A Ready Reckoner For a Congress Supporter for West Bengal Elections
TMC
Betrayal
· In 2011 Congress had entered into an electoral
understanding with TMC to usher in a positive transformation of the state.
· The basis for such an understanding was laid when
TMC expressed its desire to join the UPA on the eve of the elections to Lok
Sabha in 2009. Congress made supreme sacrifice and allowed a big chunk of seats
to be contested by TMC, helping TMC to increase its Lok Sabha representation
from 1 to 19. 7 TMC Ministers were accommodated in the UPA II government.
However, from the very beginning, TMC instead of strengthening the central
government, started to undermine it.
· Despite the increasingly negative role of TMC,
Congress leadership favoured the party by conceding an overwhelming number of
seats to TMC in the Assembly elections in West Bengal in 2011.
· A TMC led government was formed with a minor
representation of Congress. Taking advantage of its majority in the Assembly,
TMC sought to undermine Congress, pursued a policy of neglect and humiliation
of the Congress ministers, engineered defection from Congress ranks and
forcibly occupied Congress offices throughout the state.
· Simultaneously, the personalized and whimsical style
of functioning of the Chief Minister of the state and general lawlessness
encouraged by TMC and pursuit of anti people policies in many different spheres
generated our strong reservations and disapproval.
· Instead of addressing our legitimate concerns, we
were asked to leave the government. In the meanwhile, TMC was resorting to
blackmail the central government and to engineer a fall of the government. It
withdrew its support from the UPA II government in September 2012.
· Bolstered by its majority in the government in West
Bengal and encouraged by political difficulties of Congress led UPA II
government at that point of time, TMC revealed its opportunism.
· All its various attempts to regain credibility and
political space at the national level since then have repeatedly failed.
· Congress decided to pull out its ministers from the
TMC government because of lack of co-ordination and continuous humiliation. The government had betrayed the trust of
the people. Poribortan which had
raised hope of a positive transformation in Bengal turned out to be a curse.
Manifold Failures of TMC Government
·
The TMC ruled
government of the state has failed the people of the state in all spheres of
social and economic development and has become a source of endless
embarrassment with its tall and bizarre claims of success and development.
·
Democracy and
Constitutional order is in peril in the state. Priorities of the government
have been wrong all along.
·
The focus on
fairs, festivals, recreation and financial support to the clubs is in marked
contrast to complete neglect of the government employees’ dues in the form of
dearness allowances.
·
Para teachers
are forced into a precarious situation and part Time teachers of the colleges
have not received adequate compensation for their services.
·
A glaring
example of government doublespeak was noticed when peacefully agitating
teachers of Madrasaas were forced to end their hunger strike over non-payment
of their salaries.
·
Maintenance of
public order has become a casualty of widespread violence with illicit arms and
crude bombs being freely manufactured, smuggled and used against political
opponents.
·
Political
opponents have been targeted and political rivalry within the ruling party has
also led to killings on a large scale. Police personnel have also been killed
by the hooligans under the protection of TMC.
·
Police
administration and law and order machinery in the state has witnessed a rapid
deterioration in terms of effectiveness, efficiency and transparency. Chief Minister herself has sided with
ruffians and illegally forced the police to secure their release from a police
station.
·
False cases have
been filed by police and the opponents of TMC have been hounded all across the
state. Police functionaries responding to their call of duty have been
reprimanded, sidelined and transferred. In many instances, police has been used
to coerce the political opponents to surrender and transfer their loyalty to the
ruling party.
·
The state has
become a safe haven for the manufacturing of illicit arms and crude bombs,
being freely used against opposition and to settle intra- party squabbles of
TMC.
·
Administration
has turned a blind eye to open public display of weapons by the ruling party
members as happened in Kandi and refused to act against illegal activities
involving arms whether in Burdwan, Birbhum, Malda or Murshidabad district.
·
The government
has neglected national security by turning a blind eye to the nefarious
activities of anti-national forces which have enjoyed a free run. In the
process, our security has been compromised. Khagragarh bomb blast showed how
Bengal is becoming a safe haven for extremists.
·
Government has
been in denial over every major threat to peace and tranquility in the state.
It tried its level best to hide its complacency and the linkages that TMC
cadres have developed with anti-national forces. The quality of its cooperation
with the central agencies has also been quite poor.
·
TMC government
has attempted to coerce the bureaucracy and the police to serve the
organizational interests of TMC. As a result, loyalty to TMC and sycophancy has
been encouraged. Effectiveness and efficiency of government services have
declined.
·
The state could
not hold recruitment tests for thousands of teaching jobs past three years for
one reason or the other, under one pretext or the other.
·
Question papers
have been leaked out and examination system manipulated to serve the interests
of TMC cadres. The 2011 TET exam result was manipulated and has achieved the
notorious distinction of being the biggest recruitment scam of the country. The next lot of the TET exam was postponed
twice and many months have passed but lakhs of youths who have taken the
examination are still in the dark about the result. The government has
maintained a studied silence on the issue.
·
Time and again,
judiciary has cautioned the government and passed strictures against misuse of
power. However, the state government has either challenged the Orders and
Judgments or tried to delay implementation of Court Orders. In quite a few
instances, the government has been audacious to defy the Orders as well.
Members of Judiciary have also been sought to be coerced and influenced by the
ruling party. This is a most serious threat to democracy and Rule of Law.
·
The TMC
government has completely neglected the agricultural sector and the interest of
the farmers.
·
Singur fiasco
represents the monumental failure of the government. Neither the interests of
farmers could be protected nor could any industry be set up in Singur in the
last five years. Hundreds of farmers in the state have committed suicide,
driven by starvation and debt, after failing to receive minimum support price
for their products from the government.
·
The government
delayed the implementation of the historic Right to Food Security Act passed by
UPA II government in 2013 by three years. This has deprived millions of people
of the state from availing the benefit of food security for three years.
·
The jute mill
owners have colluded with the government and often resorted to closure,
rendering thousands of workers unemployed. The plight of the tea garden workers
have been neglected by the state government to such an extent that hundreds of
workers have died of starvation.
·
Government has
made tall claims regarding investment flow into the state. Facts speak
otherwise. No new industry has been set up in past about 5 years.
·
Many factories
have closed down. Many business houses have migrated to other states.
·
A strong
negative perception of the state has become endemic and business and industry
have become extremely reluctant to invest in Bengal. The unreasonable and
adamant policy of the government on the land issue has been a big dampener.
·
The
discretionary policy regarding the upper land ceiling is yet another stumbling
block to the economic prospects of Bengal.
Again, general lawlessness and ‘syndicate raj’ perpetuated by TMC has
become a biggest blot on the state.
·
Employment
generation, the single biggest challenge for any government, has rather become
a casualty of the government’s negative approach and attitude to business and
industry.
·
Anarchical
situation prevails in educational institutions where TMC students’ unions and
their activities have induced lawlessness, manipulation of admission processes,
attack on teachers and control of the unions by forceful means.
·
TMC leadership
has openly encouraged and supported anarchy in the colleges and universities as
a means to control the unions. Police has been used to act in a blatantly
partisan ways to favour the TMCP. Student organizations affiliated to
opposition political parties are not allowed to file nomination papers for
student union elections and are often forced to withdraw their paper.
·
Many a college
principals have resigned as a result of excessive interference from the ruling
party in regard to admission processes. Government has blatantly interfered
with the autonomy of Universities and used police to suppress dissenting voices
in the campus. College student Krishnapada Jana, a member of Chattra Parishad
was beaten to death by TMCP members inside the college premises in Sabang in
broad day light and yet the killers are roaming free. Instead of taking stern
action against named and known TMCP members, the police administration has been
dictated by the ruling party to frame innocent members of Chattra Parishad.
This type of blatant partisanship of police and the government has no parallel
in the country.
·
Crimes against
women have seen an alarming rise.
Administration has attempted to deny or downplay the number and nature
of crimes against women. Most often the ruling party has sided with the
perpetrators of violence against women instead of extending support and justice
to the victims.
·
Chief accused of
the infamous Park Street gang rape is still absconding, apparently with the
support of the ruling party. Insensitivity of the administration and of the
Chief Minister was in full public view in the Kamduni gang rape case as well.
·
Victims of
crimes against women have been denied justice and their family members and
friends siding with them have been ridiculed and intimidated. In many
instances, victims and their families have been coerced into silence and
discouraged from filing cases.
·
Elections
subsequent to 2011, ---whether the 2013 Panchayat elections, 2014 Lok Sabha
elections, 2015 elections to municipalities, Kolkata and Bidhan Nagar
corporations have been reduced to a farce under the active patronage of
the government. State Election
Commission was not allowed to discharge its responsibilities as per law in 2013
Panchayat election.
·
Force and
intimidation paved the way for the election of thousands of TMC nominees
without any contest. Wherever the opposition could file nomination and contest
the election, verdict of the people was sought to be undermined by force and
coercion.
·
Defection of
elected members of opposition parties to TMC and the manner in which defections
have been forced has dealt a severe blow to democratic norms, principles and
law. TMC has even resorted to kidnapping
of elected representatives to force its way into power in the local bodies.
·
Democratically
elected MLAs of opposition political parties have been coerced and lured to
join the ruling party. Intimidation, false police cases and lure of money have
been used to gain control of Panchayats, municipalities and corporations.
·
Court Orders and
Judgments have been repeatedly violated to protect the interest of ruling party
members.
·
The State
Election Commission was not allowed to discharge its responsibilities in a
lawful manner during 2013 Panchayat elections. Hoodlums were employed to loot
booths during the Bidhan Nagar Corporation elections and 22 journalists who
covered the rigging were assaulted.
·
TMC government
has been a government of announcements and pronouncements. Government has been
laudatory of its ‘achievements’ whereas the reality is just the opposite. Its
tall claim of generating 68 lakh employment is a cruel joke with the millions
of unemployed youths. Its claims in the health sector have been dismissed
comprehensively by facts and statistical data.
·
It is
unfortunate that the government has completely neglected the environmental
issues. It refuses to heed the saner voices calling for moderation and
responsiveness towards environmental concerns. TMC henchmen involved in illegal
coal and sand mining, are protected by the government and this is a causing a
big threat to environment protection measures and laws.
·
Socio-economic
and educational development of the religious minorities of the state has been
completely neglected. A recent report by a group of NGOs released by Prof.
Amartya Sen on living conditions of Muslims in West Bengal has laid bare the
details of the relative backwardness of the community and how very little has
been achieved for their development and empowerment. The representation of the
minority community in government services still remains minimal.
·
The government
has tried to mix religion and politics, both to provoke reactions from the
right wing forces against ‘appeasement’ and at the same time using this as a
pretext to neglect basic socio-economic and educational needs of the
minorities.
·
Interest of
other religious minorities like Christians also stand neglected in the state.
The linguistic minorities have also not received due recognition of their
contribution to the state and have often felt neglected.
·
Corruption has
reached an unprecedented level with the general public being looted of lakhs of
crores of money by the leaders of the ruling party under the guise of illegal
chit fund schemes.
·
Leaders
including Members of Parliament, MLAs, Ministers and Mayor and Deputy Mayor of
Kolkata Corporation have been seen accepting bribes. Instead of acting against the corrupt,
government has been siding with them. Government had tried its best to prevent
a CBI investigation in the Sharada and other Chit Fund scam, spending public
money to argue against investigation in corruption. One of the accused in jail
continued to be a minister in the state cabinet for about a year and has been
rewarded with nomination to contest election by the ruling party.
·
Both Modi and Mamata government have decided
not to take any action over Narada string video featuring 14 TMC leaders and
one serving IPS official accepting bribes.
Congress
Vision For West Bengal
· Congress has not been at the helm of power in West
Bengal past almost 40 years. The solid
economic foundation, industrialization and pathways of economic development of
the state were laid by successive Congress government beginning from 1950s to
1970s.
· The period since then has witnessed a gradual
downslide of the economic prospects of the state. From a front ranking state in
economic terms in the country, Bengal witnessed a downhill journey.
· Bengal’s competitive edges were blunted. Out
migration became a constant feature of the state. Even while other states
picked up momentum in their economic stride, Bengal could not hold on to our
place. This must change.
· We must rewrite our destiny as a people and as a
state. Even while we have much to learn from history, let us not get prejudiced
and blind to the realities.
· We cannot afford to remain a prisoner of our past,
of our prejudices and of our animosity.
· Congress believes in looking forward, to reengage
and to recreate the best in our potentials.
· We remain firmly committed to the ideology of
Constitutional Order, Parliamentary Democracy, Liberal Values, Inclusive
Development, Good Governance and Secularism.
· We shall never deviate from our ideological moorings
and we would continue to champion these ideals as a guide to all our
activities.
· This ideological and political position has dictated
our electoral strategy in the election to Legislative Assembly. We have entered
into an electoral understanding of seat sharing with the CPIM and other Left parties. We believe that Congress and Left must pull
their strength and join together to establish a united democratic secular
government in West Bengal.
· This is the only way to meet the twin challenges for
democracy and secularism both in the country as well as in our state. Let us
unite to defeat and unseat the TMC government and free the state from its
misrule and repression. Let us pull together our strength to defeat RSS/BJP. It
is necessary. It is possible.
Agenda of Governance and
Development: Manifesto Highlights
Indian National
Congress has resolved to constitute a united democratic secular government in
West Bengal. We are supportive of all progressive policies, measures and
actions that benefit the economic prospects of West Bengal and promote the
welfare of people within the framework of our political and ideological
orientations. However, herein we are listing our focus points and priority
areas as part of our agenda of governance and development.
Democracy and Rule of Law
·
Functional multi-party
democracy
·
Ensuring
Human Rights and protection of laws for everyone
·
Increase the
powers and autonomy of Human Rights Commission
·
Strengthen
the powers of State Election Commission
Law and Order
·
Zero
tolerance of support and encouragement of anti-national activities
·
Severe
measures against perpetrators of violence against women
·
Measures to
Free the state of illicit arms and bombs in within two years
·
Zero
tolerance of mob violence
·
Necessary
reform in police administration
Primacy of Protection of Women’s
Interest
·
30 per cent
of all new recruitment in police forces from women
·
24 Hour
Helpline for women facing sexual harassment in each block
·
Removing
jurisdiction boundaries for police in registering criminal cases
·
Mandatory
for a reporting officer to comment upon on the gender sensitivity of the police
personnel in the Annual Performance Appraisal Report
·
Detailed
database of persons convicted of crimes against women on website
·
Open,
voluntary, dignified and above all safe places of women’s shelter.
·
More
‘Working Women’s Hostels’ will be set up
·
Sensitizing
teachers on gender equality
Transparency
·
Speedy
investigation into Saradha and other chit fund scams
·
Investigation
into TET Recruitment Scam of 2011 and non-declaration of TET result
·
A functional
Lokayukta
·
Probe into
the Narada sting operation on public servants accepting bribes
·
Strong
regulatory framework against fraudulent companies and institutions
Secularism
·
Strong
measures against people creating disharmony, inciting violence
·
Non-interference
in the religious affairs
·
Non-discrimination
on religious grounds
Administration and Governance
·
Balance
between democratic rights of employees and maintenance of discipline
·
Probity and
transparency in awarding contracts
·
A Citizen’s
Charter of Services and delivery
·
Dignity of
physically and visually challenged people
·
Non-discrimination
toward third gender and LGBT community
Pravasi Ministry
·
A new
department under a Minister to protect the interests of residents of West
Bengal in other parts of the country or abroad
·
To connect
to the vast Bengali Diaspora and bring their knowledge, expertise and skills on
a common platform
Food Security
·
Full
implementation of Right to Food Security passed by UPA II government
·
Provision of
rice at @ Rs 2 and adequate quantum of wheat to poor families
·
Strengthen
public distribution system and provide ration
Employment Generation
·
StrengthenMGNREGA
with expanded scope
·
To find ways
and means to provide economic support to the unemployed
·
Filling in
the vacant posts and position at all levels and cadres
·
Development
of IT & ITES to create more job opportunities
Education
·
Commitment
to implement Right to Education
·
Campus
democracy, autonomy and peace
·
Speedy and
transparent recruitment to teaching positions
·
Minimum qualifications
for Management Committee positions
·
Online
admission in all the colleges and universities
·
Online
system for nomination papers for college election
·
Substantial
increase in salaries of Para Teachers and Part Time Teachers
·
Medical
colleges in each of the districts
·
Special
Emphasis on Vocational Training and Skill development
·
Focus on
literacy on financial inclusion
Health
·
Filling in
the vacancies in Health care administration, doctors and nurses
·
Focus on
creating infrastructure in hospitals
·
Introduction
of male nursing cadre
·
State levied
taxes on life saving drugs to be reduced
·
Medical
colleges in each of the districts
·
Regular
vaccination drive to improve public health
·
Improvement
of healthcare facilities in every blocks and villages
·
Proper Drug
control mechanism
·
Revival of
proposal for an additional AIIMS, at Raiganj
Science & technology
·
A
comprehensive scheme for digital
education
·
Focus on
Environmentally sustainable technology usage
·
Upgradation
of IT and ITES infrastructure in all the
Government Departments
·
Measures to
attract best scientific brains of the world to work in the state
Agriculture and Rural Development
·
Land
acquisition only under the 2013 Act protective of the interest of farmers
·
Strict
adherence to providing Minimum Support Prices for procurements, restrictions on
the activities of middlemen in grain procurement
·
Availability
of agricultural loan at cheaper rate; Focus on crop insurance
·
Introduction
of e-market, to link farmers with buyers via Internet
·
Cold storage
facility in each of the Blocks of the state
·
Primacy of
Panchayats and local elected bodies in development planning
Industry and Business
·
Government
support to industry to acquire land as per the 2013 Act with mandatory consent
and other conditions including protection of the interest of the land owner and
other stakeholders
·
Revival of
focus on industry
·
New
approaches and methods for the revival of jute and Tea industry
·
Repeal The
Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act
·
Permission
of the government to acquire and hold land in excess of ceiling area to be made
automatic instead of discretionary
·
Promotion of
Knowledge based industry and Industrial Research Institutes
·
Revival of
existing SEZ zones and consideration of new proposals
·
Development
of Haldia docks
·
Abolition of
Entry Tax for goods into the state
·
Single
window system for procuring licenses
· Protection of small and mid-level
businesses from extortion and syndicate raj’
· Regional Offices of SEBI in
Kolkata
Labour and Industrial Relations
· Strict enforcement of minimum
wages for labour
· Repeal of outdated labour related
laws and introduction of a new comprehensive Act on labour laws
· Industrial Disputes Act to be
substituted by Industrial Relations Act
· Flexibility for businesses and
establishment to decide on workdays and hours without compromising rights of
workers to adequate compensation
Power
·
Revisiting
the tariff rate for electricity consumption including power audit
·
To develop a
long term comprehensive plan for power sector
·
To focus on
obtaining/purchasing natural gas
·
Promotion of
Alternative Energy to meet the burgeoning power demand
Infrastructure and Transport
·
To
prioritize infrastructure development, communication and transport linkages
·
Mega
Projects like East West Metro and Freight Corridor to receive special focus
·
State of Art
Roadways and Waterways
·
Promotion of
Alternative Energy public vehicles across the state to control pollution
Small and Medium Enterprises
·
Simplification
of legal framework of starting up a new business.
·
Setting up
facilitation center to foster indigenous technology, products and services.
·
Programs and
incentives to support innovation, research and development
·
To set up
incubation centres in districts to accelerate entrepreneurship
Environment Protection and
Pollution Control
·
Environment
protection and pollution control to receive due importance in development
planning
·
Autonomy and
requisite power to Pollution Control Board
·
Involving
environmentalists and Green NGOs in development planning
·
Electricity
duty subsidy for new industries incorporating green measures by design
·
Incentives
for power generation from Waste heat recovery.
·
Technical
Assistance to SMEs
·
Incentives
for energy recovery from waste and Green Factory Buildings.
·
Arsenic free
water facilities in Sunderban and different parts of South Bengal
·
Rainwater
Harvesting infrastructure in Sunderban to get rid of drinking water problems
Animal Husbandry, Fisheries,
Horticulture
·
Promote new
schemes and technologies for preventive vaccination, treatment of sick animals
·
Establishment
of veterinary clinics at the block level.
·
Increase the
number of qualified veterinary graduates
·
Prepare a
road map for fisheries development and bridge the demand-supply gap
·
Assist and
provide research, development and extension support in a collaborative approach
for fisheries development in the state.
·
Developing
and utilizing open coal pit for aquaculture/ cage culture
·
Create a
demand –driven approach for horticultural products
Urban
development
· Focus on availibility of safe
drinking water for all
·
Introduction
of smart Cities in phases
·
Integrated
urban planning and management for municipalities and corporations with focus on
enhancing and upgrading the sewerage and drainagesystem
·
Encourage
Environmentally sustainable Eco-friendly buildings with Solar Energy and
Rainwater Harvesting facilities
Religious Minorities
·
Socio-economic,
health and educational needs and concerns of Muslims to be the utmost priority
·
Special
focus on access to healthcare in minority concentrated blocks
·
Positive
facilitator for better accessibility to financial assistance from banks
·
Enhanced
support for the teachers employed in minority run educational institutes
·
Protecting
and serving the rightful interests of Christians, Sikhs, Jains and Parsis
Linguistic Minorities
·
Protecting
the interests of people speaking Hindi, Nepali, Oriya, Santhali, Gujarati and
Gurmukhi languages and support the promotion of these languages
·
Promotion of
Kamatapuri language
Backward Classes and Tribal
welfare
·
Focus on
full implementation of all existing policies and schemes for backward classes
and tribal population of the state
·
Measures for
welfare of the Kurmi community
·
Infrastructural
development of the rural areas
·
Implementation
of right to forest for the tribal population
Flood Control and River Erosion
·
An
integrated and comprehensive flood control policy
·
Concretization
of river banks
·
Plantation
of erosion resistant crops
·
Regular
desilting of the river bed
Tourism
·
An
integrated infrastructure support program for tourism promotion
·
Upgrading
Darjeeling Himalayan Railways
·
Development
of new tourism spots
·
Development
of river tourism
·
An
integrated IT system and Online Apps to book all the tourist spots of the state
from a common platform
·
Improvement
in tourism infrastructure
Skill Development
·
Development
of a roadmap for skill development in consultation with industry and labour
·
Soft skills
training centers in each block of the state
·
Engage
research institutes in helping artisans of Bengal in finding better equipment
and material for their work
Social Welfare
·
BPL lists
would be scrutinized for necessary amendments
·
E-window
service centers in BDO offices to rectify mistakes in BPL names
·
Efficient
and Transparent IT & ITES system to link bank accounts with beneficiaries
·
24 hour
support Centre in each block of the state for the elderly, destitute, missing
children, physically challenged and other vulnerable sections of population
Housing
·
Affordable
Housing Scheme to every BPL family under “Right to Shelter” initiative
Promotion of Art and Culture
·
Establishing
and enhancing support for museums, libraries and galleries
·
Promotion of
folk cultures and dying arts
·
Online
merchandizing of products to attract national and international customers
·
Engage
internationally renowned artists and performers in Expert Committees to chalk
out a plan to promote the culture of Bengal outside Bengal
Youth Development
·
Formation of
a Sports University and Sports Research Institute
·
Promotion of
Yoga in every school and college to prevent lifestyle diseases
·
Awareness
campaign against addiction
Regional Development
·
Special
needs and aspirations of North Bengal to receive priority
·
Maximum
possible autonomy to Hills
·
Enhancement
of powers and resources of Paschimanchal, Jangalmahal, Sunderban and other
development boards and authorities
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