By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: Full 15 months after she came to power, chief minister Mamata Banerjee visited West Bengal’s largest Muslim dominated Murshidabad district on 29th August 2012. She last time visited Murshidabad as Trinamul Congress chief on 20th April, 2010 for campaigning for the party. In her maiden visit as CM, Mamata announced a slew of welfare and development projects for the district.
She announced that an ITI for students and Kisan Mandi (farmers’ market) and cold storage for farmers will be set up in every block of Musrdidabad. Besides, she announced several other development projects for the district where a special centre of Aligarh Muslim University is also coming up.
Stronghold of Congress, Murshidabad was always far away from the eye of Mamata Banerjee since Parliamentary elections in 2009. But on the eve of three tier Panchayet election (due in 2013) Mamata is targeting the Muslim minds to attract them in favour of Trinamul Congress instead of Congress. Few days ago, in his Eid sermon at Eid Ul Fitr Maidan at Red Road Kolkata, Qari Fazlur Rahman had condemned Mamata for not seriously working for the development of Muslims. He, however, had admitted that she visited the Eid Maidan twice in 15 months of power while no Left Front CM visited the place even once in 34 years.
On behalf of Murshidabad administration a grand meeting was held in Baharampur Square Field on 29th August afternoon. Huge crowd gathered to hear Mamata Banerjee.
Mamata Banerjee allocated more funds to development of the district of Murshidabad and as well as minority welfare and declared 52 projects. Out of 52 Mamata inaugurated 17 projects and laid down foundation stone of 7 projects on that day.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, Government has taken up 121 arsenic free water projects and will spend Rs 700 cr for this purpose. She inaugurated 17 arsenic free water supply projects in that day.
Not only fresh drinking water project, she also announced projects for health, education and road.
She said, the government has allocated Rs 127 Cr more for Minority Welfare. Some 23 Primary Schools, 118 secondary and Higher Secondary Schools will be set up. Recruitment process for 5794 teachers is going on in this district. She said 11 Model Schools will be built and one Primary teachers training college will be set up at East Kashipur of Bagwangola Block-1, the college will have hostel also. Three Multispecialty big hospitals will be built up at Sagardighi, Domkal and Jangipur.
Mamata said, the only Medical college in Murshidabad, the Baharampur State General Hospital will get Rs 16 cr for infrastructure development and 3 new sick newborn care units will be set up. A blood bank will also be setup at Domkal subdivisional Hospital.
Chief Minister of West Bengal laid foundation stone of a Bridge on the Falgu River at Suti Block-1, Skill development centre at Baharampur ITI campus, 50 bedded girls Hostel of Domkal Girls School and Amirabad High Madrasa both, Horticulture development Centre etc. But when she was delivering her speech on Aligarh Muslim University and saying that, the AMU campus has started, then electric power went off and the audience could not hear him. In fact, for a long time she remained silent on AMU campus issue while the protests for construction work were going on in Murshidabad and Kolkata.
Mamata expressed unhappiness on the poor condition of National Highway-34 & other roads. She allocated Rs 60 cr to development of the rural roads of Murshidabad. Mamata distributed honorarium among Imams and Muazzins, Scholarships & term loan among minority, SC/St students, Kishan Credit Card, Artijan Card, General Credit Card, Weavers credit card & health insurance etc.
Mamata called an administrative meeting at Rabindra Bhawan in Baharampur, Murshidabad on that day. OC of 19 Police Stations of Murshidabad and all the BDOs, SDOs and many other officials participated in that meeting. Mamata welcomed facts and problems to development of the district from the government district officials. She enquired about progress on all state and Central government projects. She patted good performing officers and snubbed the poor performers.