Special Bankers Committee meeting on 7th August to augment Kisan Credit Cards, Account opening for Paddy purchase at MSP in Burdwan

Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) drive last year yielded good results in Burdwan district. 70931 New KCC and 2.55 lakhs renewals conducted with credit involvement of Rs 711.28 crores in 2011-12 financial year. This year 8500 new cards were issued till 30th June and further 1.11 lakhs renewal conducted.

In order to boost the drive, we have called all the senior bank officers on 7th August 2012 for DCC meeting. Banks will be asked to organise branch wise credit and KCC distribution camps in August to September 2012 to achieve target of one lakh new KCC.

• Some farmers still don't have bank account and might have faced problems in paddy sale last year. Special camps at Sub division/ blocks will be organised by Banks and Food Officials to provide on the spot account opening with zero balance. This will continue for one month and to be completed fully before next Paddy purchase season.
• Paddy transplantation in the district has geared up now after release of water from DVC and good rainfall last week. We also had reviewed the status of minor irrigation units and arranged to replace defunct transformers to increase irrigation coverage. At present transplantation is more than 60 percent, which is only 5 percent short compared to same time last year. Since, the transplantation will continue till 20th August 2012, it is expected that Paddy target of 4.3 lakhs hectares will be reached in this district.
• Performance of 59 demonstration centres covering 15000 hectares under Green Revolution for Eastern India is very good.

Weekly monitoring of Paddy trasnplantation, fertilizer availability and price control and functioning of irrigation installations is being done by the district authority.

Burdwan Medical College & Hopsital - SNCU, OPD and Surgery facilities to be opertaionalised soon

Sick and Neonatal Care Unit (SNCU) civil and electrical works already completed and ready to start the facility two months ago. PWD completed the work in record one year time. Similarly, works of extension of OPD building to accommodate surgery wards and OTs, Paediatric wards in Cardiology building has also been completed and handed over by PWD. I had a meeting with Principal of Burdwan Medical College, Supdt of the Hospital and PWD authorities on 3rd July 2012 at 3 pm to fix the target dates for making the newly built facilities functional.

• It is agreed that the work of Oxygen installation in SNCU to be completed by 15th September 2012 latest by the College authorities without any further dealy and necessary clearances to be obtained in a week.
• Meanwhile, Paediatric department will indicate the requirement for site preparations, if any, for shifting the facility to Cardiology building and complete the shifting by 15th September 2012, starting from next week positively.
• PWD will take up the renovation of vacated space in OPD building now occupied by Paediatric department immediately thereafter and complete the works within 31st January 2013.
• Surgery department should be shifted to newly built facility at the top floor of OPD by end of September 2012 and full operations in OTs to commence by end of October.
• Meanwhile, nursery to be temporarily be shifted to top floor of OPD so as to enable renovation of OPD building after the Paediatric ward is shifted to Cardiology.

In brief, SNCU, Surgery ward, Paediatric department must be shifted to the earmarked places and operationalised by the end of October positively. After completion of renovation works by the end of January 2012, Gynaecology department may be shifted to the space vacated byPaediatric department.

Hope, the time bound plan of functioning of these new facilities will be adhered to by all the agencies. Monthly review of progress to be done.

Narrow bridges and culverts on Damodar Valley Corporation canal/ roads to be replaced in phases

DVC system of irrigation canals is the lifeline of Burdwan district, the granary or also known as rice bowl. There are more than hundred bridges and culverts over the canals came up in last 50 years. Most of the roads and structures are built with load bearing capacity of 8 to 10 MT . PWD widened the roads over the years but most of the narrow bridges were not replaced by them as these are under Irrigation department, that does not has the financial budget provisions and technical capability to maintain these structures and invest monehere rrumre large number of mining activity like sand, morrum and stones carried over these bridges, mostly more than10MT causing damages. In some places like Bhatar, Bhedia, Adahati, Galsi etc the condition is pathetic and very bad. The issue was discussed in the review meeting own 28th July and it's matter of  satisfaction that State Govt agreed to provide funds to PWD department for immediate replacement of all critical and damaged, narrow bridges over DVC canals in Burdwan district. Had a meeting with Engineering departments and finalized the bridges to be taken up on priority. Dpr to be prepared in next three months and thereafter funds to be sanctioned. Let's hope most critical bridges at Bhedia, Bhatar, Galsi, ausgram and Jamalpur are taken up with the special fund allocation from the govt.

Panagarh National Highway - Attempts to resolve the issues

National Highway2 stretch of 3.2 kms at Panagarh Bazar has been in bad shape for last few years due to inadequate maintenance by the NHAI and has now become most difficult problem which all of us are facing.

The NH from Kolkata to Panagarh is entrusted to Agency and from Darjeeling more to Barakar to NHAI Project Office for O&M respinsiblity, leaving 3.2 kms stretch of Panagarh Bazar not assigned and no budget provisions. District authority managed to get the administrative sanction to include this stretch under O&M of NHAI last year.

On repeated persuasion NHAI sanctioned Rs 273 lakhs for repair of the road for which work orders already issued. This fund is not enough and the road so maintained can not be sustained more than one year. The works of strengthening, widening and bridge adjacent to present bridge are not sanctioned. NHAI local authorities needs Rs 6.5+ crores for the this road to sustain maintenance for at least three years.

Today, held meeting with PWD Roads and NHAI Project Director to discuss the ways of resolving the issues locally with the assistance of other agencies in the area. Some concrete suggestions including fund source and decisions have been discussed wherein gap funding may be provided to NHAI authorities to ensure thorough road strengthening, additional bridge, widening and traffic signalling immediately after Pujas. Gap funding has been offered  so as to achieve the desired maintenance. NHAI seems agreed to the proposal which is now being sent to the State for concurrence.

 Let's hope, situation will improve.

Presentation on development schemes of Burdwan as presented in Review Meeting of Hon'ble CM

Powerpoint presentation slides on Development Achievement of Burdwan district as presented in Meeting on 28th July at Memari Krishti Hall is available at www.bardhaman.gov.in, Notice Board Folder. Click here http://bardhaman.nic.in/noticeboard.html

Brief report in Bengali highlighting Benefits distributed at Burdwan in Public function by Hon'ble CM West Bengal

A brief Bengali write up can be accessed at http://bardhaman.nic.in/news/cm_visit_280712.pdf

Nijo Griho Nijo Bhumi (NGNB) - innovative scheme of West Bengal for Landless and homeless

NGNB scheme was launched in January 2012 in the West Bengal state where vested land of 3 katha (5 decimal approximately) can be allotted to Landless and Homeless poor families in rural areas by the Collector on recommendation of Land Development and Monitoring Committee headed by SDO. In Burdwan district the survey of landless families revealed more than 8500 homeless and accordingly NGNB Pattas were prepared and distributed to these poor families. So far, 2605 NGNB Patta issued covering an area of 88.20 acres of land. This is the highest coverage of Landless and Homeless families in any district in short span of only seven months. We hope to cover all the families identified and to be identified by the end of this financial year.

Apart from land, benefits for housing under IAY scheme or state housing department schemes like Gitanjali for minorities, Amar Thikana of Panchayat department etc have been extended. While 146  houses are under construction, proposals for fund allotment for 1200 houses sent to State Govt.

Planned development of basic infrastructure of road, drainage, kitchen garden, street lights and pond excavation etc has also been arranged in these villages where lands for house construction has been allotted. Good scheme initiated and very good response in Burdwan district.

Good work in ICDS in Burdwan

Last year we had 900 plus ICDS centres running in open space, without any building and store place out of 9193 ICDS centres in the Burdwan district. The district took up ICDS building construction on highest priority in last one year and mobilised funds from Multi Sectoral Development Programme (MsDP), Paschimanchal Unnayan Parisahd (PUP), grants recommended by MPs/ MLAs, Backward Classes welfare funds and finance commission grants. It is matter of satisfaction and appreciation that 389 buildings completed and 211 are under construction, to be completed in next two months, bringing the number of ICDS centres without building/ open space to 369 only as on 30th June 2012. In the review meeting on 28th July 2012 at Memari Chaired by Hon'ble Chief Minister, State Govt agreed to sanction funds @ Rs approximately six lakhs each for 200 ICDS centre buildings out of 13th Fiance Commission grants. Pinpointed sites and requisite land is already identified. It is hoped that the work for new ICDS buildings will be commenced in next two months.

• In Burdwan district there are 540610 children enrolled in ICDS centres upto 6 years of age, in addition to 105600 Pregnant and Lactating mothers and Supplementary Nutrition is provided to 94.2 % of enrolled beneficiaries as per average attendance reports.
• Regular monitoring and supervision of ICDS by senior officers at field level could improve ICDS implementation in the district. Severely malnourished children is only 0.9 % of the total children, which is far below National and State averages.
• Door to door approach of recording weight of the children and growth monitoring has improved tracking of malnourished children and weighing efficiency increased from 88 % to 92 %, that is highest in the State.
• 3234 Children tracked with severe malnourishment has been examined by medical experts of health department and treatment provided/ supplementary feeding being done.

We hope that ICDS will improve further in this district.