism to focus on promoting tourism in the state. Mr Mukherjee added that in the last two years, the budget allocation for publicity of Bengal’s tourism had increased 10-fold and the government is keen to double that in the coming days. According to him, though the state received about 11 lakh foreign tourists and 165 lakhs domestic travellers in 2007-08, there is still a lot of further scope. While the state tourism department intends to develop Jharkhali in Sunderbans and Mandarmoni in the Digha-Shankarpur stretch as prime spots for destination tourism, a Rs 25 crore project will start shortly in Murshidabad around Lalbagh, the capital of Nawab Siraj-ud-Dullah, to develop it as another site for destination heritage tourism. Work for tourism development will also start shortly in Birbhum where a tourism circuit will be developed around Shantiniketan. Ms Nandita Chatterjee, principal secretary, state department of tourism, added that a policy decision had been taken that the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Ltd along with the private sector would set up SPVs (special purpose vehicles) for land banks after which the third party development partners would be urged to develop infrastructure in tourism. Mr Ravi Todi, Chairman, West Bengal State Council, CII (Eastern Region), said that to tap tourism potential in Bengal, the approach has to be two-pronged – targeting both domestic as well as international tourists. He identified some key issue sectors like infrastructure, marketing and promotion and urged the necessity to upgrade international air connectivity.

BENGAL CPI (M) CALLS ON PEOPLE TO TAKE TO THE STREETS TO SAFEGUARD DEMOCRACY, RESIST ANARCHY

KOLKATA,12^th JUNE(INN): The Bengal unit of the CPI (M) in the wake of the two-day state committee meeting (11 – 12 June 2009) has given a strong call to the people to come out onto the streets in the defence of democracy and to frustrate anarchic designs of the reactionaries and the sectarians.

The state committee meeting saw the presence of three Polit Bureau members from the Party Centre: General Secretary Prakash Karat, Sitaram Yechury, and S R Pillai. Prakash Karat said during the discussion that took place in the meeting that that the ‘Third Force’ was not acceptable to the people during these elections. Nevertheless, the necessity for a building up a ‘Third Alternative’ has not been finished off. The situation is unfavourable but the Party and the Leftists shall be able to overcome it.

The Bengal CPI (M) has in the circumstances of the incessant attack by the combined ‘rainbow opposition,’ on the democratic fabric itself in Bengal. The Bengal CPI (M) has given this call in a fervent manner to all democratic-minded people in the accompaniment of CPI (M) and Left mass organisation workers, sympathisers, and supporters of the CPI (M) to take to tarry no farther in taking to the streets.

Said Biman Basu, state secretary of Bengal CPI (M) that in the wake of the Assembly elections, wide assaults ‘are seen to be brought down viciously on the CPI (M), Left Front and on the Left Front government of Bengal.’ Efforts are ‘on’ in a planful way to pave the path that leads to anarchy and complete disorder as well as chaos.

Terrorist methods of murder and mayhem are employed rampantly. The Trinamuli goons lead the way, the Congress hoods follow while the self-styled ‘Maoists’ try and create havoc whenever and wherever they can in Bengal. The very democracies that the people enjoy in the Left Front régime as well as the wide democratic rights that the people possess are taken away from them with the use of open threat and brute force by the enemies of the people.

The Bengal unit of the CPI (M) has also called on the Party and the Left mass organisations to be united in a much more political and organisational manner with ideology of Marxism-Leninism lighting up the path to be traversed, a path complex but not impassable. Whenever and wherever the police the state administration are found lacking an appropriate pro-active role, voices would raised against them as well, firmly asserted Biman Basu.

In the state committee, the Bengal CPI (M) has accepted with respect the popular verdict and has delved deeply and thoughtfully into three causes of the electoral outcome: political, organisational, and administrative. Drawing the correct lessons from the outcome, the Bengal unit has decided resolutely to undertake a rectification programme with a multifaceted outlook as far as the emergent tasks are concerned.

In the elections, an initiative was launched by the Left to create an electoral understanding that was non-Congress as well as non-BJP. However, the ‘Third Force’ failed to earn the believability of the mass of the people. The expected success of countering the electoral challenge could not be achieved by massing the democratic and the patriotic forces of the country based on an anti-imperialist political-ideological stance. The electorate chose the Congress as able to set up stable governance at the centre, for the voters did not regard any other alternative as reliable enough to counter the terrible menace posed by the forces of religious fundamentalism and terrorism.

It is to be mentioned that while such projects and programmes as the NREGA, the forest act for the adivasis, and other social welfare measures were undertaken under pressure of the Leftists by the UPA government, this initiative ultimately helped the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls. The impact of all this has been felt in Bengal as in other states.

In Bengal, a rainbow opposition conglomerate was created comprising the forces of division, separatism, and inclusive of all the elements anti-thetical to the CPI (M) and the Left Front from the sectarian to the utter reactionary elements. The Trinamul Congress led this unholy and opportunistic coalition of sorts. The alliance forged between the Congress and the Trinamul Congress added strength to this alliance.

Then there is the instance of the organisational flaws and faults of the Bengal CPI (M). The weaknesses in the organisation reflected themselves in the electoral outcome as well. Causing farther hurt to the image of the CPI (M) amongst the mass of the people and contributed to electoral losses have been instances of dissolute acts, lack of mass contact, and deficiencies in the task of building up continuous and ceaseless movements and struggles. The Bengal CPI (M) in its state committee meeting has called for sincere efforts at rectifying these deficiencies.

However, one important fact must not be lost sight of in the effort at self-critical frame of mind. The Bengal CPI (M) and the Left Front won no less than one core 85 lakh of votes and more, in the Lok Sabha election. If we count from the day the elections were announced, the number of braveheart CPI (M) workers martyred total no less than 42, and still counting.

Indeed, as a recent PD editorial has pointed out aptly, the attacks on the Bengal CPI (M) has continued to mount as the body count increases, and the fearful days and nights pass by for the democratic masses in a few districts in particular. The Bengal CPI (M) feels in the political-ideological self-critical introspection that in view of the continuity of intensity of the assault on us by our class enemies, there is need, indeed, there has been need to have made the Party more tightly organised so as to be capable of resisting the attacks.

There is also a self-critical admittance from the state committee that there has been defects and a slackness felt in organising tasks that directly affect the people, and are especially related to the poor an the working masses. There is additionally a lacuna felt and keenly about the absence of organising and running of the Bengal LF government, the Panchayats, and the civic bodies by keeping integral the precise and desired class direction and class orientation.

Then again, there is also the fact, undeniable, immutable, and incorrigible, that for the past two years in particular, every developmental programme and project of the Bengal government has had to face fierce well-nigh violent antagonism and resistance from an irresponsible opposition and its lackeys.

The situation is politically critical and the Bengal unit believes that the ugly forces of division and separatism receive constancy of every kind of possible assistance and help from reactionary elements and stakes, indigenous and foreign. Various forms of calls, catchphrases, and tags are pronounced with great pomposity to try to create fragmentation fault lines amongst the different and differing ranks of the poor. We must, said Biman, resist this heinous attempt to alienate the whole issue from the class question and class considerations.

As emergent tasks after the elections, the state committee of the Bengal CPI (M) has identified several issues. The Bengal CPI (M) must stand more united than ever politically and organisationally and confront the constant attacks on the people and the Party. Who are the perpetrators of the attacks? Answering this rhetorical question, Biman notes that vile attempts are made all the time by the stake elements on the right and the extreme left to launch coordinated assaults on the CPI (M), the Left Front, the Left Front government, and the mass of the people. The corporate media is engaged all the while in its incessantly attacking mode against the CPI (M).

The target fixed by the opposition of every form is to create fault lines amongst the working people and the democratic masses. The CPI (M) must counter this divisionary manoeuvre and build up – stronger than ever – a people’s unity. The masses must be approached, as they are closest to the Party, they are the Party’s very own near and dear ones. In their functioning, the Party, the mass organisations, and the administration must prioritise the poor and the working people. Firm, resolute, and determined steps must be initiated, right here and now, and at every functioning level of the Party, against all forms of non-Communist activities of omission and commission, and behavioural pattern.

53 state committee members took part in the discussion that was held at the meeting where central committee member Benoy Konar chaired the proceedings. Biman, concluding, identified the tasks. As we have already said in the beginning, Biman called upon the mass of the people to take to the street to safeguard and flourish the democratic rights of the people. The ill-gotten attempts to create a reign of anarchy and chaos must be resisted by taking along the mass of the people.

Statewide movements must be forthwith launched placing to the fore such issues and items as price rise, universal PDS, BPL card to all the poor, change in the criteria fixed by the central government for identifying the BPL, quick issuance without any delay of SC-ST-Adivasi certificates, implementation of the rural electrification programme etc.

Buddhadeb rides autorickshaw to cyclone-hit Sunderbans

Hingalganj: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Saturday travelled in an autorickshaw to meet Cyclone Aila victims in remote areas of this North 24 Parganas block.

Bhattacharjee, who had been jeered by the disgruntled cyclone survivors owing allegiance to the Trinamool Congress during his June 2 visit to the block, was well received by people who showered petals and raised slogans praising the state’s Left Front government.

Hingalganj, 69 km southeast of Kolkata and part of the Mangrove delta of Sundarbans, has been badly mauled in the May 25 cyclone which tore through 13 of the state’s 19 districts levelling houses, uprooting trees, snapping power cables and leaving a trail of destruction.

So far, 138 deaths have been reported in the natural calamity across various districts.

The chief minister, on his fourth visit to Aila-affected areas in nearly three weeks, crossed the Ichhamati river by a launch from Dhamakhali to reach Sardarpara and then travelled four kilometres in an autorickshaw up to Jogeshganj to talk to victims and listen to their problems.

While on the launch, he also made unscheduled stops at places like Gopaler Ghat to speak to cyclone-hit people and gave them a patient hearing.

“People won’t have to pay the college fees for one year. Admission dates will be extended for them. And from my relief fund I will give you money for buying books and exercise books,” Bhattacharjee told the cyclone survivors who gathered at a playground in Jogeshganj.

“But I can’t build pucca houses for all of you with the state government’s resources. The centre should give us money. It must allocate funds for putting up concrete embankments in the entire Sundarbans,” he said.

The chief minister also told people that work on rebuilding 60 percent of the mud embankments washed away in the area due to the cyclone was over. “The rest will also be over soon.

“I am going to meet prime minister Manmohan Singh on June 19. I think I can persuade Delhi to help,” he said.

He also spoke to administrative officials and asked them about relief operations.Hingalganj legislator Gopal Gayen, who was smeared with mud by some people hours before the chief minister’s visit June 2, seemed a relieved man after the visit.“This only proves Sundarbans is still the same. The people have not changed,” he said.

WBFDC launches first-of-its-kind Tourism Peace Park in the country

KOLKATA,Thursday, June 11, 2009: West Bengal Forest Development Corporation (WBFDC) in association with Help Tourism has launched the first-of-its-kind Tourism Peace Park in Noam Chel Teesta situated near East of Teesta River and between Neora Valley National Park, Garumara National Park and Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary. This part of the said area, North of Oodlabari is mostly under the management of West Bengal Forest Development Corporation (WBFDC) and the South area is mostly managed by the Baikanthapur Forest Division, therefore a major concern is the conservation of the rich natural resources. This Park has been launched in order to promote Community Based Tourism (CBT) in the East Himalayas. This information was divulged by Supratim Raj Basu, Ecotourism Consultant, Help Tourism.

In addition, CBT initiators have tied up with ten villages in the North of West Bengal where they provide various activities such as home stays, trekking, nature study, camping, cycling, forest drive, cultural encounters of six different communities et al for tourists visiting the Park. The main idea is to develop Community Based Tourism (CBT) and provide support to maintain peace and harmony among different communities existing there. They also provide various packages of six nights and seven days ranging between Rs 500-Rs 1,000 per person, per day. According to their brochure most villages situated inside the Park are not known and no modern development has been undertaken there as yet unlike other parts of West Bengal. The inhabitants find their livelihood from nature around them. The area is home to several animals like leopards and elephants etc.

According to certain sources, the initiative for developing the Tourism Peace Park was led by Pallab Basu of Oodlabari Tourism Development Association, officials of WBFDC and Help Tourism members. They had their first meeting regarding the same in December 2008 at a factory of Assam Bengal Veneer Industries (ABVI). The meet was attended by 61 local stake holders from the several villages.

CPI(M) KHEJURI ZONAL OFFICE AT KAMARDAH RANSACKED BY TRINAMOOL GOONS

25 CPI (M) offices burnt in Khejuri

KHEJURI/KOLKATA, 10 June 2009: Political violence is once again becoming the order of the day in West Bengal. Only, this time, CPI (M) is at the receiving end, and that too in areas till now considered its bastions.

Routed from Nandigram, CPI(M) is now facing the heat in neighbouring Khejuri across Talpati canal in trouble-torn East Midnapore district. At least 25 CPI (M) party offices — big and small — were ransacked and set ablaze here on Tuesday during a 12-hour bandh called by Trinamool Congress.

Five state ministers on their way to Khejuri were stopped by Trinamool supporters and not allowed to set foot in the area. With police unable to take action against the culprits who blocked their way, the CPI (M) ministers now want Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi to intervene. They blamed Contai MP and Union minister of state for rural development Sisir Adhikari for the worsening situation in Khejuri.

As in the case of Nandigram, the violence in Khejuri did not escape the notice of the governor. Gandhi expressed his anxiety and urged all concerned to “halt the cycle of violence”. “In a mature democracy such as ours, neither vengeance and vendetta nor bragging and bravado can be allowed either by the victorious or by the defeated,” the governor said even as Trinamool Congress insisted on central intervention in the state.

A CPI (M) stronghold till recently, Khejuri has all of a sudden witnessed a change in political affiliation, forcing the ruling party to go on the back foot. On Monday night, Kalagachhia CPI (M) pradhan Subrata Kar was arrested along with three other party leaders for possessing illegal arms. Trinamool promptly called a 12-hour bandh on Tuesday. Since early morning on Tuesday, Trinamool supporters were seen roaming the streets to enforce the bandh. Tamluk MP Subhendu Adhikari also reached Khejuri to make it a success.

Around 10.30 am, a Trinamool rally with around 50-odd supporters reached Henria on the way to Khejuri. On spotting a CPI (M) party office, the Trinamool workers went berserk. They burnt CPI (M) flags and banners, ransacked the office and then set it on fire. Around the same time, 25 other CPI (M) offices located in different parts of Khejuri were ransacked and set on fire. While the attacks were on, five state ministers — Rekha Goswami, Binoy Biswas, Chakradhar Maikap, Partha De and Rabilal Maitra — were on their way to Khejuri. They were to see the situation and submit a report to chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.

Ramsarup Industries commissions DRI and WHRD power plant at Kharagpur

KOLKATA,10 June, 2009: Ramsarup Industries Ltd announced that it has commenced production of 500 TPD DRI plant in West Bengal and Waste Heat Recovery Boiler in Kharagpur.The plant was set up using German Outokumpu technology. Its WHRB will generate 20 MW of power along with gas generated from the blast furnace.The release added that “Ramsarup is taking necessary action to sell approx 11 MW of power through the exchange which will give them approx INR 4 crores per month of revenue. Moreover, the Company has received approval from UNFCCC for carbon credit to the tune of 114,000 CER per annum for the next 7 years. The Company will now be in a position to sell the carbon credit at current rates, and this will generate extra revenue of INR 1 crore per month for the next 7 years.”Mr Ashish Jhunjhunwal CMD of Ramsarup Industries Ltd said that "Commencing production of 500 tonnes per day DRI plant at Kharagpur is another milestone in our steady towards improving our topline and remaining a forerunner in our field.

Fisheries lost nearly Rs 14,000 crore

Kolkata, Wednesday, Jun 10, 2009: For the state fisheries department, Cyclone Aila dealt a blow of Rs 13,959 crore in five districts — South 24-Parganas, North 24-Parganas, Howrah, East Midnapore and West Midnapore.

The report of the damages assessed by the department was presented to the Central team, which is currently visiting the area. “From nets to breeding grounds, pisciculture has been severely affected. Houses built by us for the fishermen have been destroyed,” said Rajpal S Kahlon, Principal Secretary, state Fisheries Department.

The district-wise break-up of the damages assessed shows that South 24-Parganas bore the maximum brunt. With 29 blocks of the district hit by the cyclone, officials have pegged the loss at Rs 6309.6 lakh. In North 24-Parganas, 22 blocks were affected and the loss incurred was Rs 3969.65 lakh.

“We have lost 4926.8 metric tonnes of fish, 2120.12 metric tonnes of prawns and 30.00 metric tonnes of dry fish. Around 46,805 fishermen’s houses have been damaged. Even government fish farms like Kalyani fish farm, BENFISH, West Bengal Fisheries Corporation Ltd and State Fisheries Development Corporation Ltd have suffered losses,” said Kahlon.

The estimated loss of ornamental fish has been put at Rs 22.965 lakh in South 24-Parganas. It has pegged at Rs 65,000 and Rs 1.35 lakh in North 24-Parganas and East Midnapore. According to officials, fish were found dead in cisterns, hapas (breeding areas) and tanks.

Declare ravage national disaster: Left Front

KOLKATA, 10th June: The Left Front Committee in West Bengal has demanded that the May 25 cyclone destruction in three districts be declared a national disaster. In view of the magnitude of damage caused to human life, agricultural land and livestock in the Sundarbans, where lakhs have been rendered homeless and land has become saline, it should be declared a national disaster, committee chairman Biman Basu said after a meeting of the Left Front partners here on Tuesday.

Addressing journalists, he said just as MPs donated money for reconstruction in the wake of the Kosi floods and the Gujarat earthquake, this time too Parliament should make necessary provisions so that members could contribute money for Aila victims. Referring to the ongoing visit of a Central team, Mr Basu said, “We hope to get a positive response from the Centre, once the team submits its report.”

Asked about the Congress attending and its ally, the Trinamool Congress, abstaining from the all-party meeting called by the Chief Minister last Sunday to discuss relief measures, Mr. Basu said: “When we are demanding that it be declared a national disaster, a national party like Congress had come forward to play its national role… we have to rise above narrow party-politics to reach out to the distressed people now.”

On the rehabilitation and compensation package offered by the State government, Mr. Basu said the rate mentioned in its relief manual is “inadequate and should be changed immediately keeping the current market prices in view.” Criticising the Trinamool’s alleged role in inciting violence in several parts of the State on the issue of college admissions, Mr. Basu said such incidents should “stop immediately for the sake of students and the education system.”

Comparing the incidents to the situation that obtained in the State in the early 1970s, he said a “decisive political solution” was the only way out of the violence.

LF demands cyclone disaster be declared national calamity

Kolkata: The ruling Left Front in West Bengal on Tuesday demanded that the devastation caused by cyclone Aila be declared a national calamity. "The Left Front discussed the issue of cyclone Aila at its meeting and demanded that the disaster be declared a national calamity," Front chairman Biman Basu told reporters here. He said that an appeal should be made to MPs and MLAs to give assistance from their area development funds for cyclone victims.

Now, plastic floods the Sundarbans

KOLKATA, 10th June: Post-cyclone Aila, the ecologically fragile Sundarbans in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal is facing another problem — flooding of plastic materials.

Hundreds of non-governmental organisations and private donors, who throng the area to provide relief, are dumping plastic covers, cups and wrappers in water, thus choking rivers. A world heritage site, the Sundarbans has long been declared a plastic-free zone. Yet, tonnes of plastic waste strewn around by volunteers are floating in rivers.

In the absence of government guidelines and as relief distribution has not been coordinated, enthusiastic NGOs have poured into the affected sites with food packets, drinking water sachets and even clothes wrapped in plastic covers.

“We cannot stop the NGOs from carrying on the relief work in this hour of crisis and it is also not possible to keep a check on everyone. All that we can do now is to sensitise them to the plastic menace through the media and ask them not to litter the region with plastic waste,” N.C. Bahuguna, Director of the Sundarbans Forest Reserve, told The Hindu on Monday.

Mr. Bahuguna said he was trying to take up the matter with higher authorities. As Forest department staff themselves were pressed into service to provide relief, it would take some time before any concrete result appeared, he pointed out. “Once water recedes and the situation comes under control somewhat, we will launch a massive clean-up drive.”

This would, however, take months to be completed, said a forest official. According to him, though cleaning up the peripheral areas would be easier, it was impossible to retrieve plastic waste washed into the core area by high tides and this could pose an ecological hazard for both flora and fauna on the islands of the estuarine delta.

Changing political dynamics hits Bengal's social sector projects

Kolkata June 10, 2009: Political setbacks often claim victims in the social sector. The fate of at least eight proposed centrally-funded scientific research institutes of national importance has become uncertain because of the electoral defeat suffered by the Left in West Bengal. They are National Institute of Nano Science (under the Department of Science and Technology), National Institute of Mangrove Research and Coastal Biosphere (under the Ministry of Environment), Institute of Ocean Technology (under the Ministry of Earth Science), National Innovation Centre (CSIR), National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (under the Ministry of Chemicals), National Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics (under the Ministry of Biotechnology), Centre for Space Application for East and North-East (Under the Ministry of Space Technology) and National Institute of Public Health (under Ministry of Health).

According to state government sources, the central government earlier had cleared proposals to set up and fund all these institutes much before the recent general elections and for most of them site selection and land acquisition process had been complete. Sujan Chakrabarty, former Lok Sabha member from Jadavpur, who was actively pursuing the various central ministries for speedy clearance and implementation of these projects, feels that after the election the political dynamics has changed a lot and there is strong reason to apprehend that execution of all these projects would slow down or might not take off at all.

In the aftermath of cyclone Aila, which recently devastated the coastal region of south Bengal, Anandadev Mukhopadhaya, an eminent oceanologist, has stressed the need for more research on the nature of ocean and rivers to evolve a knowledge-based strategy to tackle the natural disasters. Proposed institues like National Institute for Ocean Technology, National Institute of Mangrove Research and Coastal Biosphere, among others, could go a long way to mitigate that need. But because of the change in political equation with the Centre, the state apprehends a slowing down process to set in. Already there are indications that some of the ministries in Delhi have cooled down to the queries sent from Kolkata in pursuance of the set up of the institutes.

Political observers feel that West Bengal has entered into a phase of political transition, as the Congress-Trinamool Congress combine is aggressively occupying the political space and pushing the ruling Left to a corner after its massive victory in the Lok Sabha elections. Everyday, there are reports of clashes coming from rural Bengal and the suburbs of Kolkata.

The ruling Left parties are in total disarray. Some of the ruling party MLAs had been manhandled by the Trinamool workers. The political circles feel that the situation will further hot up in the next two years till the Assembly election takes place in 2011. Since the state’s main Opposition Trianmool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, has taken part in the UPA government at the Centre, there would be pressure on the Centre for not clearing centrally-funded projects in the state speedily.

Aila relief: appeal for funds by MPs

NEW DELHI: Members of Parliament across the political spectrum on Tuesday appealed to the Rajya Sabha Chairman and Lok Sabha Speaker to request members of both the Houses to donate Rs. 10 lakh each from the MPLADS Funds for relief and rehabilitation of people affected by Cyclone Aila in West Bengal.

In an appeal, the MPs said that on earlier occasions such as the Gujarat earthquake, Bihar floods and the tsunami, members were requested to donate funds from the MPLADS and the rule was relaxed as special cases.

Unitech exits New Kolkata SPV

Kolkata, June 10, 2009: Sells entire 40 per cent stake to partners, won’t say why. Unitech, the country’s second-largest property developer, has exited from New Kolkata International Development (NKID) Pvt Ltd, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed to develop several large projects in West Bengal, including the proposed petroleum, chemicals and petrochemical investment region (PCPIR) at Nayachar.

Unitech had 40 per cent stake in NKID, which has been acquired by the Salim group and Universal Success. Sources said NKID was now a 50:50 partnership between these two; earlier, Salim had a 40 per cent stake and Universal had 20 per cent. When asked why Unitech quit NKID, the former’s managing director, Ajay Chandra, said, “I have no comments on this.”

NKID is a 51 per cent partner for the Nayachar project, while the balance is with the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC). PCPIR apart, NKID has a host of projects over a 15-year period, which include an Eastern Link Highway, SME industrial estates and a deepwater port close to Nayachar island.

Industry observers said one reason behind Unitech’s exit from NKID could be the long gestation period, given the nature of the projects and the huge investments. Though NKID was incorporated in early 2007, some of the projects ran into rough weather with land acquisition, the most important being the PCPIR, which was ultimately relocated from Nandigram to Nayachar.

The investment in developing infrastructure at Nayachar would be Rs 10,000 crore, while the port could cost Rs 8,500 crore. The investments proposed in NKID projects are sizeable. On the other hand, Unitech has run up debt of around Rs 7,800 crore, and plans to cut it by at least Rs 1,000 crore this fiscal. The company has sold assets over the past few months, and aimed to raise around Rs 1,600 crore for the year ending March 31, from sale of non-core assets in Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon and Kolkata. The focus for the company and all other real estate developers now is affordable housing.

Though the Nayachar investments would be made over a long period of time, smaller investments are underway. For instance, four different studies are on. Also, Singapore-based Jurong Town Corporation have been appointed as consultants. Consultants have been appointed for the deepwater port, too. Even with the offloading of stake in NKID, Unitech would have a presence in West Bengal. The company has a residential project in New Town Rajarhat and an IT park, in partnership with the Universal Success group.

Central team to submit 'Aila' impact report to Home Minister

New Delhi June 09, 2009: The Central team, which visited West Bengal to assess the damage caused by cyclone 'Aila', will submit its detailed report to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram.

The 11-member central team, visited West Bengal to take stock of the post Cyclone Aila situation. The team during its three-day visit surveyed a large part of cyclone-ravaged South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas districts in southern West Bengal and Darjeeling hills. The central observers Tuesday took an aerial view of the marooned Sundarban Islands.

Later they held a high-level meeting with state Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta, Chief Secretary Ashok Mohon Chakraborty and other senior government officials at the state secretariat Writes’ Buildings. On the basis of the team’s report, the central government will announce its compensation package for the cyclone-affected people of the state.

Meanwhile, the state’s Left Front government has demanded Cyclone Aila be declared as a national disaster and sought the central government’s help to carry out the rescue operation in the delta region. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has asked for Rs.1,000 crore of funds to provide relief to thousands of cyclone victims in the state. Dasgupta rushed to Delhi and submitted a memorandum to the central government on the state’s demands.

The team, which returned to the capital today after a three-day tour, visited all cyclone-affected districts, including South and North 24 Parganas and the Darjeeling hills and took stock of the damage caused to the people and their livelihoods.

"They are now compiling all the inputs and submit the report to the Home Minister within a day or two," a Home Ministry official said. On the basis of the report, the Centre will announce its compensation package for the cyclone-affected people of the state.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today assured the Rajya Sabha that "the Centre will do everything in its power to provide purposeful relief to West Bengal". Observing that a Central team has already visited the state, Singh said, "I have been in touch with the Chief Minister and there will be no laxity in meeting the need of relief and rehabilitation".