Racket of cattle smuggling in Bengal – CBI arrests leader of Trinamool Congress

CBI arrests a Trinamool Congress leader of Birbhum district in Bengal. He is Anubrata Mondal and is suspected of having links to a cattle smuggling racket. It seems the nexus includes senior BSF officers, other politicians and officials of the local administration. The state Criminal Investigation Department CID has already nabbed a person on charges of coal smuggling. That was on July 22 and investigation revealed his links to the cattle smuggling racket. This smuggling operation was in and around Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district. He had an accomplice who operated in other districts of Malda and Murshidabad. The money involved in cattle smuggling was in the range of Rs 1,500-2,000 crore and persons at various levels received pay offs. The list included politicians, police, administration and BSF officers. Cattle smuggling racket that TMC's Anubrata Mondal was involved in had a deep nexus.

The Border Security Force BSF had informed the Union Home Ministry about the extent of smuggling on the India-Bangladesh border. The BSF also shared a list of officers suspected to be involved in the racket. The CBI and ED arrested two of them in January 2018 and April 2022. Court martial proceedings are also initiated against two other BSF officers since April 2019. During interrogation, the name of a minister’s son, who is an MLA in UP surfaced. He is believed to be a beneficiary of the proceeds of cattle smuggling. As an official of the BSF admitted - “The illegal enterprise was most rampant between 2014 and 2019 when the politician-BSF-police nexus made windfall gains.”

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The wonderful hobby of throwing mud at each other

We know that those who live in glasses houses should not throw stones. We have also been taught that when we point a finger at somebody, another four fingers point back at us. One also remembers the instance of a group of men and women who wanted to punish a woman by pelting her with stones. Jesus Christ stood beside the woman and said he who has never committed a crime could throw the first stone. And – no one threw stones at the woman. However, today throwing mud at each other has become the norms. Recently, a huge scam came to light in Bengal. The Enforcement Directorate ED believes that Partho Chatterjee, a senior minister of the ruling Trinamool Congress TMC, was involved. He had engineered the scam, along with Arpita Mukherjee, a celebrity of the film industry. The total value of the scam is yet to be ascertained by the authorities. They say it runs into several crores of rupees. It has come as a shock to the TMC and its leaders are trying to reduce the damages by throwing mud at other political parties like the BJP that is in power at the center. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, TMC Supremo, has already sacked the minister. Mamata Banerjee sacks minister Partha Chatterjee after cash haul at his aide’s residence

Incidentally, there are leaders in other political parties, who are equally if not more corrupt. Those who are close to these politicians know the truth but prefer to remain silent spectators for fear of serious repercussions. Spilling the beans could end up in loss of lives for the men or loss of face for the women and girls. The fact remains that when there is a scam and it blows out of proportion, the opposition tries to divert attention. They draw a red herring across the trail to dilute the issue. Politicians treat these as wars and justify their actions by saying - everything is fair in love and war. The Ajay Devgan movie Gangajal of 2003 is a depiction of how those in politics treat others. Things have not changed much over the last nearly two decades.

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Bengal plans to set up Tourist Amenity Centres (TAC) on major tourist routes

Bengal has seen more than 14 lakh foreign tourists last year. It is one of the top five foreign destinations in the country and the state government plans to develop its tourism infrastructure. As part of this, it will be setting up Tourist Amenity Centres (TAC) in the state and also along the national highways that pass through Bengal to ensure hassle-free journeys for both domestic and foreign travelers.
Each Tourist Amenity Centres (TAC) along the highways will be where tourists can comfortably rest and eat. They will have a cafeteria, a medical store and a shop selling essential commodities apart a separate ramp for people with disabilities, a feeding room for babies and separate toilets for men and women. They can also avail of free WiFi and parking space.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 6 March 2017.

Initially, seven such centres will be developed — four along the Kolkata-Bakkhali route in South 24-Parganas and three along the Kolaghat-Digha route. Talks are on with major oil companies to help develop the TACs under the public-private partnership model.
Tourism is high on the agenda of Bengal. A short film 'Beautiful Bengal', featuring Shah Rukh Khan, was released to promote Bengal tourism. The tourism department has plans to launch a promotional campaign to attract foreign tourists during Durga Puja. A heritage tram ride has also been introduced in the city of Kolkata.


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To boost tourism, 20-Km seafront driveway planned between Digha and Mandarmani

The Bengal government has undertaken construction of a 20-Km seafront driveway between Digha and Mandarmani that will give a boost to tourism in the region. The driveway will reduce the distance between the two beach resorts by almost half and is being built on the lines of Mumbai's Marine Drive.
It was part of the chief minister's dream beautification project and will give the tourists a clear view of the sea all along the stretch and will reduce the distance between Digha and Mandarmani from 46-Km to 20-Km.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 20 February 2017.

Officials of the Digha-Shankarpur Development Authority have indicated that the Rs 36 crore driveway was expected to be completed by this year. For this, two bridges would have to be built across two canals - Champa and Sapua. To start with, it will be a single-lane road with a width of 5.25 metres and will later be widened into a double-lane road. At present, vehicles ferrying tourists will only be allowed to use the driveway.
There are plans to extend the driveway up to the Peuaghat fishing harbour which is located 19-Km from Mandarmani. The new beach road will also help the tourists reach the 30-odd homestays that the government is planning to start soon. A total of 100 homestays are planned along the stretch between Mandarmani and Digha.


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Latest West Bengal Tourism ad featuring Shah Rukh Khan is a super hit

Till now, all the West Bengal Tourism ads had highlighted Sundarbans, Darjeeling, and the Howrah Bridge - the latest ad featuring Shah Rukh Khan, the brand ambassador of Bengal, is a super hit. SRK is shown crooning Tagore’s song and serenading a young foreign girl in a Kolkata tram.
The video covers the busy college street with its yellow cabs. It goes on to devouring bhetki paturis, visiting architecturally rich temples of Bishnupur, the haunting music of the Bauls and Rabindra Sangeet.
The video captures all things beautiful about the state and the basic idea was to showcase the hidden gems of Bengal.
This has been reported in news18.com dated 23 January 2017.

The ad has won over the internet and, ever since it was released, it has crossed a million views and been shared by more than 30, 000 people on Facebook alone. The video is of Bengal through the eyes of a foreigner who embarks on a journey through West Bengal and soaks in the culture, the food and the ambience of the state.
It covers the mystic valleys in Darjeeling to the breathtaking sea beach of Mandarmani and is a visual delight. For Bengalis who live outside Bengal, the video has struck a chord for its authenticity and made them crave for a trip back home.


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Education shocker in Bengal - 24% students in Class-I cannot recognise the digits 1 to 9

A real shocker has come to surface regarding education in Bengal - here, students of Government schools have poor mathematical skills. A little less than one in four (or 24%) of Bengal's Class-I students are unable to recognize the digits 1 to 9.
This is as per a report of the nationwide Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) that has been prepared by the NGO, Pratham.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 19 January 2017.

In addition, 17.7% of rural Bengal students (all districts except Kolkata) of class-III could not read upper-case English letters and 14.5% could read the upper case but not lower-case ones. More than one in five (or 22.6%) could read the lower case but not words or sentences, 26.6% could read words but not sentences and 18.7% could read simple sentences.
Moreover, 58.4% students of classes I to V took private tuition in 2014 and, in 2016, it went up to 60.3%. Obviously, education in Government schools in Bengal needs to get a boost.


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Fish like Hilsa, Bombay Duck, Tuna, Pomfret vulnerable to climate change

Climate change is playing havoc with fish species in India - a study has shown that 47 out of 68 species are vulnerable to this global effect. It is taking its toll on Hilsa in the east coast (especially in the waters off Odisha and West Bengal), Bombay duck on the western coast, and the oil sardines found off Tamil Nadu.
That vulnerability stems from changes in climate apart from over-fishing coupled with lower productivity. The study has been carried out by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 19 December 2016.

The study has found that 69% of the 68 fish species were vulnerable to climatic changes. These include species like the Bombay duck, tuna, sharks, various shrimp, pomfret, and catfish. The west coast has high fishing pressure but is richer in fish so its vulnerability is comparatively less.
It has been observed that fish that inhabit the surface or near surface waters like tuna, mackerel and sardine are most affected by temperature change and they also account for a sizeable chunk of the catch. Hence, overfishing is another factor for vulnerability of 16 species.
Fish like Bombay duck, golden anchovy and hilsa are more vulnerable since they inhabit a limited geographic range. Against this, the chance of survival of fish with a wide geographical distribution like seerfishes (surmai), sardines and lizardfishes is high.


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Tourism in Bengal has taken a beating in favorite tourist spots like the Hazarduari palace and Motijheel Destination Park in Murshidabad due to demonetization.
The Archaeological Survey of India maintains Hazarduari and it has revealed that the number of tourists this November was 40 per cent less than that in October. Similarly in Motijheel Destination Park. This has an artificial spring and clay models apart from a light-and-sound show on the history of Murshidabad. But, footfalls here has halved since November 9 - that was the day after the demonetization drive was announced.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 28 November 2016.

The situation at other tourist hotspots in Santiniketan in Birbhum is also dismal. Hootel bookings in both Murshidabad and Santiniketan had come down drastically as a result of lack of tourists following the cash crunch precipitated by the demonetization.
At Hazarduari (constructed in 1829), old Rs 500 notes are being accepted at the ticket counter, but the number of visitors has not improved. As an official has indicated - there has been a 40 per cent drop in the number of visitors this November in comparison with the figure in October. The ticket price per person at Hazarduari is Rs 15.


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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.

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Revival of baluchari sarees of Bengal on the cards

Baluchari sarees have become extinct and efforts are on to revive the woven textile range that is unique to Bengal. It is set to make a comeback through the efforts and promotion by Tantuja which is the state government's weavers' cooperative society and Weavers Studio Resource Centre (WSRC), which is an NGO working for revival of Bengal's lost textile traditions.
They have brought forth a series of initiatives under a program to revive the lost glory of these sarees.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 26 October 2016.

Baluchari sarees are unique to Bengal and have been a part of Bengali family heirlooms. Traditional motifs are borrowed from epics, religious texts and local legends. However,over the years, these have lost the charm and the revival project aims at recreating its traditional designs and exploring new directions for the future.
There will be an exhibition that will be held from November 18 to December 4 at Birla Academy of Art and Culture and, it will showcase nearly 50 exquisite Baluchari sarees (the oldest of which is 150-year-old), historical pieces from Tapi collection and contemporary ones from Bishnupur and Beneras.
There are also plans by WSRC and Tantuja to make 12 looms operational in the first year - this is expected to generate approximately 1,000 jobs in the next two years.


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Sarpuria and sarbhaja of Bengal set to get GI tag for Bengali sweets

Sarpuria and sarbhaja are two favorite sweets of Bengal that are trying to get Geographical Indication (GI) status. These are created by the sweet-makers of Nadia district.
Sarpuria is made by mixing cottage cheese (chhana) with sugar, kheer, groundnut, cardamom, pistachio and saffron and steaming it. Sarbhaja is fried cottage cheese with layer of kheer with cream (sar) and dipped in sugar syrup. Both are out-of-this-world delicacies.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 29 September 2016.

An organization representing the sweet-makers has contacted the Bengal government to lobby with the Center on this count. The authorities have indicated that they are examining the matter before sending it to the Intellectual Property Appellate Board in Chennai. This is the center designated government authority that issues the GI tag.
GI is a name or sign that is used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (for example a town, region or country). The GI indication is a sort of certification that the product possesses certain qualities, is made according to traditional methods and enjoys a certain reputation because of its geographical origin.
So far, ten items from Bengal have received the GI status. These are Darjeeling tea, Nakshi kantha, Santipur sari, Baluchari sari, Dhaniakhali sari, Joynagarer moa, Santiniketan leather goods and three varieties of mangoes - Laxman Bhog, Himsagar and Fazli.


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Dengue is creating a problem for the health department officials in Bengal because, while there was no report of further deaths due to dengue, the total number of people affected has gone up to a whopping 1874. And, in the last 24 hours, another 132 new cases were reported from across the state - the total thus goes beyond 2000.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 11 August 2016.

A seven-year old girl of Ballygunge Station Road died of high fever in a private hospital but the health department has not confirmed that she died due to dengue while the KMC health officials have admitted that she had died of hemorrhagic fever.
EVer since the outbreak of this vector-borne disease, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has been combating the disease on a war footing. In one of its regular visits, the KMC team had found dengue causing mosquito in several places in an ITI in Kolkata where garbage was dumped. Obviously, fumigation to get rid of misquotes is not enough - there has to be awareness among all concerned about this disease.


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Big jolt for Bengal – credit for rasgulla goes to Odisha and not to Bengal

The controversy regarding the origin of the famous rasgulla has finally been put at rest - the committee that had been formed to settle the issue of the origin of rasgulla has confirmed that it had its roots in Odisha. The state government had formed the committee to get the geographical indication (GI) tag for the sweet because Bengal had staked its claim over the origin of the delicacy.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 14 July 2016.

The committee has submitted its 100-page report to the state government's department of science and technology. In the report, it has cited several references to stake claim to the origin of the sweet and prove the Bengal government's stand "wrong".
The committee had submitted its interim report in September last year. In support of Odisha's claim, the committee has pointed to the sweet's reference in Dandi Ramayana, a version of the epic adapted by Balaram Das in the 16th century. The report also claimed that the sweet was being offered to gods in mutts and temples for over 600 years. The state government had initiated the process to obtain GI tag for Pahala rasgulla in May but the process got delayed because the Bengal government stepped in to stake its claim over its origin.
The GI tag would confer legal protection to the Odisha rasgulla, and also prevent its unauthorized use.


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