The BJP government in West Bengal on Wednesday announced that it will observe June 20 as state day from this year, to commemorate the adoption of a resolution that led to the partition of Bengal in 1947.
The announcement was made by Minister Dilip Ghosh after a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
He said that under Syama Prasad Mookerjee's leadership, June 20 was marked as "Bengal Day" in the then Bengal Assembly following a vote on a resolution that day in 1947, which paved the way for the partition of Bengal and the formation of the state of West Bengal.
"From this year, June 20 will be officially celebrated as West Bengal Day," Ghosh said in a media briefing after a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
The BJP used to mark June 20 as 'West Bengal Day' even as the previous Trinamool Congress government used to observe it on Bengali new year day, Poila Boisakh, which falls on April 14 or 15.
Ghosh, the state's panchayat minister, said that under the supervision of the Information and Cultural Affairs department, Jana Sangha founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee's 125th birth anniversary will be celebrated across the state through year-long programmes.
Mookerjee's birth anniversary is celebrated on July 6.
"A 10-member committee will be formed for the year-long celebration, in which ministers, MLAs and other distinguished persons will be members," Ghosh said.
He said a ceremony will be held on July 6 on land to be selected where a statue of Mookerjee will be installed.
The minister said the 'Maa Ahaar' scheme for providing meals for Rs 5, which was operational in 390 places, will now be available at 500 locations.
The TMC government had started an egg-rice meal scheme for Rs 5 per person under the Maa Canteen project.
The current BJP government is providing fish meals at the same rate.
"Now the scheme will be available under the name 'Maa Ahaar' at 500 locations across the state," Ghosh added.
(With inputs from PTI)
