Puja to have kiosks by women self-help groups
The Bengal government has come up with an initiative to erect kiosks around major Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata and districts to sell products made by women’s self-help groups from rural parts of the state. The move is aimed at compensating people who lost their livelihoods after the Centre withheld the release of funds under the MGNREGA scheme because of alleged malpractice. ‘’We have selected 20 famous Puja pandals so far and they will host items, including handicrafts and spices, for sale,’’ said a government official. Bengal has over 10 lakh self-help groups constituted by nearly 1.1 crore women who produce handicrafts, food, saris, etc in their district.
Jadavpur Univ to defer DLitt, DSc convocation
Jadavpur University will hold its annual convocation on December 24 but the special convocation that is held the same day to award DLitt and DSc (honorary) certificates will not be held, said a JU official. JU has decided against holding the special convocation because a stalemate over awarding the DLitt and DSc certificates has remained unsolved since December 2019, when Jagdeep Dhankhar was the chancellor in his capacity as Bengal governor. On December 21, 2019, Dhankhar had called up JU vice-chancellor Suranjan Das and asked him to return the certificates he had signed as was dissatisfied over the decision to defer the special convocation.
TMC to reach out to sulking party cadre
In a bid to ease out disgruntlement among the party’s loyal and old foot-soldiers, Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee issued a directive to organise get together events in every block after Dussehra to felicitate the party’s cadre behind the success in derailing the 34-year Left front regime in 2011. In the instructions, it was said that no turncoats will be in the list of those who will be felicitated. The move is said to pacify those party workers who expressed their unhappiness on several occasions over giving priority to turncoats who joined the TMC from other parties, especially from the BJP.
Pranab Mondal
Our correspondent in West Bengal
pranabm@newindianexpress.com