Writings on the Wall beyond Mamata’s Destabilizing Radical Whims

Just in less than eight months of rule so far, Ms Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal has been the centre of generating entertainment of contradictions for the intellectuals, the elite and the common citizens of the State. They seem to be worried about Mamata’s Destabilizing Radicalism than picking up the emerging Writings on the Wall.

Industrial Investment

1. Mamata brought the huge Tata industrial house to Court fighting for land taken away by her government earlier leased out to the Tatas by the previous government. Industry circles did not believe that she could do this to keep her promise to take legislative and administrative actions to return lands acquired forcibly from unwilling farmer-owners. The opposition and some experts term this action as unconstitutional, futile and unfriendly to industry. Tatas however did not think it proper to proactively pursue a path of negotiated settlement.

 The industrialists are as yet ignoring the writing on the Wall: if governments start responding to people’s demand for stopping oppression, Indian industrial promoters and investors will have to adapt to the new environment if they do not wish to lose grounds to the some of the cash-rich public sector firms and foreign-collaboration players..

2. She has stopped govt. acquisition of land for new and expansion projects of private industrial sector and finalized legislative boll to provide for a fair and transparent method of land purchases by industry for their projects – the bill is probably awaiting the proposed Central government legislation to be passed first in the Parliament. Industry still is clinging to the idea of Government acquiring land for them and not yet responded in Mamata’s offer of land already available from the State’s Land Bank. Critics and the opposition point out the contradiction between Mamata’s emphasis on industrialization and her land acquisition policy. So, no one expects much industrial investment in the State.

 It is better to go beyond all this and see the emerging writings on the Wall: industrialists and businessmen all over India will  have to face the challenge of purchasing land on their own initiative and at the opportunity costs rather than costs based on ruling prices in the imperfect land market in India. If local industry owners cannot take up the challenge, the cash-rich sections of the public sector and foreign-collaboration investment players will.

Investing in Hospitals

3. Her action to arrest seven promoter/ owner directors of the AMRI hospital whose south Kolkata unit happen to witness nearly 100 hospitalised patients and hospital workers getting killed in the fire that broke-out in a few hours after midnight on a day in December 2011. Clearly, these directors were not running the hospital on a day to day basis for being held responsible for a fire accident. There are several non-owner directors including the managing director – mostly professionally reputed doctors, who have not been arrested. This has given rise to an allegation of discrimination against Marwari industrialists who have been in West Bengal for a few centuries and owners of much of the State’s industries.  Intellectuals and elite class fear that such arrests would unnerve the industrialists and thus adversely affect indstrial investment activity. Everyone knows that the Indian system is biassed against alleged criminals so far as pre-trial judicial custody is concered if the police desires such detention for investigations. Everyone knows that these directors may have been a victim of public outcry against mis-management of private hospitals often resorting to over-charging and unruly para-medical staff. And, there is always the suspicion that  some owner directors control capital investnment decision making. The injustice done in arresting owner-directos may noy cut ice in public perception as being discriminatory on a racial basis. The arrested directors may get released soon and may not be found guilty of criminal neglect of the fire safety system in the hospital. It would then prove to be an unfortunate event drawining public sympathies then.
 But, during the process opf investigations and trial, the way private hospitals are run will come under closer scrutiny of the public at large raising issues of standards of hospital services, hospital maintenance and overcharging of patients. It is better to see the emerging writings on the Wall: hospital regulations are going to be tougher in West Bengal and businessmen may find it difficult to manipulate regulators and run businesses by keeping the guns on the shoulders of professionals and technocrats. We know the verdict in the Bhopal Gas case and the impact will be felt by all industries including hospitals throughout India.

Uninstalling Political Software from Education

4. Mamata has undertaken various steps including legislative and administrative actions to reverse the trend of politicization of education, political party control over educational institutions and educators/ teachers and free educations institutions from following the path of mediocrity to pursuit of excellence. Though the attempts to reform both secondary and higher education as well as in the system of governance of universities have been dubbed as Trinamoolisation or Mamataisation of education, there is hardly any scope for education to go downhill in terms of quality with any reform. Continuation of the inherited systems can hold back education in West Bengal at the current dismal state and should be replaced.

5. But more worrying is the continuing incidence of violence by politically-affiliated students. There is no reform on the cards that would stop the use of the campuses as incubators of political party activists and leaders: students willing to take risk of using muscle power and aspiring to be political party leaders and ministers in future will continue to capture the campuses to gain access to substantial funds of colleges allocate for  student union activities.  The student union elections have over the past few decades have therefore become violent warfare among different factions sponsored by different political parties: even the teachers have joined the political rivalry for power and influence in the academic institutions. All of them, the rowdy elements among the students including those who want to enjoy political power, have ruined the academic environment. Any attempt to reform this would be challenged by the political parties including the ruling Trinamool party that has been involved in major incidents of campus violence in the recent weeks.

6. So far, Mamata’s administration and police have not been proactive enough to nip the attack of politically sponsored hooliganism in educational institutions. The discriminatory treatment of arrestimg alleged offenders reportedly belonging to opposition party activists with non-baiable chaerges in one case of campus violence and  of arresting alleged offenders reportedly belonging to ruling party is another issue that maybe corected soon under public pressure. But aii this has raised several concerns about the ability of Mamata to bring about a change in the academic environment and the required cleansing operations to weed out campyus violence and political influence. Political parties in the Left front as well as the Congress may like to exploit the chaos in the campuses and hope to exploit the students to stall government efforts at educational reforms: political clashes may draw the ruling Trinamool Congress supporters to intensify the chaos acting in retaliation. The political party sponsored campus violence may prepare them fight better in the next round of panchayat and Parliamentary elections. Beyond appealing to students and teachers to keep away from campus violence, Mamata’ Govt. may not be able to do anything strong and effective on its own in protecting campuses from student violence.

7. But, it is better for everyone to see the emerging Writing on the Wall. Using the campuses for student violence for political businesses is going to be increasingly difficult. First, the mood of the citizens is turning against political parties getting entry into the campuses – if for nothing else but for safety of their children. Second, the police are under pressure to become proactive as well as unbiassed in protecting peace in the campuses. Third, the overwhelming majority of students in cities and towns are already showing their anger against political parties exerting influence inside campuses. Fourth, judicial activism based on public interest litigation may soon come out strongly against violence in campuses that could make political parties/ leaders accountable and punishable for sponsoring or aiding students’ violence on the campuses. The political parties and leaders may have to change their existing style of operation in using the campuses for their political ends..

Federalism & Coalition Politics in Focus

8. In the short period of just seven moths Mamata has been seen as confronting the Central Government and her leading partner, Congress Party, in the UPA Coalition. She has effectively stalled the proposed sharing of West Bengal’s Teesta River Water with Bangladesh, the passing of the Lokpal Bill in the Rajya Sabha, fare and tariff hike of the Railways, and negotiated changes in the proposed Land Acquisition Bill to be placed in the Parliament. so on. All this has been dubbed as whimsical Mamata tantrums.  But if one would go beyond the particular issues, one could see that as a Coalition partner she is demanding adequate discussions to develop consensus in Central Government policy-making and as a Chief Minister of a State, she is demanding halt to any overt/ covert central government attempt to interfere with the powers of the State governments. Her stance may be embarrassing for the Government led by Prime Minister and the Congress Party but the State chief ministers and other coalition partners seem to be appreciating Mamata’s stance. It is better to recongnise the emerging writing on the Wall: Centre will have to change the existing style of taking liberty in interpreting the Constitutionally recognized powers of the State Government and the Coalition leader will have to stop counting on easy deals with partners into agreeing to all kinds of policy changes and administrative actions. Federalism and coalition politics is in for a radical change.

While the Congress Party seems to be in a mood to confront Mamata on a number of issues, it is easy to see that they are still counting on easy trade-off deals with Mamata’s Trinamool Congress. They have started agitation against Trinamool for its alleged violence against Congress supporters in many rural areas and college campuses in the same manner as the CPM has been doing after Trinamool came into power. They are unable to see how Mamata has taken the wind out of CPM’s anti-Trinamool Terrorism campaign sail within a few months. The Congress Party has raised issue about changing the name of Indira Bhavan to Kazi Nazrul Research Centre: Mamata can easily convert the situation to her advantage by locating the Kazi Nazrul Research Institute at the Indira Bhavan, earlier used by the CPM government to provide a residence to the former chief minister Jyoti Basu till he died in 2010. He will get strong support from the minorities, the anti-CPM rule led by late Jyoti Basu while showing that the Indira Bhavan remains as Indira Bhavan. The coalition politics game is in for change in deference to Mamata’s apparent whimsical decisions. Whether or not Mamata will succeed as a Chief Minister of West Bengal is irrelevant: her apparently whimsical decisions will have stirred the nature of political activity and coalition politics sufficiently strongly to cause change.

9. West Bengal is set on a path of long-drwan battle for changes despite resistance put up by vested interests including pro status quo political parties and thier sponsored rowdy outfits. So, the change process will be painful. It does look like that the citizens in general ae willing to face the pains to enable change to establish itself rather than support any kind of political opposition to changes. People know what they mean by changes: they know that the change is not a mere replacement of one political part by another for forming governments. Political parties may better change themselves rather than trying to resist the changes.  West Bengal has been waiting for.

Mamata’s Immediate Challenges: Quick Demostration of Real and Impacting Change

People perceive change when such change perceptibly start affecting their lives and environment in regular intervals of short periods of successive six to eight months. If Mamata's call and promise for CHANGE in West Bengal has to become credible, She has to deliver in line with people's expectations of evidence of continuously yielding measruable, observable change results in the objective conditions. People would lose interest in CHANGE for which they have to wait for long.

Six months as Chief Minister is a short period to make a significant impact that the common citizens could feel for themselves. Mamata has 54 months more to last. But the strong Mamata wave in the minds of the electorate will not last more than another six to eight months unless Mamata’s actions make a perceptible impact on the lives of the people at large throughout the State and her party, now riding the Mamata wave is perceived as of much superior quality in terns of democratic culture, civilized values, honesty and integrity as compared to the CPM and her government is perceived as much more competent, non-corrupt, and result-yielding than the left government. At the same time, common people will soon try to see the impact of new government in stepping up private sector investments and employment creation while giving Mamata full five years’ time to rescue the State’s Finances from brinks of bankruptcy that the CPM govt. led the State to, and bring it back to long-term health.

Challenge#1: Prompt, Caring and Efficient Governance Delivery

Yes, Mamata has taken numerous steps to usher in a phase of all out economic development project initiatives together with specific programmes to deal with the problems of the hill and forest (jungle) areas as well as the problems of minority communities and backward groups in various regions. Yes, Mamata’s government and party have shown quicker reflexes in the face of natural disasters. She is seen to be quick in decision making, quick in correcting mistakes, quick in avoiding traps of controversy in low priority areas and quick in implementation follow-up. But, West Bengal government machinery has been extremely sloth (hoechey-hobay, cholchay-cholbay type) for long, probably since Independence and acquired the skills of non-performance and delay during the anti-work regime of 34 years under the so-called communists, dominated by older men and people more interested in acting as brokers, rather than as doers of hard, productive work for the State. This will be the biggest challenge to Mamata: the people expect Mamata to bring change in the delivery of Governance – fast, quick, prompt, caring. Are her bureaucracy and ministers and the police following her footsteps in radically raising the standard of delivery of Governance? This is critically important for Mamata. For each six month period, the common citizens must be able to feel an upward shift in the delivery of governance in terms promptness, quality and care as compared with the previous six month period.

Challenge #2: Much Superior Quality Political Party

A second challenge is to demonstrate on the ground that her party is fast cleansing itself from the usual pollution of the dominance of goons, hafta-collectors, murderers and corrupt party cadres and supporters at every level, particularly at the lower, small locality levels. In this area, it is not sufficient to say any more that her party has fewer armed goons and corrupt members and supporters than the CPM. Yes, the CPM’s goondaism, hooliganism, party-raj and corruption are well known and investigations and court cases will increasingly tarnish the image of the CPM’s image as a political party. But that will not improve the image of Mamata’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) Party significantly. The CPM is currently trying to strengthen its organization machinery and so is TMC. But these are geared to the objective of winning the next panchayat elections and Lok Sabha elections thereafter. CPM has a disadvantage of low morale among the cadres, loss of government power abuse opportunity and sudden distrust among the voters. But it will make the best efforts to come back to fight elections with a vibrant machinery sooner or later. The TMC however does not any advantage: it is weak as a party from the beginning and got the voters’ favour mainly because of its leader Mamata’s great energy to work, strong determination, struggle against oppression everywhere, her love for the people and her political strategies to exploit the fundamental weaknesses of the CPM. But that does not make TMC a party of quality that stands out above all other parties. Mamata has a great challenge to lift her Party to much higher plane than where the political parties in West Bengal lie. CPM will not ever go out to seek external assistance for upgrading the quality of its members: Mamata can choose to take the help of professional agencies and business schools to upgrade the quality of its members, cadres and ministers.

Challenge #3: Private Sector Investment and Employment Creation

Mamata has announced a large number of projects in the State that would be funded by the State Govt. Additionally, greater investments through projects largely funded by the Central Government is being arranged very systematically – an avenue largely ignored by the previous Govt. These investments together with large scale recruitment of teachers and policemen will increase employment. But this will take time and would not be enough. What would be needed is a significant step up in industrial investment activity and employment generation in the private sector within six months. The people would like to feel the vibrancy in small and medium scale private sector industrial projects. Single window clearance is a good initiative making the WBIDC responsible for coordinating speedy approval/ disapproval process in respect of the many State clearances that industrial projects need before they can start. But industrialists are not clear about getting lands soon. The land bank is not yet on the internet: nor is the State marketing large number of pieces of land of sizes between 50-100 acres to big industrial houses who may be willing to set up additional capacities in mid-sized factories for consumer goods manufacturing, agro-processing, milk processing, etc. Individual ministers and their secretaries need to be given the responsibility to move door to door of only the cash-rich industrialists’ offices to know their immediate requirement of lands and then after discussing within the Government go back to industrialists with alternative offers of lands. This is the only methods of enthusing industrial investment and can be done in a very transparent way to avoid getting trapped in corruption, discrimination and delays in effective utilization of land already available for speedy allocation to industrial use. Even if six months of hard work leads to two dozen factory investment proposals getting to reach first phase of implementation, the process may become self-sustaining and vibrant. This is what people expect the new Government to demonstrate within the next six months as a proof of CHANGE in West Bengal.

Time will soon tell if the Mamata Government is really set to meet the three immediate challenges to make its impact felt on the short-term aspirations of real CHANGE.

Mamata’s Leadership & Management Quality

Whimsical, Inconsistent Critique?

Mamata’s Chief Minister-ship in West Bengal just completed five months. Critics are finding it difficult to effectively raise any issue against her against her: their repeated attacks are getting drowned as the critics admit because of the continuing strong wave of popularity as a leader of masses. Now, the critics, essentially the leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxists) and their elite sympathizers, are shouting loud that Mamata is a whimsical leader without conviction. 

Campaigning with a slogan malign Mamata reflects a failure of Mamata bashers to understand the strengths of Mamata as a leader and her management style in relation to those of the previous Chief Ministers of West Bengal:

1. She as an extra-ordinary long-term social and economic vision for both West Bengal as a whole and the State’s various regions some leader as whimsical and inconsistent is generally the result of a combination of (a) the inability on the part of critics to really assess the strength/ qualities of the leader being attacked, (b) the frustration of the critics getting ridiculed in the eyes of followers as a result of the superior performance of the leader being criticised and (c) the inability of the critics to change themselves in an unfamiliar environment created by the leader being criticized. This is what is happening: many industrialists, small businessmen, trade union leaders/ activists, middlemen, teachers, administrators, lobbyists and work/ responsibility shirkers are still taking time to adjust to the changed environment. The opponents of round Mamata (both in the left and within the Congress) are scared by the all strong performance of Mamata in governance, economic, social, political and cultural affairs despite the various legacy constraints and challenges that her Government has to deal with.

 

Observed Attributes

It is better for the opponents to understand that Mamata’s numerous economic and social projects are just part of her long-term plan and vision for the State which she wants to uplift rapidly in all areas from education to health, employment generation to tourism, from distribution of food to elimination of corruption, from infrastructure to creation business-friendly, responsive administration, from generation of financial resources for the State to technology and its application , tourism to agriculture, and from reaching out to the unfortunate in time to effective disaster management.

2. She is undaunted by the alarming dimensions of the problems she has inherited from the past Government (e.g., poor State finances, lack of industrilisation, poor infrastructure, Maoist disturbance if the Jungle Mahal, agitations of the Gorkhas, the ineffectiveness of the Police, the sloth and government machinery, the huge stock of illegitimate arms with goons and mafias often connected to political parties or a sections of the police officials).

3. She herself works hard, often 24 x 7 in problem solving and implementation of policies and decisions through continuous monitoring and follow-up.

4. She seeks and finds expert advice/ assistance from experts from both within and outside the State.

5. She remains honest and constantly watches on her political and administrative teams to ensure that incidences of dishonesty and corruption are detected early ad nipped in the bud.

6. She leads from the front and works in a collegial spirit with all her teams.

7. She mentors, motivates, incentivises and strengthens her colleagues and officials at all levels, gives them adequate freedom, set targets for them to achieve, monitors their performance closely and intervenes to assist and reorganize so that schedules ad targets can be met.

8. She is transparent in the way she leas and directs as also provides regular feedback on what is happening to the people at large through the media.

9. She keeps regular touch with the common citizens in different parts of the country, party workers, govt. officials at various levels, industrialists, intelligentsia, various professional groups and national political leaders.

10. She is affectionate and kind hearted and yet firm on maintaining schedules, targets and commitments.

11. Unlike all past Chief Ministers of West Bengal, Mamata has created and set up a party of her own single-handed that struggled for more than a decade in the opposition before coming to power.

12. She had not only been in politics but also acquired two post graduate degrees, authored books and served three stints in the Govt/ of India as chief Minister.

With such attributes and successes, it is difficult to rationalize the charge of being whimsical or inconsistent against Mamata as a popular leader.  So, let us examine why Mamata is being called whimsical or inconsistent.

Consistent Maoism?

First, the inconsistency between her reported claim of ‘there is no Maoists is Jungle Mahal’ in 2010 and her ‘offer of peace with Maoists and serving 7 days notice to stop killings’ in 2011. The critics are dishonest and distorting facts. She never said that Maoists did not exist in the Jungle Mahal: what she said was the Maoists are nothing but the extremist dissidents of the CPM. So, she clearly meant that the Maoists and CPM are all of the same variety who attempts at terrorizing democracy out of the country.

Yes, she did ask the Centre to withdraw armed forces that were given to the former CPM government. And, she argued clearly why she said so: the CPM was using these forces to protect the CPM’s own armed Harmad Bahini goons to capture the different areas  they had lost to the dissidents who flocked to Maoists insurgency parties led by infiltrators from outside the State. She also alleged that the CPM was using the police forces to help CPM Harmard forces to terrorise common households in the Jungle who were terrorized by Maoists to give they shelter, cover and money.  Since she interpreted the Jungle episode at that time as a War between the CPM and the Maoists, she was against allowing central armed forces to help the CPM armed cadres.  She even suggested that the War against the Maoists be between the Central Govt. armed forces directly against the Maoists extremists. She was clearly against any violent political expansionism and reign of terror either by the Maoists and the Marxists.

Now that the CPM has lost out hands down and she has to deal with the Maoists extremism, she has been trying to win over the hearts of the common households in the Jungle Mahal by initiating projects of cheap food distribution, development projects, employment creation in the Jungle Mahal and also offering financial and other assistance to youth surrendering arms and promising to return to normal non-violent, non-extremists careers. Having won a measure of Trust for her and the state administration including the police, she advised the Maoists to come to a truce, ending their terror activities in the Jungle region of West Bengal or face the consequences of administrative actions against their terrorism and killing activities.

Maoists however cannot abandon their ideology of violent struggle to capture sovereign power over people in the localities they intend to increase their influence. The CPM cadre attack is no longer a threat to the Maoist, but they cannot afford Mamata win over the hearts of households in the Jungle Mahal. So, they warned Mamata of not releasing under-trial Maoists as political prisoners as promised by Mamata before she won the elections.  Mamata did promise review of political prisoners and their release and has, on the recommendation of a Committee headed by a former Judge, some political prisoners. She had never promised to release under-trial Maoists, nor would any Committee recommend release of arrested criminals of Maoist variety. She would only help those of the Maoist who surrender arms and appeal for rehabilitation in society as a non-violent citizen. As increasing number of residents gradually respond to her advice, take jobs in police department and other development projects and abandon their Telegu Leaders from outside, Mamata has challenged the Maoist to kill her and face the consequences of a all out attack by the Administration and the common public to eliminate the Maoists from Bengal or elsewhere.

Mamata had always a clear, consistent strategy to deal with the Maoists. She never defended the Maoists. She only stood in favour of the citizens of Jungle Mahal subjected to torture by both the Maoists and the CPM’s Harmad forces. She is still implementing that same strategy. She has all sympathies and helps towards the oppressed and will not tolerate oppressors of any variety. If the critics did not understand Mamata’s strategy, they can only find inconsistency in Mamata’s consistency.

Whimsical Cancellation of Dhaka visit over Teesta Water?

Mamata was not whimsical: it was plain and simple whimsical and irresponsible behaviour of the Foreign Affairs and other concerned departments to treat West Bengal’s new elected government as irrelevant to the Dacca visit of the Prime Minister. Mamata had a clear understanding of the role and scope of responsibility of the State Government in foreign affairs: the critics perspective was limited to the notion that foreign affairs are a central subject and no negotiations is necessary between Centre and the State before the centre can enter into agreements with foreign countries, irrespective of the implications on particular State’s resources.

Whimsical Decisions Galore?

What about the decision to change the name of West Bengal? There was great enthusiasm for changing the State’s name and then Mamata just settled for Paschim Bongo.  We do not know what name she would have liked. But she meekly accepted Pashim Bongo in Bengali to drive out West Bengal from English also. Who was whimsical – those who inserted the words West Bengal in official while the area was clearly known as Paschim Bangla / Bongo since the day of the British or those who today felt comfortable with Paschim Bongo?

What about the bill to reintroduce Bidhan Parishad – the upper house in West Bengal? Mamata quietly dropped the idea after creating lot of excitement on the issue.  She is indeed seen to have desire for change of names or new interesting names, especially for trains, railway stations                               and recognize the contributions of Great Bengalis of the past. But in the case of the change in the name of the State, she did not find that worthwhile to spend her energy: Paschim Bongo was as good as Paschim Bnga or Bongodesh and the like.

Isn’t the land acquisition policy in respect of industries whimsical? The industry owners will have now to acquire the entire land all by themselves and the State will not acquire any land for private industry. This, the industrialists and critics argue, would mean no industry will come up in the State from now; especially very big industries would not come up. Industrial regeneration of West Bengal would thus be impossible. Mamata is therefore painted as impractical and therefore whimsical. Critics failed to scratch beyond the surface to appreciate the implications of the reality.  The entire country is soon to adopt a policy of no more than 20% of the land for any private industry being acquired by the State. If the industry can acquire 80% are they going to fail in the respect of the 20%? Second, how many land-gobbling big industries can West Bengal afford now given her low per hectare land productivity and given the high density of population? To release substantial land to industry, agriculture has to increase and productivity by many folds. How many large employment generating, large land gobbling, large industrial investments will really be attracting private investment? To be counted in a single finger would be the realistic answer. So better would be look at monitoring the idling of land already acquired by private industry and bring them to use. That would be the priority. As for new land procurement, private industry directly competing to get land from the open market would set the land values to the fair level and actually drive out land mafias that the politicians are interesting in cultivating. Mamata has greater foresight than the critics and the industrialists used to indirect land subsidy from the political regimes.

What about the crash crunch of the State Government and the State electricity companies not allowed hike for tariff rates in the face of rising costs of all inputs and bulging cash losses? I am still not still sure about how whimsical and irrational Mamata is. But I am sure she does not want the State Government and the state-owned electricity companies to grind to a halt and there is only time left till December when Mamata would complete 200 days to explain her performance in relation to the commitments in the manifesto. She needs a long term strategy worked out soon. This I presume she is working on currently without letting her critics to get a clue.

Three months after Kurushetra: Scorecard of Promises & Achievements

Updated 23.08.11

1. Land back to farmers in Singur               

#Legislation passed on June15. Land mapping and applications from unwilling farmers completed partially. In a few cases, land allotment has been initiated. About 3000 applications for return of land received from farmers.

# Effective further progress stalled by Supreme Court Directive in response to writ petition filed by the Tatas. Tatas' earlier case against the State Government for takeover of the land leased to them by the State Government under the new Legislative Act on June 13 is being heard by the Calcutta High Court. Supreme Court has advised the High Court to give a decision within a month or so when it granted stay of return of and to farmers, etc.

# The judge withdrew from the case suggesting that his personal friendship with some of the lawyers may impair the credibility of his neutrality. A new judge has been appointed and hearing has begun afresh in July.

# The disputes with the Tatas may ultimately go to the Supreme Court.

2. Release of Political Prisoners                  

#Screening Committee starts examining cases; some 48 cases recommended for release has been accepted by Govt. in July. Actual release of about 83 already identified prisoners may begin soon. Court formalities initiated for release of 52 political prisoners, mostly from North Bengal. Expected release of 52 political prisoners by 15th August materializedr.

 3. Neutrality and Independence of Police from Ruling Party Control  

# Implemented formally: no bias reported in first 30 days.

#But press reports in July that left parties complain of police discriminating against them and not taking action against Trinamool offenders. No form rebuttal by Government or Police till July.

# In August, the opposition leader submitted formal letter to the Chief Minister on atrocities committed by Trinamool cadres on CPM and other left front supporters after Trinamool Alliance partner, Congress, also gave a letter to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister immediately ordered the Police Department for thorough enquiry and take appropriate actions without allowing political leaders of any party to influence them in any manner.

# CPM is unsatisfied: says murders may be few but many of their supporters have sustained injuries and not allowed to live in their localities by Trinamool goons.

 # Reports of Trinamool activists and local leaders interfering in family / tenant-land-lord disputes is on the rise without any confirmed reports on police taking steps or Trianamool Party taking steps against such hooliganism.

4. Improving Police Infrastructure               

#On-going: organization to immobilize coal mafia set up. So far results appear positive.

5. Recovery of Illegal Arms from Political Party Cadres                        

#On-going: good progress - Maoist claim main CPM stocks of illegal arms in Midnapore not yet raided.

#No further big hauls reported since mid-July.

# Quite a few cases of recovery of human skeletons buried at several places reported in June, July and August. Apparently, these are the traces of political killings during 2000-2008. One case has been registered against a former CPM minister, who has been given anticipatory bail by court. No progress reported on the investigations.

# Twenty all-women police stations to be set up in the State to deal with complaints of women citizens and women offenders of law.

6. Restraining Political Party Violence & Inter-party armed clashes/ murders       

#Partly unsuccessful as yet: incidence reportedly on decline.

#Left parties complain of their activists unable to return to their own localities in certain areas in Midnapore and North 24 Parganas. Many CPM offices deserted or forcibly occupied by Trinamool party.

# No clear response from Govt. as yet on the actual status, except that the number of political killings, though deplorable are small and that Trinamool Congress reiterating that they have taken effective steps to ensure that there is no large-scale revenge.

#Incidence of local crowd instigated by with Trinamool to raid CPM leaders/ supporters residences has reportedly gone down in recent weeks.

7. Improving Health Services

# Measures like increase in no. of hospital beds, improve space and equipment infrastructure to improve service in Govt. Hospitals being announced continuously since June. No aggregate report on actual progress available. 

# No. of beds added in many hospitals and plans for addition announced for other hospitals in the State.

 # Hospital administrators taken to task; streamlining effective utilization starts,

# Hospital admission refusal stopped,

# Free medicines for mothers' in maternity wards announced,

# shirking by doctors and medical staff put under surveillance, Class IV corruption under attack: service

# Network of diagnostic centers to be set up in districts and sub-divisions

# Blood banks in 14 sub-division hospitals to be set up: about 350 positions sanctioned for this purpose.

# CM advises family of patients not to disrupt hospital functioning while protesting against negligence of hospital staff.

# Health Department instructed to release Health Services Data Bank with information on location, specialties, availability of doctors, beds and facilities available in different State hospitals and diagnostic centers (why can't each hospital have websites with complete information on all aspects of hospitals including timings, facilities, attending doctors, nurses in various wards, location, phone number and also on-line inquiry and complaint lodging facility?)

# Three new medical colleges - one each at Malda, Kamarhati and Murshidabad.

# AIIMS like medical centre in Kalyani.

8. Revival of Bengal's Culture and Cultural Heritage             

# Cleansing Cultural Setups from Political Party Domination: Dolotranta removed by forming new broad-based Committees for various centers like Rabindra Sadan, Nandan, etc.

# For the first time in West Bengal, the State decides to honor and recognize outstanding Bengali contributors in various fields every year. In July, nine renowned persons of great achievements aged between 65 and 92, singer Sandhya Mukhopadhaya, Dwijen andopadhyay, and Manna Dey, film actress Supriya Chowdury and film actor Haradhan Bandopadhyaya, musician Ostad Amjad Ali Khan, Dancer Amala Shankar, footballer Sailen Manna and author Mahasweta Devi were awarded Banga Bibhshan by the State.

# Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul emphasised in State cultural initiatives. Three-day (August7-9) Rabindranath Cultural program implemented by the State Government including the police. Rabindranath's Death Anniversary declared public holiday under NI Act. Rabindra Charcha Centre in Rajarhat announced. A new Statdium to be inaugursted in August has been named Geetanjali after the book of poetry that brought Nobel to Rabindranath.

# Film City planned in Uttarpara along the Ganges on land owned by Kolkata Corporation

9. Land Bank & Acquisition Policy     

# Committee report on land policy received; no fresh acquisition by Govt. for industry: industry to directly purchase 100% of land required; govt. will not fix prices.

# Committe's recommendations being examined by seven member Group of Ministers.  Final policy yet to be approved and released.

10. Removal of bottlenecks to Metro Rail Projects

# Dispute with the tram company solved; work resumed on

Diamond Harbor Road

in June 2011.

# Problem of pollution around a swimming pool is being sorted out by Sudip Bandopadhyay, MP to enable East-West Metro project to progress on a section.

11. Low cost food supply to poor in Jungle Mahal                                                         

# Scheme announced,

# Food department activity under scanner: shirkers and corrupt practices under attack; delivery mechanism being strengthened.

#Bogus Ration Card elimination process starts, new secured ration cards to be introduced.

# Police stations in jungle areas to be involved in food distribution under the Scheme.

12. Delayed Flyovers in Kolkata      

# Efforts initiated to expedite flyover construction completion in different parts of the city.

13. Higher Education Facility in Districts   

# 16 new degree colleges already announced:

# 300 new Degree colleges and 10 universities in five years planned.

14. Indian Institute of Technology in Darjeeling

# Announced in June: no further progress.

15. Work Infrastructure and Work Culture Improvement

# Renovation, Relocation, Up-gradation process initiated; Meetings with Employees held: shirkers under attack. Impact would be known over time.  

# CM’s office and corridors/ waiting place for visitors cleaned up to remove depressing environment in Writers’ Building. Proper Canteen being set up and clumsy tea stalls in various corners removed.      

# Orders for removal of hoardings from the business district being implemented to give a cleaner look.                        

16. Solving Crisis in State Finances                                                      

# Study of the financial crisis problem initiated in May,

#  Discussion with Central Govt. started, Planning Commission approves Annual Plan Outlay of over Rs.20,000 crore - a 25% increase over the past year (everyone knows, that with 9 months remaining to spend, West Bengal would be hardly in a position to use the increased plan allocation. Besides, how will this be funded: how much by Central Govt. Grant-in-Aid and how much by borrowings (there being little chance of the State generating Revenue Account Surplus this year?)

#Vote on Account passed in June. 

# Stress on clearing projects eligible for 100% central assistance. Stress on greater and effective utilization of Central Govt. Fund allocation under various Schemes.

# New taxes likely: one on share transactions as in Maharashtra. 

# Tax collection mechanism may be strengthened to increase tax revenues by stopping leakages, evasion and corruption. Additional manpower is being deployed to improve tax collections. E-governance with regard to VAT and Sales TX to be operational from August: On line E-registration for VAT, E-payment for VAT and Sales Tax, E-refund of incentives under composition up to 90% of refund claimed.

# 150 facilitation centers for assistance in E-registration, e-filing or returns, e-payment and e-refund for tax payers without own computer and internet facility

# Mutation may be made compulsory within a short period after registration of property transfers to augment municipal revenues.

# Plan to move to On-line e-filing and e-processing of property transfer registration and mutation announced in August.

#Full budget could reflect comprehensive solution to the financial crisis. Union Finance Ministry insists on Full Budget be passed by the State Government for the year 2011-12 before it can hike additional funds for West Bengal. State Governments wants economic package for West Bengal be announced by the Government of India in order to cope with the State Finances Disaster created by the previous left front government that ruled continuously for 34 years, before the State can prepare a meaningful Budget.

# Union Finance Minister announced some small increase in funds allocated to certain projects in West Bengal while presenting his review of the Central Budget in the Parliament.

# Hectic parleys between the Finance Minister of the Governments of India and West Bengal took place in July.  Final outcome: central Grant-in-Aid of about Rs 9500 crore for 2011-12 for development projects in districts, Jungle Mahal, left-wing terrorist infiltrated areas and green initiatives and permission for Rs.2400 crore extra borrowings beyond the Fiscal Responsibility & Budget Management Act limit of about Rs 17,000 crore.

#There was a possibility of Full Budget in July with some measures to widen the tax base and increase rates of taxes on luxury items.

# In all probability, the State Government's debt burden may increase for the next two years before it can be brought down.

# On August 11, Finance Minister presented a Summary of Annual Financial Statement indicating certain estimates of income and expenditure for the financial year 2011-12 in the State Assembly.  A 31% increase in total revenue receipts is projected (own tax revenues will increase from Rs. 21300 crore previous year to Rs 27690 crore this year while non-tax revenues will increase from Rs. 2907 crore to Rs. 3194 crore. How such a sharp increase is possible is to be seen when the Finance Bill is presented to the State Assembly probably on August 29. Share of central taxes are projected to increase from Rs.16954 cror5 crore to Rs. 19167 crore while Grants-in aid from the Centre will rise from Rs. 9954 crore to Rs. 15797 crore.

 #Estimates of expenditure show substantial increase in Salaries, development and [planning, school education, food and supplies, health, municipal affairs, public health engineering, Sunderbans, pashimancal, transport   , women & children welfare. Department wise details of projected expenditure have not been given: maybe the Finance Bill may contain such details.

# The FM plans to reduce the allocation of expenditure on salary, pensions and interest on loans from 91% to around 74% and the revenue deficit from around Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 8500 crore.

17. Improved City Traffic Policing            

# Area under Kolkata Police extended in June: Reorganization in progress - will take some time to complete.

# Mamata, Chief Minister, proposes playing Rabindra Sangeet tune at Traffic lightts for vehcle drivers awaiting Red light to go.  (Instead of allowing the Traffic Police Department to randomize and automate selection of the tunes for various traffic junctions, some intellectuals have started making their own selection of tunes for specific junctions, probably to enthuse the Chief Minister to annouce the formation of an Independent Musicians for the purpose!  True Bengali zeal to contribute to messing up things)

18. Solution to Hill Region Problem          

 #Agreement reached between Mamata Government and Gorkha leaders in June.

# Tri-partite agreement among Central Government, State Government and Gorkha Janamukti Morcha to be signed in Siliguri on 18 July 2011.

# It will take between 6 to 10 months to give effect to the Agreement to make the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) with elected members from 45 constituencies and 5 State Government Nominees/ Meanwhile the State Legislators has to repeal the current Darjeeling Hill  Council Act, pass appropriate ct of the new Administration, complete delimitation to create the 45 constituencies, complete the exercise of Gorkha dominance in some hundred rural areas in Terrai region to determine which can or cannot be included in the jurisdiction of the new Administration, get the Elections conducted, etc. Till the current DGHC will continue to implement the development initiatives of the State in the current GTA area of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong. GTA will have 59 departments unlike DGHC's 19 departments and will not have departments like Police etc. # The State Government will open a North Bengal Administration Headquarter office in Siliguri.

# The State Government has announced a number of development projects for North Bengal: these include up gradation and opening of new secondary, higher secondary schools and colleges in Hill districts/ Sub-divisions, new industrial training institutes, new bridges, etc.

#The grant to the North Bengal Development Board has been raised form Rs 25 crore to Rs 200 crore.

#The Coochbehar Airport has been revived and the flight operation commenced on July 18. Daily flights between Coochbehar and Kolkata may begin soon.

# The transport linkage for air passangers from Siliguri Railway Station to Bagdogra Airport has been strengthened with special Railbus services.

# Protests against the proposed creation of GTA from Adivasis in Terrai and proponents of separate Coochbehar State. Delegation of Adivasis assured by the CM that they would be consulted if and before any proposal to include any mouza in Terrai area into GTA area.

19. Primary Education and CPM created PTTI problem                                          

 # 40,000 new primary teachers recruitment announced; Percentage quota for  PTTI-problem sufferers.                

20. Shortage of State Doctors                  

# Medical Recruitment Board set up for recruitment in June.

# No further report on progress.

21. Presidency College University Reforms           

# Independent Expert Mentoring Committee for Reforms set up with Amartya Sen and Sugato Basu. Committee of seven members met first time in July and held discussions with academic staff at the University.

# Govt. wants no political or State interference in the running and management of the University.

# Presidency University Council seems annoyed with Government setting up Mentoring Committee (probably the council is dominated by Left-front nominated/ sponsored intellectuals). Council goes ahead with PhD program in many subjects despite Mentoring Committee's advice not to do so till research infrastructure and competent full-time faculty are in place. Education Minister promises to sort out the embarrassing controversy in a month.

22. Undergraduate College & School Education Reforms         

# Two Committees one each for Higher Education and School Education set up in June.

#Sunanda Sanyal, Chairman for both the Committees, gives up Chairmanship of Higher Education Reforms Committee in July but continues to be member.

# Reports of both Committees may be available in August.

23. Revival of Legislative Council              

# Proposal moved in the Legislature in June.

# But to allow the small minority to express their opinion, MLAs committee formed to study and come back to the Legislative Assembly in six weeks, before new Law is passed by majority.

# In view of differences of opinion with the opposition parties, the Government may defer action of this proposal for the time being.

24. Investigation on Past Killing allegedly by Police/ Ruling Party Cadres                                                      

# Commissions set up on Sai Bari killings and another four cases including Baranagar killing case.

# Other cases under scrutiny.

25. Unrecognized Madrassa schools       

 # Recognized 10,000 madrassas so they can get central govt. aid even if the State cannot extend financial assistance.

26. Fire Service Dept. Improvement          

# Kolkata Fire Service under scanner for non-utilization of expensive equipment and attempt to sell them off.

# No further information since July.

27. Industrial Promotion                            

# Meeting held with industrialists on 19 June to list out all their problems.

# Core Industry-Government Committee of 25 set up to meet weekly to sort out problems or recommend policies measures.

# WBIDC pulled up for not providing industrial promotion and single window service and not extending the service of all leg work for govt. approvals - will restart this now.  Till August no progress reported on WBIDC's effort on this, though a new MD has joined.

# Land utilization Map being drawn up to identify land for industrial projects. Land earlier acquired but not being utilized for industry will be announced.

# Land remaining idle in closed and abandoned factories including those closed factories under Central govt. would be offered to new industrial investors. Use of such lands for building residential and official apartments may be completely stopped.

#In August, WBIDC issues requests to all industry associations to furnish list of their members firms holding more land than the specified ceiling.

# All Government Departments told to submit lists of land under their possession remaining unutilized in specific form. In view of delays in submission special workshop-meeting called to sort out difficulties and expedite generating the information (speaks volumes about the low quality of governance in these departments not having ready inventory on land property under their possession and control)

# Govt. believes that industry can purchase land directly from landowners as has happened in the past in some cases without govt. help in procurement or setting prices.

# Industries Minister has started visiting State sponsored Industrial Estates to ascertain the actual utilization of the land for industrial factories ( reportedly the Industrial Estate near Sevak Road in Siliguri has few factories working while many factory spaces are being used for warehousing and even available land encroached for use as bus terminal!)

# Further acquisition of land from farmers in Rajarhat area by HIDCO stopped for ever.

# HIDCO chairmanship offered to honest bureaucrat instead of appointing politicians as in the past to stop special allotments to favourites.

# Industries & Commerce Minister, Partha Chatterjee announced that under the Single Window Approach for scrutiny of applications for various State Government approvals and permission for new industrial units, the number of forms to be filed has been reduced from 92 to 15 and e-filing of these forms has been introduced.

# Agreements signed with GAI, HPCL and GCGSC for city gas supply projects worth Rs.250 Crores.

# Initiatives taken for a jems/jewelley Park in Hwrah

# Expansion proposals of Infosys, Wipro, TCS and Cognizany being expedited.

28. Development & Peace in Jungle Mahal

# Several announcement is July 2011

# Maoist advised to surrender arms and get into peace talks. Joint Centre-State security forces will continue till peace is restored and arms combed off.

#Those surrendering arms and returning to normal life by deserting Maoist extremist groups promised aid in economic and social rehabilitation. Higher cash benefits on surrender of various types of arms announced in August (there was virtually no repose to the cash benefit package offered by the previous Govt. a year ago.)

# Water supply projects to be completed in two and a half years: Rs 200 Crore allocated.

# Free cycles for all girl students announced.

# Four Undergraduate Colleges in Jungle areas.

# Several Secondary Schools to be upgraded to Higher Secondary Schools.

# 1800 Teachers for teaching Santhal languages to be recruited and posted to 900 schools.

# 400 Farmer Friends to be deployed.

# More Anganwadi workers to be placed.

# 10,000 to be recruited locally as Police personnel and Home guards. Process has reported begun to post a few hundred fresh policemen in the Jungle Mahal.

# Subsidised food may be distributed through police stations to improve police-people relations in the Jungle Mahal

 29. Assistance for Uneducated Youth to get jobs

# Scheme announced in July 2011 for training and financial assistance to unemployed youth with study up to Class Eight announced. Joint Programme with the Security Services Firms in the State. (monthly salary of Rs5000-9,000 with gratuity/ pension benefits.

30. Information Technology Industry Development Initiative

# Two Committees, one each for software industry and hardware industry formed with Sam Pitroda as the Chairman for both and Naraynmurthy as the Adviser to suggest to West Bengal measures to develop IT industry throughout West Bengal to generate employment opportunities, especially in Small and medium scale IT firms.

# Govt. plans IT hubs in many districts including in Jungle Mahal

# Committee Reports are likely to be available in August/ September.

31. London-Thames Model for Kolkata to Farakka on Ganges Tourism Project.

#Foundation stone of the one-kilometer stretch first phase of the Kolkata Ganges-side project was laid on August 3.

32. Switzerland Model for North Bengal Tourism Project

# Chief Minister announced in August that that the detailed Feasibility Report on the Project is just about ready.

33. Sunderbans Tiger- Crocodile Safari Project

# Chief Minister announces in August that State government is planning such a project.

34. Renaming the State and District Administration Reorganization

# An all Party Committee with MLA representatives and Opposition leader Suryakant Mishra and Industries Minister Partho Chatterjee was constituted early in August to consider proposals for change in the name of the State as well as the proposals for creation of more districts by bifurcating heavily populated districts.. The Committee collected proposals and views of different parties and deliberated on them on August 19. # Based on these deliberations, the Government has announced:

(a)  The State's name will be retained in Bengali as Paschim Banga and the English name will be changed from West Bengal to Pashim Banga; and

(b) Four big districts will be split into two each: these include North 24-Parganas.

# In view of dissatisfaction among the intelligentsia with the inadequate justification of the political parties’ consensus decision with regard to (b), the proposal to change the name of the State may be deferred for the time being.

# In August, all land revenue offices and employees in different districts and sub-divisions have been brought back under the command/ control of the the District Magistrates/ Collectors and Sub-Divisional Officers (after more than two decades) to weed out inefficiency and corruption in land documentation and revenue collection

35. New Airports in the State

# Central Government has been put under pressure to improve airport facilities in the State.

# Five small airports have been planned for small aircrafts. These include Coochbehar which has just become operation, Behala where there is to be an airstrip and a flying club.

# Expert study rejects the proposed location of Malda Airport because of high-rise building already constructed in the vicinity.

36. Eradication of Corruption and Shirking (ghughur baasaa demolition)

# In various government administration sections and offices, groups of public servants at various levels have for a long-time developed as centers for shirking work and accepting bribes to harass citizens. Chief Minister has initiated all out efforts from introduction of computerization, e-filing, e-governance, surprise visits, other forms of surveillance/ monitoring and redeployment of manpower to weed out the dens of corrupt and shirker pigeons among government employees from eating away / damaging the flow of benefits meant for the citizens.

# Chief Minister has advised the industrialists not to pay for the benefit of her party any money to her party members and supporters. When her party is in need for funds, she will beg for funds from the people. If any industrialists wish to contribute to her party's funds, they may do so through transparent cheques transactions.

37. Employment Creation

# Govt. created additional posts o for 79,000 persons

# Over two lakh jobs likely to be created in the private sectr as result of the first three month’s initiative of the Govt. 9details not known?)