‘Hammer and sickle cannot cover sun’s rays’

While addressing a programme at Nayagram in West Midnapore on Thursday, where she inaugurated two bridges and laid foundation stones of several projects, Banerjee said, “It is not possible to stop the flow of development by spreading canards and the rays of the sun cannot be covered by hammer and sickle [the symbol of CPI(M)].”

The Chief Minister also criticised the CPI(M) for trying to stall various projects taken up by the Trinamool Congress government – especially its attempt to foil the Khadya Sathi scheme which will provide rice and wheat at Rs 2 per kg to more than 7 crore people of the state. “As they did not do anything they are jealous and are working to jeopardise the projects,” she pointed out.

She said the development work that had taken place in the past four and half years had overtaken the work carried out by the erstwhile Left Front government in 34 years. “Job opportunities for 68 lakh youth have been created in the past four and a half years. The process for creation of another 2 lakh jobs is going on,” she said.

She further said that Jhargram will become a new district in the next six months. “Rs 500 crore has been sanctioned for a water treatment project in Junglemahal. The cleaning work of Keleghai and Kapaleswari rivers will also be undertaken soon,” she said.

The turbulent Junglemahal district, which was in the grip of Left Wing extremism, became relatively peaceful after the change of regime in the state. Soon after coming to power, the Chief Minister had assured the people of the region of constructing two important bridges that will help them reach important places in the district easily. Residents of areas including Lalgarh, Jhitka and Bhadutala earlier had to travel around 20 km to reach Jhargram. But with construction of Lalgarh Setu, they do not have to travel much.

Another bridge, Jungle Kanya on Subarnarekha river at Bhasraghat in West Midnapore, will give relief to many people, as they can easily across the river without travelling around 16 km. The bridge connects Kharagpur-Keshiary Road and Nayagram-Dhumsai Road and it has come up at a cost of Rs 164.49 crore.

Beside construction of the bridges, roads including Midnapore-Dheruaghat, Keshiary-Nayagram and Gopiballavpur-Nayagram have been widened. The Chief Minister has also inaugurated Junglemahal Zoological Park and Jhargram State Forest Training Institute at Hijli.