Desperate Mamata Banerjee ropes in Sourav Ganguli to promote industries in Bengal

Mamata Banerjee is desperate to show some positives in the field of industrialization of Bengal. Already four years have passed and, in spite of her journeys to foreign locations like Singapore and London to invite industries, she has achieved very little. Therefore, she has now roped in Sourav Ganguli to try something new. Sourav is a darling of Bengalis and has already made a mark in reality TV shows through ‘Dadagiri’. Hence, Mamata feels Sourav can perform a miracle.
This has been reported in dnaindia.com dated 7 September 2015.

There have been reports in the media that BJP is trying to get Sourav into their camp and be the face of the party in West Bengal. Therefore, Mamata is at her wits end.
The reality show named Egiye Bangla- aapni jokhon entrepreneur will be on a private TV channel and will be sponsored by the government of West Bengal. It would target young entrepreneurs who have unique business ideas and help them to achieve their dreams.
It is understood that there would be established entrepreneurs and a number of industry experts on the show to share the mantra of their success. These entrepreneurs will be expected to help start-ups in establishing themselves in the state.
It remains to be seen how far this strategy would succeed given the problems related to availability of land, the terribly poor infrastructure and the prevalent syndicate raj of the different groups of the Trinamool Congress.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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100 cities in India would turn into Smart Cities

#SmartCities #AMRUT #JNNURM #Modi The Smart City project is yet another pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is meant to recast the urban landscape of the country and, towards this, the Union Cabinet has approved Central government spending worth Rs 98,000 crore under two new urban missions over the next five years.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 30 April 2015.
For those who felt that Smart Cities’ would house Smart Alecs, please be informed that under this mission, 100 smart cities would be built with central assistance of Rs 48,000 crore and another 500 cities with outlay of Rs 50,000 crore. The cities that would be developed would be selected through a ‘competition’ which would ascertain their ability to achieve mission objectives. The task would be broken down into elements - each state would have to shortlist a number of smart city aspirants and their task would be to prepare proposals for the Centre.

The aim of the mission is to more efficiently utilize available assets, resources and infrastructure in order to enhance quality of urban life and, simultaneously, provide a clean and sustainable environment.
Some pointers on how to proceed are – develop intelligent transport solutions that would pay dividends by reducing commuting time. There would be focus on adequate and clean water supply, sanitation and solid waste management, efficient urban mobility and public transportation, affordable housing for the poor, power supply, robust IT connectivity, governance, especially e-governance, and citizen participation.
Under the AMRUT scheme, the focus would be in 500 locations with a population of one lakh and above. Cities under this category would be those situated on stems of main rivers, a few capital cities and important cities located in hilly areas and tourist spots.
AMRUT is the acronym for Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation and is said to be an improvement over the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). It seems to be a case of a new wine in the old bottle. From all appearances, the leaders at the center are allergic to the names of Nehru and Gandhi and want to erase them from public memory.
Of course, there is nothing to complain about because everyone does it. When the British left, we renamed plenty of roads and monuments. Later, whenever any government changed in any state, those who took over power went on a renaming spree. West Bengal is the best example. When the Left Front took over the reins, they painted the Ochterloney Monument in the Maidan in red and when the Trinamool Congress took over, they painted the roads and curbs in white and blue and also renamed the stations of the Kolkata Metro.
Therefore, AMRUT in place of JNNURM would be fine if Smart Cities really emerged from the filth and chaos that has become the trademark of our country. We Indians must first learn the basic civic sense and stop spitting, littering the surroundings, follow traffic rules, show respect to elders and women. Once that is achieved, the Swatchh Bharat Mission would not be needed nor would the Ganga Bachao Andolan be necessary.

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Rajya Sabha adjourned again on issue of religious conversion – opposition wants Modi to speak

#BolModiBol Yes, the opposition wants Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make a statement in the Rajya Sabha on the issue of conversions but that is not happening and the speaker had to adjourn the House once again. Bol Modi Bol is the cry.
Incidentally, this was the third day in a row that, a united opposition led by the Congress party continued its demand for a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on recent forced religious conversions.
The Congress along with the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Janata Dal (United), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Trinamool Congress have been demanding the presence of Modi in the Rajya Sabha to inform the members of the House on the steps that the government is taking over such conversions.
It may be recalled that BJP MP Yogi Adityanath has justified such programs terming the conversions are an ongoing process that will continue to happen. In his words, this 'ghar-wapsi' programme has been happening for ages.
Since the BJP is not having the numbers in the Rajya Sabha, the opposition is a force to reckon with.
The BJP government is in a minority in the Rajya Sabha with just 57 MPs while the opposition of the six parties have a total of 126 members of parliament in the 245 member house.
Since there ae several important bills in the House waiting for approval, such disruption in proceedings are proving costly because there are only three days left in this session. It remains to be seen whether Modi will take heed of the Bol Modi Bol demand.

Remembering Kolkata Maidan – the heart of the city

Calcutta (or Kolkata), was founded in 1690 by Job Charnok and the city celebrated its tercentenary a few years back. It had been a red bastion for 34 years and the Trinamool Congress took over the reins in 2011.
Those in power love to weave dreams and, it is gradually waking up to the reality that the city needs a lot of more attention to compete with other Indian cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi or Chennai or foreign cities like Singapore and Hong Kong. Leaders want to make Kolkata into another London while the citizens wait for better, pothole free roads.
The Metro rail has infused some blood into the dying arteries of Kolkata as did the circular rail, the second Hoogly Bridge and a number of flyovers. But the fact remains that people who matter shy away from investing in the city because of the attitude of those in power and the red tapes and policies that continue to choke the best of intentions. Bengalis have been branded as intellectuals – a thinking not necessarily shared by others. Moreover, Bengalis are fond of white collar jobs and are said to abhor any activity where intelligence is not required. It is generally believed Bengalis consider themselves to be poets and novelists par excellence.
They also adore good foods which very seldom match with their constitution and proof of this lies in the number of medicines available in the market to cater to various types of illness associated with such disorders.
Another love of Bengalis are fairs and exhibitions like the book fair, textile fair, and leather exhibition. But, this is not about the likes and dislikes of Bengalis. This is about the Kolkata Maidan – a vast expanse of greenery that is fondly called the heart of the city.
Anyone who has visited Kolkata and not dropped by the Maidan has committed a crime of sorts because, even today, this place is one where there are sports clubs and used to be considered to be the breeding ground of footballers and cricketers.
Way back in the fifties and the sixties, a tram ride through the pollution free environments of the Maidan was a really satisfying experience. Greenery and open space on one side and the landscape of a bustling city on the other side!
However, over the years, it has lost its sheen. It was and still is being abused no end in spite of protests by environmentalists. Invaders have ravaged its innocence and choked its breath because unauthorized stalls cropped up in every nook and corner overnight. These, in due course of time, earned official patronage to become authorized.
In addition to this, the serenity of its surroundings was broken by the din and clamor of rickety State Transport buses even as burnt diesel devastated its natural beauty. Trees and bushes that were once planted by the city fathers to maintain the equilibrium of Nature just rotted away. In addition to these happenings, the construction of the underground railway system fondly known as the Metro rail snatched large portions of the Maidan to accommodate the infrastructure.
In the bargain, the size of the Maidan reduced and, to compensate this loss, the Millennium Park was created on the banks of the Ganga.
Another loss for Calcutta was the horse-drawn carriages that would be in front of the Victoria Memorial – the place where young and old alike could jog along and inhale fresh air in the mornings. Alas, nowadays, one has to pay an entrance fee to enter its grounds.

Trinamool Congress feels the heat as BJP, CPM and Congress gang up

In order to ensure that information about the trouble in Parui in Birbhum district of West Bengal does not reach the outside world, the ruling party of Trinamool Congress are taking every conceivable measure ibnlive.in.com. It may be recalled that three persons were killed and as many injured when Trinamool Congress and BJP supporters fought a gun battle at Makra when Prohibitory Orders under Section 144 CrPC was clamped in the area.
The latest round of clashes between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool Congress workers in Birbhum has become a hotbed of unrest and a political arena. And, after the BJP and the Left, a Congress delegation on Saturday had gone to Birbhum to visit the affected villages but was stopped by the police.
The Congress party was demanding that the police lift Section 144 imposed in the area citing the difficulties which has resulted in the villagers having to face lockdown and associated problems.
Reports indicate that the State Pradesh Congress President Adhir Chowdhury had reached Parui but was stopped by the police on grounds that section 144 was in place in the region. There followed hectic negotiations with the police top brass, and Adhir Chowdhury had to retreat after being assured that the prohibitive section would be lifted in the next 2-4 days.
Of course, Adhir Choudhury has indicated that in case the police do not keep their promise, his Congress party would return after a week with a much larger force and break all the police barriers and violate all laws. Obviously, with the gradual emergence of the BJP as a party that can turn the tables on the TMC, the political equation in West Bengal is likely to change – whether for better or for worse is anybody’s guess.

BJP leaders Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Rahul Sinha arrested in Birbhum

The Trinamool Congress leaders are feeling the heat as the BJP is breathing down their necks following the discovery of a large number of terror modules scattered across the countryside of West Bengal indianexpress.com.
It seems senior BJP leaders, including national vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and state party Chief Rahul Sinha, were arrested when they tried to enter a village in Birbhum where section 144 has been imposed since Friday.
Naqvi had minced no words when he termed the police action as “death of democracy” and said the “West Bengal government has become a government of terrorists and criminals”.
It seems Naqvi and other BJP leaders, including party MPs Kirti Azad and Udit Raj, had also got involved in a brief, but violent spat with police and jawans of RAF at the adjoining Choumandalpur village. They were told that there has been an order from the “top authority” not to allow any political party inside the village.
Incidentally, the BJP leaders wanted to send a three-member central team to the village “without violating the provision of section 144”.
It seems three persons were killed in clashes in the village - they were one BJP and two Trinamool supporters. The police team had gone there after reports surfaced of bombs hidden at a health centre.