5 lakh people to get houses in Bengal, says Mamata Banerjee
She claimed that the farmers of Bengal are living happily because they get what others do not.
Kolkata: Eyeing the panchayat elections in the state this year, chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced that her government provide homes to five lakh people in the rural belt this month. “On January 29, these homes — Banglar Bari — will be handed over to five lakh families under Bengal Grameen Awas Yojana. I will do it at the Netaji Indoor Stadium at 1 pm,” she said after inaugurating Maati Utsav in Burdwan. Ms Banerjee elaborated, “The similar events will be held in the districts in presence of MLAs, MPs and district magistrates at the same time.”
Rolling out more sops, she informed that a new state highway will be constructed from Midnapore in West Midnapore to Berhampore in Murshidabad through three more districts: Hooghly, Burdwan and Birbhum.
“A new road project— North-South Corridor— has been decided. Rs 3,000 crores will be spent for it. We have plans for more road in the villages,” she added. Her decisions come in wake of the BJP’s rise in votebank across the districts. Sending a veiled warning to the BJP, the Trinamul Congress supremo declared that Bengal would not bow to intimidation by anyone.
“Bengal does not stop. Bengal never tolerates angry glance and threat of anyone. Bengal moves ahead with its head high,” she said. In her first public programme in the new year Ms Banerjee elaborated, “Bengal is the only place where land was taken away by force in Singur. We have returned the land to its owners. Today golden paddy is harvested there. This is our pride. My government talks less, works more.”
She claimed that the farmers of Bengal are living happily because they get what others do not. According to the chief minister, her government has brought around 21 lakh hectares of agricultural land under an insurance scheme which is the first in the country also. 103 farmers were felicitated with Krishak Samman awards at the event.
On Kanyashree project, the chief minister announced that the girls would be given bravery awards for foiling child marriages over 100. “These little girls foiled 120 child marriages. I ask the police to crown them with bravery awards. We are proud of them. They will perform more good jobs for the society,” she said.
She later went to Birbhum in the afternoon and visited Kali temple at Kankalitala. After offering puja there at around 3.20 pm she informed of developing Kankalitala as a tourist spot.