Panihati Municipality e-Newsletter

JULY 2015, VOLUME-2 From The Desk of Chairman:

Friends, At first, I would like to wish you all good luck especially for the ongoing monsoon season so that every one of you remains hale and hearty. Monsoon in Panihati poses challenges in various ways for our fellow citizens and being one of them, I myself feel the pain and struggle they have to bear with. Incessant rains unabated for 2 or 3 days at a stretch,

Municipal Vision: “Panihati Municipality will work for the improvement of physical and social infrastructure with due consideration for pro-poor, participatory and inclusive development based with equity and equality. It includes concern for environmental factors (in widest sense of the term covering pollution-free environment, development of greenery and enhancement of overall beautification of the city etc.), introducing gender and child sensitive policies, provision for ‘shelter for shelter less’, primary and mass education facility especially for the children of economically weak and linguistic minority sections. This will enable the citizens across the sectors of the society to be healthy, knowledgeable and economically self-sufficient. The municipality aims to achieve its goals through mobilization of local and other resources, efficiency, better citizen interface and organizational development.”

which is very common during monsoons, still make our city a difficult place and matter of concern for all despite our heartiest effort for improvement of our drainage network in phased manner. This year, we have tried our best to drain out the stagnant water in various locations at quicker pace through high powered pumps working throughout day and night. Municipality workers are trying their best to cope with the situation and we would also like to thank my fellow citizens to cooperate with us in the process. Rains and stagnant water makes condition of the roads unbearable with potholes and partial or total breaking away of the bituminous roads at different places. Side by side, ongoing and unfinished works of our 24X7 Water Supply Project at Panihati also intensify the gravity of the problems of dilapidated roads, lanes and by-lanes of Panihati Municipality covering a large number of wards. This year we took initiatives for clearing sludge in the high drains so that storm water can pass away smoothly during the monsoons and it was a huge task.

Every year, nature gives us the lesson for becoming aware of various malpractices in our everyday life regarding waste handling measures. Our habits and practices of not following proper disposal norms of our daily solid waste materials, throwing away garbage in the roadside drains, insanitary practices polluting the neighborhood and environment ultimately go against of our own civic lives. These are largely the reasons for making our civic infrastructures dysfunctional or inefficient. Time has come not only to aware of these situations but also to act pro-actively to reform our habits as well. Our best measures would not reach the optimum level unless we change our practices wholeheartedly. In near future, we have to seriously think over definite steps in upgrading our drainage, sewerage and solid waste management system. We are looking forward to avail the opportunities in forthcoming centrally and state sponsored schemes in these regards. Slum Development has always been one of our prime activities-various development works are being taken under BSUP, Wage generation schemes etc. At present, Panihati Municipality has notified 233 nos. of slum pockets within the 35 wards. Slum free City Plan of Action (SFCPoA) comprising a scheme for 7years from 2015-16 to 2021-22 has been prepared with the help of RAY Project Management Unit (PMU) team. Now, Central Govt. has declared the closure of Rajiv Awas Yojona (RAY) [Office Memo of Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation- Govt. of India-Fno.I-11016/5/2013-RAY-I (Vol.-II)/FTS-12554 Dtd. 19th May 2015)] and launching of three new schemes namely Smart Cities

Mission, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojona (Housing For All-Urban). Surveyed database uploaded in NBO Website created under SFCPoA preparation process under RAY may be utilized in the new schemes especially in Housing for All scheme. National Urban Livelihood Mission replacing earlier Swarna Jayanti Sahari Rojgar Yojona scheme and National Urban Health Mission activities have already been introduced in Panihati Municipality and started its operation. I strongly hope that complementary effects of these various schemes would certainly help us to evolve as a strong and modern city with its own distinct traditions and rich cultural heritage. We deeply mourn the sudden demise of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam-Ex-President of India and The Visionary Leader-whose indomitable spirit and activities will always be remembered with great pride and honour.

Challenges would always be there-we only need to face them together with courage and strong determination. With All the Best Wishes

Sri Swapan Ghosh Chairman

Panihati Municipality

State Urban Livelihood Mission (SULM): In compliance with the Govt. Notification No. 19/MA/C-10/35-30/2013 Dt.17.03.2015, ‘Task Force at ULB level’, in partial modification of the resolution of BOC (Agenda no.-10) dt. 28.05.2015, for implementation of West Bengal State Urban livelihood Mission’ has been formed. This group comprises members like Chairman, Panihati Municipality, one Branch Manger of Lead District Bank (Lead district Manger), Executive Officer as City Project officer, Assistant Project Officer, One Branch manager from nationalized Bank (Branch Manager, Allahabad Bank, Panihati), Representatives from area Level Federation/City Level Federations (COs of Panihati Municipality), and other Officials like Secretary and Accountant, Panihati Municipality etc. As per Govt. of West Bengal Notification no. 761/MA/P/C-10/35-30/2013 dtd.17.11.2014, ‘City/Town Level Selection Committee’ for selection of manpower at City Mission management Unit (CMMU) for implementation of West Bengal State Urban livelihood Mission also has been constituted for Panihati Municipality. This Committee includes Chairman and Vice-Chairman of Panihati Municipality, Representative of Municipal Engineering directorate (MED), Representative of State Urban Development Agency (SUDA), Joint Director of Directorate of Local Bodies (DLB), West Bengal, Executive Officer and Finance Officer of Panihati Municipality. National Urban Health Mission (NULM) and other ongoing Health Programme in Panihati: This year will be a watershed in the history of public health of our Municipality. National Urban Health Mission will change the Health infrastructure of our Municipality. Orientation programme for the Mission was held on 20th July, 2015. Respected MLA Sir Sri Nirmal Ghosh, Chairman Sir Sri Swapan Ghosh of Panihati Municipality and CMOH, North 24 Parganas (N) and District Nodal Officer Dr. Sukanta Biswas were present on the occasion. The main endeavour is to see that not a single child and pregnant mother remain unprotected. Urban Health and Nutrition Day will be held from the second week of August, 2015.

Currently the Vector Borne Diseases (VBD) programme is on. Health workers are going to every family to generate awareness to protect them from Malaria, Dengue and related diseases. Recently most of our Municipality was under water due to monsoon. Diseases such as Acute Gastro Enteritis (AGE), fever and skin diseases

were dealt with sufficient supply of medicines and Halazone tablets. The situation is very much under control and all the concerned Departments fought with the emergency situation effectively. Smart City Competition: To find a place in sharing the same National Dream with others, Panihati Municipality has participated in the ‘Smart City’ competition. In respect of the present situation, it may sound over-optimistic a bit but we should never miss any moment to have the dreams of evolving ourselves ‘smarter’ to the extent possible befitting our situations and background. Our state West Bengal has got the opportunity for making 4 cities as ‘Smart City’ in the first phase of National target of 100 Smart cities in the time period of 2015-16 to 2019-20.You all know that Panihati is the second city to initiate the process of providing Wi-FI facilities in phased manner. This action was taken following the visionary footsteps of our Hon’ble Chief Minister Smt. Mamata Banerjee to make our beloved city Kolkata to crown the First City in India to start with the free Wi-Fi facility for its citizens.

Solid Waste Management has become a growing challenge of the modern civic lives and at Panihati Municipality; the problem is getting momentum with the time. Waste to Energy Schemes would be taken up at Panihati to address this growing problem of Solid Waste Materials and to curb the environment pollution to the extent possible. Various models have been discussed so far on this issue from various agencies but any definite scheme is yet to be finalized. One such demonstration has been organized at Chairman’s Chamber on 28th July 2015.

Distribution of cheques under National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) & Progress of other Social Assistance Programme: Under National family Benefit Scheme, Chairman, Panihati Municipality distributed cheques of Rs.40000/- to 39 nos. beneficiaries each on 10th July 2015. Near about 7800 beneficiaries (names sanctioned in January 2015 by SUDA) under National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP like IGNOAPS, IGNWPS and

IGNDPS) have started to get their financial assistance with effect from March 2015.Related procedures have been completed within 15thJuly 2015.

Nirmal Bangla Campaign at Ward-33: To make our surrounding environment ‘clean and green’ and to grow awareness toward this goal a Nirmal Bangla Campaign was organized on July 18th of 2015 at Ward no-33 of Panihati Municipality with much fanfare by involving children and local community people. Ward Councillor Sri Pradip Barua took the initiative of the grand occasion and inspired the children to implant the saplings for Green and Pollution Free Bengal. Child Artiste Master Aritra, a resident of Panihati Municipality was present at the event and actively participated in the programme.

For Feedback and Suggestions Please Contact: Panihati Municipality

Panihati , North 24 Parganas, Pin no.- 700 114 Phone: 2553-2909/2563-4457 Fax : 2553-1487 Website- www.panihatimunicipality.in Email ID- panihatimunicipality@yahoo.co.in