Rice for Rs 3 per kilo for one crore residents from next month: CM

EOI, GAZOLE (MALDA), 15 Dec 2015:Chief minister Mamata Banerjee said that the state government would offer rice at a nominal rate of Rs 3 per kilogram to one crore residents of state within a month. In the same breath CM declared launching of two new projects for promoting indigenous products and local skilled labourers.

Mamata Banerjee reached Malda station by Up Gour express at 6’o clock this morning and headed straight to GourBhawan – the guest house of Power Grid in Old Malda.

She arrived at Gazole College ground at 1.45 pm and was received by two cabinet ministers KrishnenduChoudhury and SabitriMitra along with three MLAS – Sushil Roy of Gazole, Abu Nasar Khan Choudhury of Sujapur and TazmulHossain of Harischandrapur all of whom defected to Trinamool in recent past. DM Sharad Dwivedi, SP Prasun Banerjee and VC of University of GourBangaGopal Mishra also accorded welcome to CM.

In a significant announcement Mamata Banerjee said, “Three crore residents of the state would get rice for Rs 3 per kilogram from 27 January. Former beneficiaries would keep getting rice against Rs 2 per kilogram. Another one crore residents would be offered essential products through rationing system as the state government has resolved to continue the subsidy.”

Asking food processing and horticulture minister Krishnendu Choudhury to make it a point, CM said, “I want a manufacturing training unit in the district for producing skilled goldsmiths. I know many of such persons leave the state in search of work. I want that they find their livelihood in the state by dint of their skill.”

“Apart from mango and silk and the byproducts of those Malda has its famous variety of sweet known as ‘Rosokodombo,’ which is sure to have a much larger market. I want a ‘Viswa Bangla’ outlet here where the products from the other parts of the state will be available. ‘Rosokodombo’ will be sold at other ‘Viswa Bangla’ outlets,” she declared.

Mamata Banerjee claimed that state government worked hard during its tenure of only four years so far the developments of minority and other backward communities. “Budget for minority development during the previous Left Government was only Rs 600 crore. Now, the budget is Rs 25000 crore. Limit of higher education loan is now Rs 20 lakh. We have also built up 15 universities, 45 colleges, 200 ITI and Polytechnic institutes and 170 KishanMandis in only four years,” she said.

Chief minister also claimed success in health sector in the state. “Number of beds at medical colleges in the state has substantially increased in our tenure. We have offered government jobs to three to four lakh youths in the state. Another few lakhs of youth have got jobs in private sectors,” Mamata Banerjee said.

“I am glad with performances of Dwivedi and Banerjee as with their initiatives the services offered by state government have reached 97 percent residents of the district already,” she said.

Concluding the programme at 2 pm, the chief minister left for Sagardighi in Murshidabad by road to attend another government-programme on Wednesday.