Kolkata Book Fair 2017 - a victim of demonetisation

Kolkata Book Fair 2017 has hit Bengal's publishing industry very hard - many publishers have cut down on new releases before the prestigious Book Fair which is organized by the Publishers and Booksellers Guild. The fair would be inaugurated by Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on January 25 - the focal theme country would be Costa Rica.
The general secretary of the fair has indicated that regional players have been forced to cut down on new releases by half because of the growing uncertainty on whether books would sell at the fair given the demonetization.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 14 December 2016.

Last year, the fair had seen sales of nearly Rs 25 crore and, this time, the biggest challenge would be to ensure we reach that mark. Of course, English titles have not been hit that hard because it has a higher business volume and a pan-India market.
New releases usually start appearing on the stands by December-end to get maximum mileage at the fair but, this year, that process has taken a beating because laborers who are engaged in binding new printed books have demanded that they be paid only in cash. Nearly 5,000-odd new titles are released every year, targeting book lovers who attend the fair.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org
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State government employees of Bengal can get 16 days Puja holidays next year

State government employees of Bengal are a really privileged lot - it appears they may be able to enjoy up to 16 days of continuous Puja holidays next year. This is based on the list of holiday that have been notified by the authorities.
The number of such holidays that have been declared for 2017 is 31 days which is two more than the current year.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 3 November 2016.

It has been officially announced that the Puja holidays will be from September 27 (Saptami) to September 30 (Dashami). Subsequently, October 1 is a Sunday and October 2 is Gandhi Jayanti - a national hoilday. Three additional holidays "in connection with Durga Puja" have also been announced - these are on September 26 (Sashthi) and October 3 and 4. Then comes Lakshmi Puja on October 5 and the next day has been declared a holiday followed by the weekend on October 7 and 8. Thus, the number of holidays add up to 13.
Interestingly, since September 25 is a Monday, there are possibilities that chief minister Mamata Banerjee would declare it as a holiday. Even if that does not happen, an employee can take an off which would mean 16 days of continuous holidays from September 23 (Saturday).
One may well wonder that when the state is tying to invite industries, such a long holiday period may not appeal to investors because, with so many holidays, the total administrative apparatus is likely to collapse.
On the flip side - people can begin plans well in advance to take off on a long holiday to some exotic destination.

Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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Bengal losing out on ease of doing business - slips to 15th position from 11th

Bengal is trying its best to boost its business potentials but, as things stand right now, it has slipped up on the ease of doing business - its rank now is 15th among all the states, last year it was 11th. Obviously, this raises questions on the efficacy of the initiatives taken by the industry department to attract industries to the state.
This situation is in spite of visits of Mamata Banerjee to Singapore, London, Germany and Bangladesh coupled with a number of road shows conducted by state finance minister Amit Mitra across the country - the objective had been to advertise the industry-friendly image of the state.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 2 November 2016.

The ranking under Assessment of State Implementation of Business Reforms 2016 is done by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) in partnership with the World Bank and has come at a time when chief minister Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to visit Bangkok to explore possibilities of investment in the state.
There are several factors responsible for this. These are (i) uncertainty over the land policy (ii) problems of extortion and (iii) poor work culture. Obtaining large tracts of land for setting up big industries is still a major problem in the state because industrialists are expected to buy land directly from individual landowners.
Incidentally, the newly formed state of Telengana, which occupied the 13th slot in 2015 has climbed to the first position along with sibling Andhra Pradesh. Other states like Haryana, Uttarakhand and Punjab that ranked below Bengal last year have performed better, climbing up from 14th to 6th, 23rd to 9th and 16th to 12th positions respectively. Obviously, the people in power need to focus more on aspects that are relevant to improve the business friendly image.


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Lord Shiva’s Durga puja is about selfish people and selfies (satire)


Carey Mulligan leaves teddy bears outside gates of 10 Downing Street to protest attacks on Aleppo

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Work on Calcutta Eye in the Millennium Park on the banks of the Hoogly to start in January 2017

Calcutta Eye is one of chief minister Mamata Banerjee's dream project - it tries to recreate the famous London Eye landmark at Millennium Park along the Hooghly. It has, finally, received the green signal of the National Green Tribunal after being held up for nearly two years.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 1 November 2016.

Objections had been raised by environment activists because the bank of the Hooghly was eroding and projects were being planned at the cost of blocking the flow of the river. There were genuine concerns about the safety of the proposed Calcutta Eye project because it would be a very heavy and tall structure and people will be riding the giant wheel. However, fast erosion of the riverbank has changed the character of the soil.
But, with the green signal from the NGT, work on it is expected to begin by January or February.
Incidentally, parts of the giant wheel would be built by different companies in Belgium, UK and China and would finally be assembled in Calcutta. It is expected to take 18 months from the day work starts for the wheel to be ready.
The Ferris wheel will be 120 metres in diameter and have 60 cubicles, each with eight seats. The budget for the project is Rs 300 crore and the share of the state government is Rs 86 crore.


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Mamata Banerjee to visit the United States in 2017 to woo industries

Getting industries to come to West Bengal is one of the priorities of Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of the state. Therefore, she has chosen to go to the USA in 2017 and bypass Harvard University who have sent an invite to her.
The university's Kennedy School of Government wants the chief minister to deliver the keynote address at the India Exchange programme scheduled in February, 2017 but, Mamata Banerjee prefers to go to the US in the later half of 2017 and showcase Bengal as an investment destination.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 1 November 2016.

Incidentally, she had turned down a similar request from Harvard in 2011.
The preference of USA over Harvard is that US-India Business Council has invited Mamata to the USA. THe invitation is from USIBC chairman Ajay Banga - the MasterCard global CEO. He has promised the CM to arrange for an investors' meet in the US.
Moreover, she has also got an invite from under secretary (political affairs) Thomas A Shannon to Washington DC. This happened when he met Mamata in Kolkata on July 1.
It is understood that she might stop over at Boston - where Harvard, MIT and Tufts Universities are situated - in the course of the proposed US tour.


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Mamata Banerjee scatters mustard seeds to bring Singur back to life

Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has initiated the process of returning Singur land back to farmers. The farmland had been acquired to set up an automobile factory to manufacture the Nano cars by Tata Motors but, after a decade, the Singur agitation has come a full circle Mamata Banerjee stepped on the now-flattened land at the deserted Tata Nano site and scattered a few mustard seeds.
On the occasion, she said that "forcible land acquisition for industry" was just a "passing phase".
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 21 October 2016.

Mamata Banerjee reminded the landowners that work to make much of the 997.11 acres arable was still underway and added that 'one has to fight for rights. They aren't handed over on a platter. It is a continuous process.'
One of the landowners at the project site said that she had three bighas of land but, only 5 cottahs were handed over. Moreover, it was a three-crop land, which included paddy and potato and she got a bagful of mustard seeds from the CM. Incidentally, she has never grown mustard before but has been told that mustard usually doesn't need any fertilizer and also needs less water (only two inches a week).
The CM indicated that while farmers can start cultivating mustard immediately, they can in due course move over to potato and paddy also.


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West Bengal to tackle rash driving on national and state highways

It took a major road accident to wake up the authorities from slumber with regard rash driving on the highways - both state and national. The accident involved chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee.
He was seriously injured in a road accident in Singur and, as a result, the state government has decided to intensify road safety measures on national and state highways to bring down the road accident rate.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 20 October 2016.

A number of decisions have been taken in the meeting. One of these is that speed radars will be installed on NH 2, NH 6 and state highways to monitor speeds of all vehicles. The state PWD and transport department in collaboration with national highway authority will identify accident-prone areas on the highways and CCTV cameras will be installed to monitor all traffic.
In addition, more checkposts will come up on the highways to check documents of vehicles and vigilance at the check posts will be intensified.
Also, more breath analyzers will be given to district police officers to check whether the drivers are plying vehicles in an inebriated state and adequate lights will be installed at accident prone areas.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Calcutta Tramways Company to increase frequency of tram service at night from November

Tampara wetland, a tourist spot in Ganjam district, to get a facelift

Durga idol of 2016 to be preserved in Park Street metro station


Moody becomes moody after surgical strike (satire)

Lord Shiva in the world of deodorants (satire)

Three cheers for Didi – the Jill of all trades (satire)


Terrorist attacks and suicide bombing kill at least 46 in Iraq

21 school girls of Chibok, abducted by Boko Haram in 2014, return home

Indications are there that both United States and Russia are preparing for war


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Bob Dylan, the 75-year-old American folk singer, wins Nobel Prize for literature

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Mamata Banerjee to return land to farmers of Singur within 15-20 days

West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee has indicated that the process of returning the land at Singur to the landowners will be completed in the coming 15-20 days. Singur was the erstwhile site of the Tata Motor's Nano factory which got scrapped midway due to agitation by Mamata Banerjee, who was, at that time, in the opposition.
Her agitation forced Tata Motors to abandon their project in Singur and move out to Sanand in Gujarat in 2008.
This has been reported in business-standard.com dated 17 October 2016.

The chief minister has said that the process of giving physical possession of land in Singur will be completed in 15-20 days and has added that she would be present there personally. She has claimed that 80 per cent of the 997 acres of land at the site have been made "ready for farming".
Incidentally, Tata Motors' had filled up the land with fly-ash and had also constructed concrete-steel buildings to go ahead with their Nano project but, it had to be shelved midway in face of stiff opposition from Mamata Banerjee and her party - the Trinamool Congress.
After relocation to Gujarat, Tata Motors was still in possession of the land and, in August this year, the Supreme Court quashed the Left Front-led West Bengal government's acquisition of 997 acres of agricultural land in 2008 for Tata Motors. The court also directed the present Trinamool Congress government, led by Mamata Banerjee, to re-distribute the land to its owners within 12 weeks.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Calcutta Tramways Company to increase frequency of tram service at night from November

Tampara wetland, a tourist spot in Ganjam district, to get a facelift

Durga idol of 2016 to be preserved in Park Street metro station


Moody becomes moody after surgical strike (satire)

Lord Shiva in the world of deodorants (satire)

Three cheers for Didi – the Jill of all trades (satire)


Terrorist attacks and suicide bombing kill at least 46 in Iraq

21 school girls of Chibok, abducted by Boko Haram in 2014, return home

Indications are there that both United States and Russia are preparing for war


Power Rangers to return after a decade and hit the screens on March 24 next year

Bob Dylan, the 75-year-old American folk singer, wins Nobel Prize for literature

Antonio Banderas gifted a pair of monkeys to Salma Hayek on her birthday

Mamata Banerjee announces a 10-day Durga Puja festival from 2017

From the stage on Red Road chief minister Mamata Banerjee has made a major announcement - from 2017, the Durga Puja festival in Bengal will be of 10-day duration. It will start from Mahalaya and conclude on Bijoya Dasami day.
She was the driving force behind the first edition of the Bishwa Bangla carnival that featured a total of 39 Durga Puja idols selected by her v government. Mamata Banerjee herself was on the dais as the procession filed past the huge dais set up on Red Road. She smiled and waved to the people accompanying the floats.
Along her on the dais were Sourav Ganguly, Trinamul MLA Vaishali Dalmiya and others.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 15 October 2016.

Encouraged by the response, Mamata Banerjee announced that (i) 10 is the number of days the Durga Puja revelry would stretch from next year (ii) 75 is the number of pujas that would join the pre-bhashan parade next year (this year it was just 39) (iii) 100,000+ would be the number of people who would witness the parade next year.
The chief minister’s call for a 10-day Puja celebration could create problems for schools because they usually remain open till Panchami and offices remain open till Sashthi. Obviously, school students and office-goers will have to bear the brunt of 10-day festivities and endure negotiating the traffic snarls that will be unleashed.


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Red Road in Kokata to witness 55 Durga Puja procession enroute to immersion

Red Road in Kolkata had, till now, been the venue for holding gala parades on Republic Day and Independence Day. It has always been close to chief minister Mamata Banerjee's heart. She had held her second swearing-in ceremony here. And, now, the people of the city can watch processions of 55 big Durga Pujas as the idols are taken for immersion in the River Ganges. It will be the Bishwa Bangla carnival
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 13 October 2016.

The arrangements on Red Road and its adjacent areas will lead to all connecting roads being out of bound for traffic as 55 of the best Puja committees march towards Red Road for the gala show. Each puja can have four tableaux, including a miniature pandal where they hosted Ma Durga for the past few days.
Thee are clear indication of a total collapse of traffic on Friday. However, the extended holiday will that has been declared could come to their rescue.
The idea of holding this mega show under Biswa Banga branding is expected to be sold globally through internet next year to draw international tourists.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Taiwan struck by Typhoon Megi, third typhoon in two weeks

Terrorist alarm in Uran was the figment of a 12-year-old schoolgirl's imagination

Tourist season in Kaziranga National Park to start from October 1 instead of November 1


Moody is off mood – Na Buzz had fooled him again (satire)

Didi’s version of ABCD - cycle to work to bypass potholes (satire)

Goddess Durga and her kids wait for the annual bash (satire)


9300 people killed in Russian airstrikes in Syria during last year

MH17 flight shot down by rocket over Ukraine in 2014 was work of pro-Moscow rebels

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Mark Wahlberg talks about movie on Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico

Adele creates a record - her latest album 25 has gone platinum in the US

Movie memorabilia go under the hammer - Batman's batpod fetches £312,000

Kolkata to get its own Ferris Wheel like the London Eye

Kolkata will soon be getting its own giant Ferris Wheel that will be modeled on the ‘London Eye’. It will be around 130 meters high and will be erected at the center of Millennium Park on the bank of river Hooghly.
The project is awaiting approval of the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT).
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 6 October 2016.

The giant wheel is a pet project of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The Kolkata Eye would provably have 36 air-conditioned capsules made of steel and glass and each of the capsules can accommodate eight people. It would rotate slowly to offer a bird’s eye view of the city.
It is a project of KMDA, under the department of state urban development, and will come up on Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) owned land. KMDA and KoPT have formed a 50-50 special purpose vehicle (SPV) for this first-of-its kind giant wheel project in India which is leased out to a British firm for a period of 30 years. It would take people to a height of 100 meters and will take nearly half an hour to complete a full circle.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Taiwan struck by Typhoon Megi, third typhoon in two weeks

Terrorist alarm in Uran was the figment of a 12-year-old schoolgirl's imagination

Tourist season in Kaziranga National Park to start from October 1 instead of November 1


Moody is off mood – Na Buzz had fooled him again (satire)

Didi’s version of ABCD - cycle to work to bypass potholes (satire)

Goddess Durga and her kids wait for the annual bash (satire)


9300 people killed in Russian airstrikes in Syria during last year

MH17 flight shot down by rocket over Ukraine in 2014 was work of pro-Moscow rebels

Shooting in Burlington - gunman on the run after shooting dead four women in a shopping center


Mark Wahlberg talks about movie on Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico

Adele creates a record - her latest album 25 has gone platinum in the US

Movie memorabilia go under the hammer - Batman's batpod fetches £312,000

SpiceJet to operate direct flights from Kolkata to Sharjah and Bangladesh

SpiceJet, one of the lowxost airlines, is planning for flights to Sharjah and Dubai from Calcutta apart from daily flights to Bangladesh from December. This has been disclosed by the managing director of the low-cost airline. He has announced the plans in Nabanna in the presence of chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 20 September 2016.

He has indicated that direct flights to Sharjah, Dubai and Yangon will start from Calcutta but the dates are yet to be finalized. However, the flights to Dhaka (two) and Chittagong (one) will be a daily affair. SpiceJet also has plans to operate hopping flights to the two UAE destinations. At present, the airline uses Boeing 737-800 series aircraft which can fly four hours at a stretch. Since Dubai and Sharjah will take over five hours from Calcutta, a stopover would be necessary. But passengers wold not have to change aircraft.
At Nabanna, the SpiceJet MD also announced the launching of domestic flights to Silchar, Aizawl, Visakhapatnam and Gorakhpur from October 4. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee requested SpiceJet to consider a direct flight to Europe.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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Mamata Banerjee springs a surprise in Singur - invites Tata Motors to return to Bengal

West Bengal Chief minister Mamata Banerjee loves to take others by surprise. On the occasion of returning land to the unwilling farmers of Singur, she held out an olive branch to Tata Motors who had to abandon their Nano car project because of an agitation spearheaded by Mamata Banerjee herself.
She disclosed that her government owned nearly 1000 acres of land in a place known as Goaltore and would willingly let Tata Motors build a factory there.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 15 September 2016.

Mamata Banerjee has offered close to 1,000 acres of land in Goaltore, West Midnapore, to Tata Motors for an automobile plant and has given the company one month time to take a decision. Incidentally, in 2014, during a visit to Singapore, she had mentioned about the Goaltore land as a potential industrial site.
Obviously, people are curious to know more about Goaltore - the new industrial destination in Bengal. And, here are some salient features -

Area of land - 950.17 acres, it is owned by the government

Fencing - there is no proper fencing thus squatters can settle down easily

Connectivity - a narrow 29-Km road connects Goaltore to NH60 (Asansol to Balasore)

Proximity to large city - it is 185-Km away from Kolkata

Communication - travel time from Kolkata is around 3 hours

Electricity - there is a 400V line which is not enough for any industry. It is necessary for a sub-station with capacity of at least 132-KV.

Water - has to be brought from the Shilabati river which is 18-Km away.


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Mamata Banerjee to represent Bengal at the Bangkok Global Asian conference

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will be representing Bengal at the Bangkok Global Asian conference which is scheduled on 27 and 28 November. She had received the invitation letter in Munich during her recent visit to the city. There will be reps from Singapore, Malaysia, Bangkok and India in the conference.
Her trip has been successful because Bengal has received investment worth Rs.450 crore on the last day itself.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 13 September 2016.

Among the business brought home are orders for 25 lakh jute bags which would benefit the self help groups and jute farmers. BMW has also been requested to explore opportunities in Bengal. Moreover, other industries like leather,garment and jewellery have expressed interest on investing in Bengal and soon there would be a shoe industry in the state.
Since other states have exhausted their opportunities, Bengal is the sole destination for investment and has a lot of opportunities because it enjoys locational advantage. It is convenient to reach south Asian countries and north eastern states from Bengal.
Mamata Banerjee also indicated that business heads of Munich have agreed to attend the state's Bengal Global Business Summit in January 2017.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Clicking selfie with Ma Durga may be banned in Kolkata

Tackle the obesity crisis by outdoor activities like gardening

Cable cars stranded over Mont Blanc - 45 tourists had to spend the night suspended in air


Moody and the cow syndrome (satire)

Didi off to Rome in search of goodies (satire)

Lord Shiva and the auto hub that did not happen (satire)


At least 100 killed in airstrikes in Syria before ceasefire begins

Hillary Clinton reiterates that US will not put ground troops in Iraq and Syria

Abandoned car with gas cylinders found near Notre Dame cathedral


MTV's Video Music Awards in New York - Beyonce walked away with top honours

Sonakshi Sinha breaks bones and throws punches in Akira

Lindsay Lohan wants to participate in a Russian talk show with President Putin


Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan to star together in Thugs of Hindostan

Dwayne Bravo says Deepika Padukone is his favourite star

Hollywood inequality - women hardly get a chance to speak

West Bengal handloom products to be showcased at a month-long exhibition at Rome

Taking advantage of the presence of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee in Italy on a four-day visit to Italy for attending the canonization of Mother Teresa, an exhibition of handloom products of the state will be showcased at a month-long exhibition at Rome.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 4 September 2016.

The exhibition is being organized by an NGO on behalf of the West Bengal Khadi & Village Industries Board (WBKVIB). It will kick off with a three-day event in an open space after which it will be shifted to a gallery in Rome.
Various types of handloom sarees will find space at the exhibition apart from artifacts of Dokra, Sitalpati, Madurkathi, Terracotta, Patachitra, wooden and Chau masks. Italy is a fashion destination and the organisers are hopeful that handloom products from Bengal, which are already in great demand in Western countries. will now win over the heart of Italians.
The effort to exhibit products from the state at a foreign country is aimed at providing a platform for promotion. The handloom products of Bengal have a rich tradition and, as an economic trade and industrial activity, it occupies a place second only to agriculture in providing livelihood to the people.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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Bus service from Kolkata to Khulna takes off on trial basis

A bus has taken off from Kolkata to Khulna on a trial basis under the Bangladesh Bhutan India Nepal (BBIN) Agreement. Last year, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had launched bus services from Kolkata to Dhaka also under the BBIN agreement.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 31 August 2016.

The bus will go from Kolkata to Khulna via Jessore and the bus service, on trial basis, was flagged off from the Kasba Paribahan Bhavan by the transport minister Shubhendu Adhikari. The bus will be operated by the West Bengal Surface Transport Corporation and will cover the 185-Km in around 12 hours taking into account immigration checks and traffic congestion. A regular time table will be finalized after the trial run.
The state government has decided to operate more buses to a number of destinations in Bangladesh. These will be Siliguri to Chittagong via Phulbari, Kolkata to Chittagong via Dhaka and Benapole, Guwahati to Kolkata via Shillong, Dhaka, Benapole and Petrapole.
The state government is also keen to introduce bus services to popular tourist destinations, including Dhaka-Kathmandu and Dhaka - Thimpu via Fulbari in Siliguri.
A cargo vehicle from Kolkata to Dhaka was also flagged off. The Bangladesh government also introduced a cargo vehicle service today from Dhaka to Delhi via Kolkata.
These are intended to improve regional co-operation among India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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Didi meets Puja organisers and outlines her do's and dont's

With a little more than a month to go for the Durga Pujas and with preparations in full swing, chief minister Mamata Banerjee took the opportunity to meet over 350 festival organizers from different parts of Kolkata in a "coordination meeting". The meeting was organised by Calcutta police at Netaji Indoor Stadium.
On the occasion, Mamata Banerjee outlined a number of do's and dont's that should be followed to ensure that everything goes like clockwork.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 31 August 2016.

This has been a regular annual exercise for the past few years where the entire cabinet is present along with other leaders and representatives of the state police and different agencies, including fire services, CESC, disaster management and the PWD.
The basic objective is to have a direct interaction with representatives of clubs and address potential problems that could come in the way of a safe festive period.
Among the measures identified by the chief minister are -

Crowd management - the Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC) must ensure that all the gates at every park hosting a Puja were kept open. Three of the gates should be for dispersal of crowds and only one for entry. This is because lat year, there was a stampede at Deshapriya Park in south Calcutta which had boasted of the 'world's tallest Durga'. 11 persons were injured in the stampede and Calcutta police had to shut down the puja.

Ambulance - each Puja organiser must keep at least two ambulances ready for any emergency. It seems a number of Puja organisers admitted they never thought of such a plan.

Power cut - puja organisers should keep ready large battery-operated torches for any power outage. This is to prevent people from creating trouble. Moreover, the Puja organisers should deploy large teams of volunteers and also keep ropes ready for crowd management.

Immersion - immersions would not be allowed on October 12 which is Muharram. On October 11, which is Dashami, immersions would be allowed till 4 pm. October 13 would be a full immersion day.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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No Smart City tag for New Town in Rajarhat

There was a proposal to make New Town in Rajarhat into a Smart City because it had made it to the shortlist of 13 prospective smart cities this May - it was its second attempt. However, the state cabinet has taken a decision of not pursuing the project. With an investment of %s 500-crore of the center and an equal amount by the State, New Town could have boasted of having new-age amenities such as intelligent street lamps with integrated distress buttons, multi-nodal transport hubs and smart bus stops.
But, Bengal has spurned the offer and it is so far the only state to have done so.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 18 August 2016.

The decision of the cabinet would be communicated to Delhi. The chief minister Mamata Banerjee had indicated much earlier that she did not want to include New Town in this central project and the cabinet has formalized this decision.
The decision would translate into losing out on a number of benefits besides smart solutions to everyday problems like a modern water treatment plant, an entertainment zone spread over 2,450sq m between Home Town and Axis Mall, cycling tracks along all thoroughfares, a senior citizens' park and e-health clinics. It comes as a huge disappointment for those who have invested their life's savings in properties in New Town. They were eagerly waiting for civic amenities in New Town to be upgraded because, as it stands, they do not have many amenities.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

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Street vendors in Bengaluru want to remain open and do business till 1am

Karnataka bans selfies in specific tourist spots like waterfalls, dams, cliffs etc


Didi’s naughty boys tie her up in knots (satire)

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War waged on ISIS by the US and UK has destroyed 26000 targets

France to impart lessons in schools on survival techniques in case of ISIS attacks

Suspected chlorine gas attack in Aleppo kill at least four


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Mamata Banerjee in Delhi to meet Kejriwal and Nitish Kumar and discuss Federal Front

Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of West Bengal, has gone to Delhi on a three-day visit. In the curse of her visit, she is expected to met several Union ministers apart from Nitish Kumar and Arvind Kejriwal, chief ministers of Bihar and Delhi. Also on her agenda are one-on-one meetings with finance minister Arun Jaitley, home minister Rajnath Singh and several other central ministers.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 26 July 2016.

Mamata Banerjee is slated to host a dinner for Kejriwal and Nitish tomorrow. It is common knowledge that both of them are fierce critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his policies and had also attended Mamata's swearing-in in Calcutta on May 27.
It is understood that the Trinamul supremo was keen to discuss the proposed federal front of non-BJP parties with the two chief ministers Kejriwal and Nitish Kumar. Moreover, she also has plans to meet parliamentary leaders from the NCP, the DMK, the AIADMK, the Telugu Desam Party, the BSP, the SP, the National Conference and the BJD. A Trinamul Lok Sabha MP has also hinted that she could be meeting some Congress leaders also.
Incidentally, she skipped a dinner hosted by President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan while Prime Minister attended the event. However, she congratulated him on completing four years in office today and said in a statement - "We are proud to have you as India's first citizen."


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Mamata Banerjee desperate to get industries - forms another board to resolve problems

Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, is desperate to get industries to be set up in the state and has, therefore, announced the formation of yet another board to resolve problems faced by investors and expedite the process of industrialization.
The name of this new board is Industrial Development and Promotional Board and it has been set up to meet every week to resolve problems and process new proposals. The board will have to submit a report to the CMO every Saturday and CM feels this will expedite the (industrialization) process.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 20 July 2016.

The government already has West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation and several other such panels and the rigid stand of the administration on land acquisition and SEZ status are the main impediments to industrialization and these that needed to be addressed in order to attract investments. Some feel that the latest decision of the government reveals its desperation to attract investments that had eluded Bengal during its first stint.
Soon after coming to power, the chief minister had created a core committee on industries - she herself chairs this committee which includes several industrialists and government officials. It is supposed to meet regularly to take note of the ground situation but the meetings are irregular.
Moreover, since the government has promised to create jobs for youths over the next five years, hence the urgency is all the more evident.


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