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Bengal

Lal Dighi to go vehicle free on Saturday, Sunday: CM

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday proposed to make Laldighi area a vehicle free zone for a particular time period in weekends.

Banerjee said while inaugurating Biswa Bangla Lok Sanskriti Utsav at Laldighi. For the first time, a floating stage has been constructed for the festival and the inauguration programme was also organised on it.

Banerjee said: “I have proposed to make the Laldighi area a vehicle free zone from 5 pm on Saturday to 10 pm on Sunday. Most of the offices in the vicinity remain close from Saturday evening and Sunday. I had asked the Mayor and Commissioner of Police to look into the matter. There will be cultural programmes at Laldighi. 

People will visit the place with family members where they can spend nice time. Food will also be available here. It may take another two to three months to execute the plan.” 

She said a new look has been given to places including Darjeeling, Tarai, Dooars and Digha. “No one had taken any initiative for the folk artistes from the rural parts of the state for a long time,” she said, adding that folk artistes are the assets for the state. 

Necessary steps have been taken to help them to continue with their art. 

The state government had initiated to create a data bank containing names of folk artistes. 

Names of around 50,000 folk artistes have been listed and each of them is getting a financial assistance of Rs 1,000 every month. 

Moreover, they are getting at least four programmes every month and it is helping each of them to earn something in between Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000. 

Biswa Bangla Loko Sangaskriti Utsav will continue till January 1. Pricep Memorial is another venue of Biswa Bangla Loko Sangaskriti Utsav. 

Every day the three-hour long programme will start from 3 pm at Laldighi, while the programmes will begin at 5 pm at Pricep Memorial.

More than 5,000 folk artistes have already reached the city and they were present at the inaugural programme at Laldighi. The artistes will perform at either of the two venues.

Many stalls have also been set up at Laldighi from where people can buy handicraft goods and enjoy various types of sweets of rural Bengal like pithe and puli.
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