Herd on the rampage

• The Statesman
• 30 Dec 2013

Tourists click photos; farmers watch helplessly
Biswabrata Goswami
biswabrata@thestatesman.net
Midnapore, 29 December
While tourists brought out their cameras to take pictures of a herd of about 100 elephants, farmers stood helplessly as the animals devoured their standing crops at the Salboni forest area in Junglemahal.
Some people from nearby places even hired vehicles to reach the spot. Several people carried coconuts and bananas to feed the elephants while others took pictures with their cameras.
A forest official said: “Crowd control has become a major problem. We keep telling people the elephants can get violent. It is always safer to watch them in silence from a safe distance without disturbing them.”
The herd that included about 10 calves had come from Dalma range in Jharkhand and was now settled near Deulkunda village under Salboni police station. The animals damaged 18 houses, destroyed standing crops on over 25 acres of land and killed two buffaloes and seven goats, sources said. The entire village stayed away out of fear, they said, adding the herd continued to stay near the village.
Since the late 1980's, elephants from Bihar (now Jharkhand) have been entering Bengal during the monsoon. The number of elephants and the duration of their stay in south Bengal has gone up over the years, worsening man-animal conflict in the densely populated districts of Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia. On an average, five people and an elephant die and hundreds of hectares of crops are destroyed each year.
Forest officials said several night patrolling teams had been organised in the area, each team armed with crackers, torch, siren, fireball and a vehicle to drive away the elephants in case they attacked villages close to the forests.
“We asked people not to prepare handia (a local brew using mahul flower) during the period, because its smell attracts elephants the most,” the official said.

HDA holds out hope for Mayachar

• The Statesman
• 27 Dec 2013

As the mighty Rupnarayan continues to gobble up homes
Biswabrata Goswami
biswabrata@thestatesman.net
Tamluk, 26 December
Thousands of villagers living in Mayachar, an erosion-prone island in East Midnapore, are now relieved after the Haldia Development Authority (HDA) announced a slew of development projects.
For the past two decades, thousands of islanders have been spending sleepless nights as the mighty Rupnarayan continues to gobble up homes. But after taking charge as the chairman of HDA, Mr Subhendu Adhikari had formulated plans to undertake an overall development plan at Mayachar and he announced the projects at a function in Mayachar in the presence of villagers yesterday. According to the plans, the HDA will undertake to develop roads, a concrete bridge across the Rupnarayan, school buildings, a flood shelter and erosion checking work.
For setting up a concrete bridge over the Rupnarayan, the HDA has already allotted around Rs 3 crore and the work will begin by the end of February.
The village, spread over 2 sq km, is on the district's border with Howrah. The river flow is a little rough in this part. Both banks are bereft of houses and have a thick screen of trees. Only the chimneys of brick kilns indicate the presence of human beings. In the first part of the twentieth century, a large portion of Mayachar was under the Rupnarayan.
The river gradually shifted to the northwest, though, and large tracts emerged from under the water. Villagers still talk about a flood half a century ago that had put the entire area under water. Maybe that’s the reason why the people of Mayachar, in Amritberia gram panchayat, Mahisadal, want to forget that it is among the most threatened inhabited islands in the district.
Just before the last panchayat election, about 2,000 voters were all supporters of the CPI-M. They later switched to the TMC, though, hoping that if it came to power, their problems would at least be recognised.
While addressing a rally, Mr Adhikari said: “For additional classrooms of Mayachar High School, I have already given Rs 10 lakh. This apart, I have plans to set up buildings of primary schools which were demolished in the erosion. The HDA has taken an elaborate plan to check erosion here with the help of the state irrigation department.” A senior teacher of the Mayachar high school, said: “A 90-foot stretch of land at Palpara and a 10-foot stretch near the Kheya ghat have already eroded.
About a 1.5-kilometre stretch along the Mayachar land is also under threat of severe erosion and this land will submerge in the coming monsoon if work is not taken up immediately. 

Chance of a lifetime, still unrecognised

• The Statesman
• 26 Dec 2013

kalyani doctor selected for master’s study in netherlands
Biswabrata Goswami
biswabratagoswami@gmail.com
Krishnagar, 25 December
At a time when vitality and growing old for the elderly are being seen as a new way of integral treatment strategy across the world, including India, a young doctor of Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Kalyani, who has received several international awards, has been selected to study the Masters programme on this field from Leiden University, the oldest university of the Netherlands in greater Europe and the twin university of Oxford.
Dr Ashok Kumar Biswas, a Junior Resident (Cardiology & Chest Medicine) of Gandhi Memorial Hospital, who graduated from Midnapore Medical College and Hospital, was recently selected as the first Indian student to study the Masters programme on vitality and ageing from Leiden University.But, neither the state government nor the Central government has recommended his name yet.
Masters programme in vitality and ageing is a very unique course offered by Leiden University and Leiden Academy only for 20 students around the globe each year. They usually select the creme-de-la-creme from a country and this is the first time that any Indian student got such an offer.
Dr Biswas had received the international undergraduate research best prize in 2009 but that was also not recognised by the governments or the health university. “Every country takes honour in this course. Usually, the selected student gets money from the government for the course. Leiden university  expects respective governments to come forward and provide the scholarship. The Centre may help me if the same is forwarded by the Chief Minister,” Dr Biswas said.
While responding to questions, Dr Biswas said care for the elderly differs from that of children and adults, as it often involves the treatment of multiple, concurrent diseases. Therefore, the elderly require a different, integral treatment strategy. This essential new way of thinking and operating is not sufficiently incorporated in current academic and clinical practice yet. To address this specific gaps, Leiden University and Leyden Academy developed the Vitality and Ageing master programme, he said.
“We are now experiencing an unprecedented senior population growth, which means that older people and related ageing issues are more prominent than ever. So, the ageing process can be (partially) avoided and extended if sufficient energy is invested into maintenance and repair. We can anticipate ongoing improvements in the length and quality of our lives and expect a future with more years lived in good health.”
But despite best efforts, life often ends with a period of poor health and disabilities. Care for the elderly differs from that of children and adults, as it often involves the treatment of multiple, concurrent diseases (multi-morbidity) which leads to under-and over-treatment. Above all, not only purely biomedical aspects need to be considered but other influencing factors such as the impact of healthcare structures and the social position of the elderly need to be taken into account.

UGC sanctions funds to VU for study on coastal plant

15 May 2013

biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 15 MAY: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has sanctioned about Rs 15 lakh to Vidyasagar University to conduct a study on how ipomoea pes-caprae, a coastal plant that protects coastal shores from erosion, are striving for survival through mutualism with various types of ants which directly or indirectly protect the plant.
It is for the first time in the country a self-styled unique adaptive capability through mutualism has been detected on this plant which is common in the coastal areas of West Bengal and Odisha.
While ipomoea pes-caprae, which plays an immense role in dune stabilisation and restoration, is on the verge of extinction due to rampant construction of hotels, roads, human establishments and vegetation in areas like Mandarmoni, Tajpur and New Digha in West Bengal and adjacent sea-beaches in Odisha.
Dr Amal Kumar Mondol, associate professor of Botany and Forestry department, VU, said: “Amidst rampant destruction, ipomoea pes-caprae is trying to survive through self-developed mutualism with different types of ants. It has its own defence mechanism against herbivore predators feeding on it. This is due to the presence of extrafloral nectary glands.”
“The extrafloral nectar attracts organisms that remove, attack or prey upon, or parasitise plant herbivores. This protective role of extrafloral nectar has long been a matter of discussion, but many studies have now proven that it can play an important role in plant’s indirect defence against herbivores. Many ants have been found to forage preferentially on plants with extrafloral nectarines (EFNs) and the presence of these ants have been found to reduce the number of herbivorous insects on these plants, thus lessening the damage by herbivores,” Dr Mondol said.
A research study headed by Dr Mondol and his team has revealed that secretion from EFNs contains protein, carbohydrate, amino acid and fats which attract different types of ants, but the chemical compositions of the EFNs secretion is yet unknown.
The UGC, on its letter (No 42-917/2013-SR), has sanctioned funds to conduct study on the protective efficacy in species with extrafloral nectarines in the flora in Midnapore on hopes to conserve this type of plants in future, said Dr Mondol.
At the International Botanical Congress held at Melbourne in Australia from 23 to 30 July in 2011 Dr Mondal had discussed this in the plenary session which was later adopted by the Australian government in the sea coasts to protect the species.
“This year, UGC has geared up to conduct a study on this particular plant in collaboration with the Zoological Survey of India and Lady Brabourne College on hopes to protect and conserve the species living in coastal areas of West Bengal and Odisha. If the government takes proper plan to protect this plant, a huge amount of money that is spent every year to protect sea coasts from erosion will also be saved,” said Dr Mondol.
He also said: “These types of coastal flora which are under tremendous anthropogenic pressure due to rapid elimination of sand dunes and associated vegetation are gradually diminishing. Such sensitive and useful ecosystems need immediate restoration, conservation and sustainable use of the phyto-resources.”

Critical plant species lose ground along Bengal’s coasts

12 May 2013

biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 12 MAY:   Coastal plants, which play an immense role in dune stabilisation and restoration, are on the verge of extinct due to rampant construction of hotels, roads, human establishments and vegetation in areas like Mandarmoni, Tajpur and New Digha in West Bengal and adjacent sea-beaches in Odisha.
A research survey conducted by a group of teachers of Vidysagar University and Lady Brabourne College reveals that these coastal flora which are under tremendous anthropogenic pressure due to rapid elimination of sand dunes and associated vegetation are gradually diminishing. Such sensitive and useful ecosystems need immediate restoration, conservation and sustainable use of the phyto-resources, the survey reported.
Dr Amal Kumar Mondol, reader of Botany and Forestry department, VU who led the research survey along with other teachers like Tamal Chakraborty and Sanjukta Parui said: “The survey reveals that the diversity of flora is increasing gradually from seaward to inner strand zone. The pioneer species like Launaea sermentosa, Ipomoea pes-caprae, Spinifex littoreus and Hydrophylax maritime are excellent sand binders and protect the costal dune system from erosion (wind and water). Some sand dune species are having medicinal properties.”
He said people use these plants for treating several diseases. The stem and leaves of Sesuvium portulacastrum are eaten after boiling to remove excess salt from the body. Leaf and twig decoction of Tamarix troupii is used for sloughing ulcers and its infusion as a gargle for sore throat. Juice of whole plant of Ageratum conyzoides, Casuarina equisetifolia bark, Thespesia populnea root and Hemidesmus indicus root are useful in curing dysentery and diarrhoea. Flowers of Pandanus fascicularis are used for making perfumes. Curry of Alternanthera sessilis and salads of Salvadora persica leaves are also used.
“All the 60 species of sand dune vegetation of traditional and ethno-botanical interest are recorded after critical screening with the available literature. These are recommended for the further phytochemical investigations, which might result in the discovery of new dunes for human welfare”, Dr Mondol notes in the report which has already been submitted before the CSIR, New Delhi.
The report also revealed that rapid expansion of invasive species like Calotropis gigantean and Lantana camara is leading to the loss of native species like Ipomoea pes-caprae and others. “The most severe damaging cause of dune vegetation in these areas is the anthropogenic activities. In Mandarmoni and adjoining areas of West Bengal the large scale urban development carried out on the fore dunes during the tourist boom causing the destruction of many dune ecosystems,” the report highlighted. Dr Mondol said: “Among the methods to stabilize the population of dune vegetation the method of re-vegetation is the best alternative as it is cheap and self sustaining. The plantation of some tree species is effective in trapping sand and decreases the wind velocity but the plantation of the exotic species Casuarina in this area throughout the coastal line has yet not been too effective from our point of view. Legal protection of the plant species along the coastal line is very necessary. Development of tourism is also required to fulfil the need of civilization but the constructions must be planned apart from the dune vegetation keeping distance sufficiently from the sea shore. Raising public awareness and provision of economic support to the local communities for the restoration and protection of the flora and the fauna of the coastal line is necessary.”

E Midnapore chit funds asked to repay investors

23 April 2013

biswabrata goswami
TAMLUK, 23 APRIL: The Trinamul Congress ruled East Midnapore zilla-parishad has asked chit fund companies in the district to immediately refund to investors the money they mopped up in the course of their operations. The amount such companies have collected is believed to be in the range of Rs 2,000 crore in the district alone.
The zilla-parishad's step comes in the wake of the collapse of the Saradha group, and protests by investors and agents of the group across the state.
“We have asked authorities of all chit fund entities operating in the district to refund money to investors as early as possible, failing which the district administration will take necessary action against them”, said Mr Mamud Hossain, saha-sabhadhipati of East Midnapore zilla-parishad.
The district body has identified 283 organisations functional under various
alibis, but actually engaged in mopping
up small and medium savings from investors.
"These companies or groups are registered under the Society Registration Act, and have raised funds from the public under the guise of varied businesses spanning real estate and tourism. They have collected more than Rs 2,000 crores from East Midnapore district alone," said Mr Hossain, adding that the zilla-parishad has sent the list of these companies to the state government for necessary action.
According to RBI norms, chit fund entities, classified as miscellaneous non-banking companies, can accept deposits from shareholders. But they are prohibited from accepting deposits from the public.
Many chit funds have started showing investors as shareholders of the company to bypass the rule, a zilla-parishad member said.
The chit fund business in the district drew the attention of the administration after Mr Subhabrata Das lodged a complaint with the Khejuri police station in East Midnapore on 27 July last year, alleging that Mr Swadesh Maity and Mr Sutanu Maity, residents of Adampur village in Khejuri, had approached him as employees of Travel Ventures International (TVI) Express, an international networking company, and advised him to invest in their firm. They had assured the complainant high returns on his investment.
“Accordingly, I invested Rs 15,500 and became a sponsor of the company. As per instructions, I roped in many others, who also invested the same amount, expecting high returns. But, after a few months, when I didn’t get subsidiary returns, I learnt that no money was deposited in our name in the company’s account,” Mr Das alleged.
In his complaint, he also stated that 27,648 persons from East Midnapore had invested money in the scheme, but none of them had received returns. According to some estimates, TVI Express collected Rs 45 crore from the district alone.
Meanwhile, hundreds of agents and investors gheraoed offices of Saradha, Rose Valley and Alchemist Groups for the third day today, demanding the refund their investments.
A 27-year-old youth, identified as Dipu Das of Benapur of Contai-III block and an agent of Saradha group, attempted to commit suicide by consuming poison today. People spotted him lying unconscious along the railway tracks of Contai station and admitted him to the Contai sub-divisional hospital.
His condition was said to be serious. His relatives said that he had been demoralised since the fracas over the Saradha group came to the fore; he had reportedly collected Rs 1 crore from small investors.

VU installs electronic surveillance system

15 April 2013

initiative to enhance security for girl students
biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 15 APRIL: Vidyasagar University has introduced electronic surveillance through closed-circuit cameras to strengthen security in its campus areas with an additional focus on better security for girl students.
During the first phase of the initiative, cameras have been installed in the visitors’ waiting lounges in front of the office chambers of the Vice-Chancellor and registrar a few days ago.
An “office circular” (now in possession of The Statesman) without bearing any memo number was issued earlier on 9 April by the secretary to the Vice-Chancellor to all academic and administrative heads of the departments. According to the circular “...as per an advice from the West Bengal State Council of Higher Education an Electronic Surveillance System is being installed in the lounge in front of the office of the Vice-Chancellor and in the office of the Registrar initially, as a pilot project”.
Gradually, all strategic areas of the university will come under the said electronic surveillance system in due course, the order reads.
Explaining that the security systems will be upgraded in phases, an official said: “In the first phase, the cameras will be installed in places identified as 'strategic areas', like the entrance of the departmental areas and the science laboratories where students often work late hours.”
“The varsity also plans to go for e-surveillance where, in the next phase of upgrade of security systems, cameras will be placed on top of some key buildings on the campus. These will provide a wider view of the university's premises,” the official said.
Interestingly, neither the Trinamul Congress-controlled West Bengal College and University Professors’ Association (WBCUPA) nor the Left-affiliated West Bengal College and University Teachers’ Association (WBCUTA) protested the installation of electronic surveillance system in the varsity. No student or non-teaching staff association affiliated to the Trinamul Congress or the Left parties protested the move either.
A lone voice of protest, however, was heard only from the department of anthropology in which the teachers unanimously condemned the installation of surveillance system at the varsity and expressed their “worries” about the installation of CCTVs in the academic departments in a meeting of the departmental committee held two days ago.
Mr Kaushik Bose, a PhD from Cambridge University and a post-doctoral fellow at London University, and the head of department of anthropology at VU said: “The installation of electronic surveillance systems which are used to detect criminals is unthinkable in any university.”
Mr Bose has already sent a resolution adopted at the meeting to the Vice-Chancellor requesting him to revoke this move by the university authorities.

Traders give cops a hair-raising time!

10 January 2013

biswabrata goswami
TAMLUK, 10 JAN: Angry traders gave East Midnpore police a hair- raising time for failing to trace a truck ferrying Rs 4 crore of processed human hair that was hijacked on its way from way from Chandipur to Nimtouri two days back.
Hundreds of traders in human hair, who painstakingly collect women's locks from villages and sell these to exporters, today vandalised Chandipur police station in East Midnapore.
The incident occurred following an altercation with the police over the failure to trace the hair-laden Nimtouri bound vehicle. As the police have not recovered the lorry yet, nor made any arrests, the infuriated hair dealers  vandalised the Chandipur police station in East Midnapore.
Hours before they vented their fury on the police station, they set up a road block on the Digha- Nandakumar state highway at Chandipur for over an hour but relented after the police invited them to the police station to hear them out. . “The police  were sitting on the  matter. When we realized this, some of us attacked the police station and damaged some chairs and tables”, a protestor said. Police officials, however, denied any inaction and said, “We are trying our best to recover the hijacked lorry, but have no leads yet”.
According to a hair trader, hair collected from different villages and towns across the state is sent to Andhra’s West Godavari district, where the small town of Eluru is the hub of India’s hair export trade. Chandipur is one of the main hair collection centres in West Bengal and these hair-laden vehicles   then head to Andhra Pradesh.  Hair processing units, where each worker cleans, grades, and packs around 300-400 gm daily, then ensure that shipments meet the specifications of large importers in China. China is India's top customer for human hair, said Pratap Jana, a hair trader in Chandipur.
As village women don’t dye, bleach and streak their hair - at least for now,  even their comb remnants fetch a far higher price in world markets than average temple hair, which is usually shorter than 16 inches.
“In fact, Tirupati and all the temples together contribute only 20 out of every 100 locks of premium hair sold. The rest are patiently procured from village women, who are quite happy to exchange hair headed for the dustbin with the fancy clips and baubles offered by the “hair collector” who comes with his bag once a week”, Mr Jana said.
Another trader said, “Rural hair sells for a premium because it is untouched by any chemicals and rarely more than two or three human hands. Not surprisingly then, comb waste sells for Rs 1,225 per kilogram.”
But even village belles are slowly losing their lustrous lengths. “Earlier we would get 40-inch long hair from villages. Now it is rarely more than 30 inches. But even so, it is longer than Tirupati first grade, which rarely crosses 26 inches,” said Amulya Dey, a hair collector.
“The procurement chain, from village to hair export units, is highly informal and nebulous. Even, many hair collectors themselves do not know who organises the collectors and ensures adequate volumes”, said a police officer.

TMC, CPM blame game continues

7 January 2013

biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 7 JAN: In a show of strength, the Trinamul Congress today held a public rally at Chandipur in East Midnapore where the former chief minister and CPI-M politburo leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had addressed a rally at the same venue two days ago.
Throwing a challenge to the CPI-M, the Trinamul Congress MP Subhendu Adhikari, who was instrumental in the people’s movement against the erstwhile CPI-M’s decision on setting up a chemical hub at Nandigram in 2007, said: “Let the CPI-M capture a single seat of panchayat in the forthcoming panchayat polls here if they can”. At the gathering, he said: “Not a single inch of land will be provided for the CPI-M in the ensuing panchayat polls. They (the CPI-M cadres) will try to enter into the villages, but you will have to keep a close vigil on them. You will have to remember that all the CPI-M leaders are nothing but poisonous snakes.”
Replying to Mr Bhattacharjee’s allegation that the Trinamul Congress government is taking the state towards disaster, Mr Adhikari said: “The CPI-M is worried about our government’s performance towards implication of various development works across the state. And so they are trying to malign our government by framing false charges.” Referring to the CPI-M activities during the Nandigram violence in East Midnapore and Netai massacre in West Midnapore, he demanded that the CPI-M be banned immediately.
Before the meeting, Mr Adhikari went to Nandigram early today at around 4.30 am and took out a rally with candle sticks to commemorate the three martyrs who were killed at Bhangabera during the Nandigram violence in 2007.
Later, he went to Netai village in Lalgarh in West Midnapore where nine people were killed and 29 persons received bullet injuries in a firing from the top of a CPI-M leader’s house on 7 January, 2011.
While paying homage to the nine villagers who were killed in the firing, Mr Adhikari demanded that CBI investigation into the Netai and Nandigram violence should be completed at the earliest. “It was one of the heinous crimes committed by the CPI-M. But the CBI investigation is going at very slow pace which is unexpected. We are demanding immediate arrest of Susanta Ghosh and Dipak Sarkar and a supplementary charge-sheet against these two CPI-M leaders should be submitted before the court by the CBI”, he said.
Mr Adhikari said the family members of the martyrs in Nandigram have not received justice yet. Though, the High Court has instructed the CBI to conduct a probe into the killings and disappearances of people during the Nandigram violence in 2007 but the CBI is reluctant to conduct a probe into this matter. “If the CBI fails to begin an investigation immediately, the family members of the martyrs will begin a sit-in before the CBI office in Kolkata,” he said.
Expressing shock over the Delhi gang-rape incident, he claimed that a more shocking incident of similar magnitude took place in Nandigram few years ago, while referring to the Tapasi Malik murder case.

Survey on out-of-school kids

1 January 2013

biswabrata goswami
TAMLUK, 1 JAN: The state government is all set to conduct a survey of all children living across the state to ascertain the number of children who are still out of school.
This child survey will be held on 13 January in every booth area of all districts under the supervision of the district project officer of Sarva Siksha Mission.
 “One of the conditions of the Right to Education (RTE) Act is to enroll each and every child in the neighbourhood school. So, the government is all set to conduct a survey of all children in the age group of 0 to 14 years ( up to 18 years for CWSN) of all families residing in any particular habitation”, said an official.
The child survey contains details of the child like age, sex, caste, disability status, migration status, disadvantage group, weaker section, guardian details, class-wise information, nature of institution, enrollment status and out of school children, the officer said.
As per the order, the enumerator will be all para-teachers, Siksha Bandhus and Special Educators. Supervisor of the booth-wise survey will be head of the institution who will co-operate with the Circle Project Co-ordinator for completion of the survey and compilation of the work.
According to the survey, it has been observed with concern that though the RTE Act is in place, underprivileged children are often being denied their rights. When conducted in 2007, the survey had found that 7.8 per cent children between six and 14 years of age were out of school which has declined to 4.6 per cent in 2010. However, the figure remains higher than the national average of 3.5 per cent in 2010.
The State has the fifth highest percentage of out-of-school children following Meghalaya (7.2 per cent), Rajasthan (5.8 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (5.2 per cent), and Assam (5 per cent). Neighbouring Bihar had a higher number of out-of-school children than West Bengal just a couple of years ago, but has now achieved parity with the national average, according to the survey.

State to conduct census for inland fisheries resources

31 December 2012

biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 31 DEC: The state government has started the process to conduct a census for inland fisheries resources across the state to collect information on the number of fishermen, their craft and gear, socio-economic profile, demographic features, behavioural parameters and other related facts.
Though, at the national level, no such census has been conducted yet for inland fisheries in any state in the country. this is the first time a state government has conducted such a census, said an official.
The state Fisheries Department has already circulated an order to respective fisheries officers of all districts asking them to take suitable steps so that the survey work could be executed in the right manner and completed within the stipulated time period of three months from January to March 2013.
According to the department, water body resource survey in the state was started during 2009-10 to prepare GIS map using RS technology, but due to its limitations it was not possible to cover all aspects of fisheries resources.
“In order to fill up the gap and to plot all resources ~ water bodies, fisherman family, household, market, hatchery, co-operatives, crafts and gears, fish-based industries, processing plants and ice plants ~ to make it more informative, a pilot project entitled “Complete Enumeration of Fisheries Resources” will be implemented in some selected blocks of all districts,” the joint director of the fisheries department said.
According to the plans, a contractual enumerator will be engaged from every gram panchayat with a fixed remuneration of Rs 4,000 per month for three months.
The enumerators would visit every fisherman's home in all concerned villages. They would note down the number of country boats, mechanised boats, traditional boats, fishing gear besides collecting information about the families according to the guidelines of the Fisheries Department. To conduct the census, the state government has allotted Rs 14. 97 lakh, said an official.
He said: “Fisheries is an important sector in the state. It provides employment to millions of people and contributes to food security. As no specific data on the inland fisheries resources is currently available, our government cannot chalk out development plans on this sector. After completion of this census, the state government can go through with the various development plans.”

Cold weather fails to dampen festive spirits

28 December 2012

biswabrata goswami
DIGHA, 28 DEC: The cold wave gripping the state has failed to dampen the spirit of thousands of tourists who arrived at the state’s sea resorts ~ Digha, Mandarmoni, Sankarpur and Tajpur ~ to celebrate the Christmas and the New Year.
This time, the number of domestic tourists has outnumbered their international counterparts. Despite pollution and exorbitant hotel rates, the flow of tourists is on the rise. The calm and serene environs are luring a lot of tourists to Mandarmoni, Tajpur and Shankarpur beaches, too.
Keeping in mind the promise made by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to convert Digha into Goa of the east, the government has introduced paragliding as part of the year-end festivities.
On the lines of Goa and other beach towns, paragliding has begun at the Digha beach. But it is the first of its kind in eastern India and third in the country after Delhi and Pune which runs on a motor.
While inaugurating the paragliding at New Digha beach on Wednesday, the state Tourism Minister, Mr Krishnendu Chowdhury, said: “The chief minister had dreamed about turning Digha into Goa. Many other things have to be done to fulfil the dream. This is just the beginning. Digha needs to be made affordable for everyone from the middle class to the high class”.
It would cost Rs 2,500 per head for a 15-minute ride, 18,000 ft above the sea level. The minister, however, lamented several work have been put on hold in the Digha-Mandarmoni tourist circuit due to objections raised by the Environment Department as it falls under the special economic zone.
This apart, the state government has launched a Rs 41 crore World Bank-aided project to build a storm water drainage network system in the coastal areas of Digha and its surroundings. The project, expected to be completed in the next two years, is part of the World Bank-aided Integrated Coastal Zone Management programme. “There are several plans that have been chalked out to spruce up the coastal regions of the state and make them popular on the lines of Goa. While the authorities had decided to set up a wooden pedestrian walkway at Shankarpur for tourists, plans are also afoot to introduce a hovercraft service,” said Soumen Pal, Executive Officer of Digha Sankarpur Development Authority.
In Digha the tourists inflow has increased from 8 lakh to 35 lakh in the past one year. “Compared to the past two years, this year, tourist inflow increased abnormally, especially after Miss Banerjee introduced direct rail services here,” said a hotel owner. With the rise in tourist flow, the pollution level has also risen. Digha, which was once called the “Brighton of the East”, has turned into a garbage dump, with plastic and litter everywhere. The famous casuarina forests off Digha coast has lost its charm. The sewage system here has been a problem for many years.

Sarsanka, Mughalmari may become tourist destinations

24 December 2012

biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 24 DEC: The state tourism department plans to promote Sarsanka and Mughalmari ~ two places of historical interest in West Midnapore district ~ as new tourist destinations.
While paying a formal visit to these two places on Saturday, Mr Vikram Sen, principal secretary, state tourism department, said: “The state government has already sanctioned Rs 80 lakh for excavation and development of Mughalmari. An overall development plan for Sarsanka, at a cost of Rs 150 crore, has already been chalked out.”
Recent excavations at Mughalmari, a Buddhist monastery in Dantan in West Midnapore, reveal a strong presence of Buddhism in the state which dates back to the sixth century AD. It is believed to be the biggest monastic structure discovered so far in West Bengal and it was probably an institution on the lines of Nalanda.
Several relics of post-Gupta period, dating back to the sixth and seventh century AD, have been unearthed which resemble those found in Nalanda and Karnasubarna. This monastic structure was, however, made in two phases: after the destruction of its original monastic complex another structure was built on its basic foundation. Its early phase structure was made of various decorative bricks and beautiful relics.
Later it was painted in red and the whole complex was decorated with beautiful artwork. But, in the second phase structure, the complex was not made with earlier phase’s arts. The monastic complex was left abandoned after 12th century. A team comprising eight members from Calcutta University's archaeology department, led by the late Ashok Datta, started digging the area in 2003. During the sixth phase excavation, it was believed to be the largest find till date in Bengal, measuring about 3,600 sq mt.
The complex and the statues trace their origin to the reign of Sasanka, who ruled Bengal between 590 AD and 626 AD. The relics which have been recovered include a 10th century Buddha idol, a map of the Bouddha Vihar and a dozen other figurines. The team had discovered 45 types of decorative bricks and some statues of Buddha in various forms.
They have also come across some sculptures of Dharmachakra as well. Dharmachakra, the wheel of life, is a religious symbol representing Buddha’s path to enlightenment.
Like Mughalmari, Sarsanka in Dantan is also a historical place where the seventh century king of Gour had dug a large tank which is still in use but is now known as Sarsanka Dighi commemorating some local chieftain of the Ganga dynasty who probably had it renovated in the 11th century. Lord Chaitanya travelled to Puri and on the way he rested at Dantan which has become an important Vaishnava centre on that account.
“The state government has honoured the demand of the residents who have repeatedly urged promotion of the place into a new tourist destination. We have decided to excavate the site and develop the area with the help of some other departments. The infrastructure will be developed to attract foreign tourists,” said Mr Sen.

Tehatta firing ‘undesirable’, CM calls for peace

20 December 2012

biswabrata goswami
TEHATTA, 20 DEC: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today described the Tehatta police firing, where one person was killed and two others were injured, as “undesirable” and asked residents to live altogether in peace.
“I have come here to stop the recurrence of such incidents. Investigation into the firing is going on and the guilty will be punished,” she said at a mass rally here.
She announced that she has handed over a cheque of Rs 2 lakh as compensation to the wife of the deceased and a job of police home guard to the victim’s next of kin.
The injured were also given compensation to the tune of Rs 25,000 each and Miss Banerjee assured that she would extend her government’s assistance to their families as well.
On 14 November, trouble had broken out after police refused to allow a Jagaddhatri puja at a particular spot. They had initially lathicharged and then opened fire after a mob hurled brickbats and torched two police vehicles.
While talking about the "undesirable" incident, Miss Banerjee also spoke strongly against the "politics of communalism" and said her government would sternly deal with any attempt to foment communal trouble in the state.
“When I was walking along the street from a place five kilometres away from the rally ground, I talked with two families ~ one Muslim and another Hindu. I wanted to know the real fact behind the incident was,” she said adding that every one should hate the riot.
Accusing the Centre for not co-operating with her government, Miss Banerjee said: “The Centre used to help the previous CPI-M government in our state, but not helping our government. It had allowed it to borrow money indiscriminately for which our government is now facing an acute financial crisis. Our money is being used to repay the huge loan taken by the previous government and the Centre is trying to block all avenues to get loans. Still, we are not helpless. We are working hard for the people of Bengal. I have settled the Junglemahal problem. The crisis in the Darjeeling Hills is also over and I had promised to create 10 lakh job opportunities in our five-year tenure in the government and already more than two lakh have been created,” she said.
She said: “I won’t accept any advice either from the CPI-M or from the Congress. Similarly, I won’t accept any advice from the BJP. I would rather listen to the advice of the common people.”
Miss Banerjee reached Krishnagar, Nadia, last night and held meetings with her party MLAs and leaders. Today, she addressed the rally where more than a lakh people gathered. As many could not enter the Tehatta High School ground, they stayed on the roads, leading to an acute traffic jam.

State move to boost SHGs

19 December 2012

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TAMLUK, 19 DEC: To provide a boost to products manufactured by various Self Help Groups (SHGs) in East Midnapore, the district administration plans to give them a unique brand identity with a logo and monogram. It also plans to develop the concept of “one village-one product”, as well as new clusters.
A brand name, Urja, with a logo, Udiyaman Surya (Rising Sun), and a monogram have already been prepared to provide products with a unique identity to help them compete in open market. “Marketing of SHG products is now a big challenge as customers are becoming rather brand-conscious,” said Parvej Ahmed Siddiqui, district magistrate.
“A policy note drawn up by the department states that product quality is linked to the brand name and attractive packaging. Efforts will be made by the government to standardise the products of SHGs and get the required certification from government-approved agencies,” he said.
East Midnapore has been one of the pioneering districts in the state to have set up SHG institutions like Sub-Cluster, Cluster and block level Federations, with the objective of overall empowerment of women. The key strategy that the district adopted was social mobilisation of women by encouraging them to form SHGs and by promoting savings and thrift. The SHG movement in East Midnapore started in April 1999. Over the past 13 years, it has spread across the district.
At present, around 2.2 lakh families have been mobilised into some 22,356 SHGs. A total of 20,232 SHGs have started economic activities with their savings, bank credit and financial assistance by DRDC (Revolving Fund). Total savings of all SHGs under the district is Rs 7767.88 lakh as on 31 March 2012, said Mr Siddiqui. The scheme is sponsored by a state government fund and involves formation of new SHGs, capacity building of SHG members and representatives, skill training, enterprise development training, credit assistance to SHGs, setting up a revolving fund, credit linkages through banks, and marketing of SHG products through exhibitions and branding. For effective promotion of SHG products at the state, national and international level, the district administration has also launched a web-based marketing system through the website www.purbamedinipur.gov.in from where any one can directly establish contact with the SHGs. This apart, any one can get all types of information about the products, said Mamud Hossain, saha-sabhadhipati of zilla parishad. He said: “In five blocks, namely Tamluk, Panskura, Ramnagar-I, Bhagwanpur-I and Patashpur-I, Block Federations have been formed. In Tamluk Block Federation, Tamluk Block Mahila Bikash Mahasangha, is one of the best not only in West Bengal but also in India. A Cooperative Bank, Tamluk Block Mahila Bikash Credit Cooperative Society Limited, which was set up first in West Bengal on a pilot basis, is well managed by the federation.”

VU authorities covering up misdeeds?

9 December 2012

biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 9 DEC: The authorities of Vidyasagar University seem to have suppressed the case of misappropriation of UGC Unassigned Grants funds by former Vice-Chancellor, Professor Swapan Kumar Pramanick, who enjoyed two successive terms during the Left regime in West Bengal.
Prof. Pramanick sanctioned his own travel grants amounting to over Rs 60,000 to attend an international congress in Sociology held in Beijing, when he was the chairman of the UGC Unassigned Grants Committee in its meeting held on 6 May 2004. This was against the guidelines of UGC since the V-Cs were supposed to apply directly to the secretary of the UGC under the Travel Grant Scheme for college teachers/VCs/Commission members according to the UGC website.
Moreover, Prof. Pramanick also did not submit his round-trip air-tickets and boarding cards as proof of his expenditure which is a must in every public institution. Interestingly, Prof Jing Tian Kui, Director of Institute of Sociology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in a letter sent by e-mail to Prof Pramanik on 11 November 2003 addressing him as "V-C of VU”, invited him to attend the Congress held from 7 to 11 July 2004 although Prof Pramanik officially had taken over charge as V-C of the university on 1 December 2003.
All this came to light through the replies to a number of RTI applications submitted by Mr Abhijit Guha, a teacher of the Department of Anthropology at Vidyasagar University in 2010.
Based on the replies to his RTI queries, Mr Guha complained to Mr Bratya Basu, the state Higher Education Minister, on 1 August 2011 and also to the UGC Chairman on 16 March 2012. Responding to Mr Guha's complaint, the deputy secretary of UGC sent a letter dated 27 July 2012 to the Registrar, of VU to refund Rs 60, 976 spent by Prof. Pramanick, since the money, according to UGC, was “misappropriated by the former V-C of Vidyasagar University”.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal State Council of Higher Education formed a two-member inquiry committee comprising Prof. Subhasankar Sarkar, Vice-Chancellor of Netaji Subhas Open University and Mr G K Pattanayak, finance officer of Jadavpur University to probe into the matter about two months ago.
Surprisingly, the WBSCHE has not yet issued any public notification nor has it notified the "terms of reference" of the inquiry committee in the public. No one knows what the committee will actually probe and when the inquiry will be completed. On the other hand, the Vidyasagar University authority has not yet refunded the money misappropriated by Prof. Pramanick to the UGC.
When contacted, Mr Ranajit Dhar, Registrar of VU, said: “The money has not been refunded to UGC yet.”
He, however, said the two-member committee of the West Bengal State Council of Higher Education is conducting a probe into the matter. He said: "They have not communicated with us yet."
It was, however, learnt that the committee members visited the Vidyrasagr university on 9 November and talked to the registrar, vice-chancellor and other concerned officials.

Rural polls: Govt speeding up drinking water projects

6 December 2012

TAMLUK, 6 DEC: In view of the panchayat election in 2013, the state government has plans to expedite its rural water sources projects under state plan in all the 19 districts. Projects of sinking, re-sinking, conversion or rejuvenation of water sources, especially tube-wells and wells, will be implemented at these places in the districts where drinking water crisis is acute.
To implement all the pending projects along with new ones for this financial year, the state government has already sanctioned Rs 1415.49 lakh for the districts and the Public Health Engineering department has asked all the district magistrates to carry out the order. Figures from the Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) for the rural water supply sector reveal that West Bengal failed to meet national targets in rural drinking water and sanitation in the 2011-12 financial year.
The Union ministry of rural drinking water and sanitation had published a report on rural drinking water supplies in April, which revealed that West Bengal used only 67.2 per cent of its Rs 267.88 crore allocation last year.
According to an IMIS report, over a third of the wells in West Bengal are considered arsenic-affected and iron contaminated. Despite this, the PHED has failed to meet national targets on water quality and surveillance training, chemical field testing and water testing with field test kits. However, West Bengal is one of the 14 states recorded to be successfully carrying out the transfer of public water systems to the panchayats, which involves training district workers in the operation and maintenance of hand pumps. Realising the lack in implementing rural water sources projects in the ‘crisis areas’ of the districts, Mr A Bhattacharyya, joint secretary to the government of West Bengal, has instructed all the district magistrates asking for “utilisation certificates of the present sanction be submitted by December, 2012 and also utilisation certificates for previous sanctions be submitted immediately to this department for showing to finance department which is pressing hard for the same at the time of releasing funds. No further fund can be sanctioned unless utilisation certificates are received from all previous sanction”.
He also instructed that the fund may be utilised, if necessary, for conversion of existing water sources by submersible pump sets and for energisation of ready units. Some ‘spot sources’ should be created in SC/ST areas, Mr Bhattacharyya stated in his letter. According to the state's house-listing and housing census -2011, as high as 36.5 per cent of total households in West Midnapore were found to be travelling more than 500 meters from their homes to get drinking water compared to 30.4 per cent of total households in 2001.
If the percentage is converted into actual figures, a total of 4,10,884 families had drinking water sources more than 500 meter from their houses in rural areas of the district. “This figure is obviously high when any one goes through rural fringes of Junglemahal. There are several areas in Belpahari, Banspahari and Kantapahari where tribal people walk more than a kilometre to fetch drinking water,” said a social activist.
Meanwhile, indiscriminate pumping of water by various means has taken a toll on the groundwater level in the coastal areas of the district.
The situation in blocks like Moyna, Patashpur-I and II, Bhagawanpur-I and II, Khejuri, Contai, Chandipur, Nandigram-I and II, Tamluk, Haldia, Panskura and Kolaghat is alarming as lakhs of farmers in these blocks, cut off from surface water sources, are relying heavily on groundwater for irrigation. biswabrata goswami

Paddy procurement to become easy

2 December 2012

MIDNAPORE, 2 DEC: The state government today initiated a process of procuring paddy from farmers living at Pirakata in Junglemahal, West Bengal for this season at the minimum support price (MSP) worth Rs 1,250 per quintal. State Food and Supply Minister Jyotipriya Mallick inaugurated the procurement process in presence of Trinamul Congress MLAs ~ Srikanta Mahato and Mrigen Maity, District Magistrate Surendra Gupta and other departmental officials. Mr Mallick said: “No middleman will be allowed to purchase paddy from farmers at lower prices than the MSP. Stern action will be taken if any one goes against rules.” He said the government plans to open a store house at every block for procured paddy to be stored.
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Central funds for rural health lying unused

27 November 2012

biswabrata goswami
TAMLUK, 27 NOV: A huge amount of Central fund ~ meant to uplift the rural health parameters ~ under the scheme of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) is lying unspent for this current fiscal in West Bengal since the Trinamul Congress came to power.
The total unspent balance, lying with most of the districts, is much higher than the annual entitlements which prompted NRHM director Sanghamitra Ghosh to write a letter (dated 12.11.2012) addressing all district magistrates, asking them to take necessary steps so to expedite utilisation of the amount as per guideline.
According to reports, the total amount lying with 19 districts is around Rs 6.73 crore while funds, lying unspent with 909 primary health centres (PHCs) across the state, are around Rs 5.86 crore.
This comes at a time when the Trinamul Congress government has often been criticised for its poor health services at different hospitals across the state.
The State Health and Family Welfare Society released funds of the NRHM without assessing the actual requirement leading to large unspent funds meant for providing accessible, affordable, accountable, effective and reliable healthcare facilities in rural areas and reduce infant and maternal mortality.
The report states that non-formation of district level annual plans defeated the basic objective of the Mission to decentralise planning and implementation arrangement to ensure that need based and community-owned district health action plans become the basis for interventions in the sector.
Attributing the snail-pace progress to laxity and lack of initiative by the health department officials, saha-sabhadhipati of East Midnapore Mamud Hossain said such an attitude was uncalled for and will not be tolerated. “There is no dearth of funds and the government is willing to improve the health infrastructure, thus there is no room for any laxity,” he told The Statesman.
As most of the districts failed to utilise the Central grants, funds for the year of 2012-2013 could not be released to many districts like East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Purulia, South 24-parganas, Malda, Murshidabad and Nadia.

Cong to steal a march on TMC in Junglemahal

26 November 2012

Mr Jairam Ramesh will lead the rally where the party’s 3 MoSs, Dr Manas Bhuniya and other party leaders are expected to be present
biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 26 NOV: A day before the Trinamul Congress’ rally in Junglemahal, the Pradesh Congress will hold a public rally at Lalgarh on 8 December to mark its presence in the Maoist hotbed, from where it will start campaign for the panchayat elections in early 2013.
Union minister Mr Jairam Ramesh will lead the rally where the party’s three Union ministers of state, state Congress leader Dr Manas Bhuniya and other party leaders are expected to be present.
The next day, the Trinamul Congress will hold a public rally there under the leadership of the party’s Tamluk MP, Mr Subhendu Adhikari, who is expected to focus on the fact that despite receiving no funds from the UPA-II government for the development of rural and semi-urban areas, the party has been proactive with its limited resources.
“The impact of UPA-II government’s policy to implement FDI in multi-brand retail would hit farmers and small rural traders. Our party will highlight this anti-people policy,” Mr Adhikari told The Statesman.
He said, “In Junglemahal, people had been suffering from Maoist menace for over three years. But, as soon as our party came to power, we have been able to bring peace to the entire area. Several development works are being implemented for the sake of tribal people”. Dr Bhuniya, however, said: “Kike Trinamul Congress, our party had also wanted a change in West Bengal. But, the Trinamul government is now working on the line of the CPI-M, which we are against. This should be stopped.”
Dr Bhuniya said in the Assembly elections Congress had contested just 65 seats in the state and only four in West Midnapore. “We couldn’t reach many places and this affected the party. In 1972, a similar problem arose when Siddhartha Shankar Ray decided to form an alliance with CPI. We don’t want a repeat. So at the panchayat, block and zilla parishad level, it is up to the local leadership to decide. The Pradesh Congress will help in whatever they choose,” he said in a Press conference here today.
“The government should immediately intervene and ensure right prices for their crops. The food and agriculture ministers should get their act together. What are they doing anyway when farmers across Bengal are suffering? Even in Junglemahal, there remains a gap in what is being said and what's being done,” he said.

Midnapore anti-flood dredging halted by land disputes

19 November 2012

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MIDNAPORE, 19 NOV: The much-acclaimed dredging of canals of the Keleghai-Kapaleswari-Bagui river scheme, which was held up for years, has been stopped for the past few days as contractors are reportedly facing resistance from residents claiming compensation for their land.
Contractors have lodged a complaint with the East Midnapore Zilla Parishad, urging it to take the necessary steps so they can continue dredging canals linked with the Keleghai, Kapaleswari and Bagui rivers.
"The demarcation of government lands on both sides of canals has not been completed, leading to disputes with local residents, who often claim they have held the land for years. They also prevent us from carrying soil over their land," the complaint read.
Mr Mamud Hossain, saha-sabhadhipati of the zilla-parishad, said: "Problems crept up as local residents put up resistance when the contractors went to start their work at different areas along the rivers. Concerned about this problem, I have already sent letters to the secretary of state irrigation department and the district magistrate to take urgent step so that the dredging works are not stopped."
In the 2010 budget, the Centre had allocated Rs 650 crore for the project, but the state irrigation department started the project this year. The Cabinet also approved the acquisition of nearly 1,675 acres of land in West Midnapore and East Midnapore, to improve the drainage basin of  Kapaleswari, Keleghai, Bagui and Chandia rivers, which is affected by devastating floods every year. 
"It is likely to be completed in three years, but recent disputes may disrupt the project work," said Mr Tarun Kanti Das, a complainant.
According to state irrigation department officials, seven blocks in the two districts ~ Sabong, Narayangarh, Danton I and Danton II in West Midnapore, and Bhagwanpur and Potashpur in East Midnapore ~ are flood-prone. The four rivers together span across 2,145 sq km, of which 650 sq km lies in the flood-prone area.
In the first phase, the Kapaleswari, Chandia, Bagui and Deuli will be dredged and 14 channels including the Amrakhali, Kalimadhab, Sundarpur and Mirzapur will be repaired. The estimated cost of the first phase of the project is around Rs 158 crore. 
Hundreds of flood victims, under the banner of the Undivided Midnapore Khara-Bannya-Bhangan Pratirodh Committee, recently staged a demonstration outside the office of the superintendent engineer demanding speedy implementation of the Keleghai-Kapaleswari-Bagui river scheme.