2017 recap: Giant strides in development for Bengal govt

Kolkata: As 2017 comes to an end and everybody is set to welcome the New Year, there can be no denial of the fact that the Mamata Banerjee government has made giant strides on the road to development in the state this year.

The most glorious achievement for the Bengal government was the United Nations Public Service Award for the Kanyashree project. It had won the first prize among projects in South Asia on June 23, 2017.

Another remarkable feat of the Bengal government was the hosting of the Under-17 Fifa World Cup at Swami Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata. The Bengal government had earned worldwide praise, including from world football's governing body FIFA, for successfully organising the event.

Two of the most crucial matches, a semifinal and the final, were both held in the city and a number of foreign delegates who visited the city during that period were overwhelmed by the hospitality of the state.

On the administrative front, four new districts were created for administrative convenience, bringing the total number to 23. Kalimpong was created out of Darjeeling, Jhargram was created out of Paschim Midnapore while Burdwan was broken up into Purba Burdwan and Paschim Burdwan.

The Bengal government also brought in the Samarthan Scheme in March 2017, which ensured that those who have had to return to the state, having lost their jobs due to the impact of demonetisation, receive a one-time grant of Rs 50,000. This gave them stability and enabled them to start a new business.

On the political front, a major achievement came in as the Trinamool Congress, for the first time ever, formed a local government in the Hills in the form of Mirik Municipality. The Trinamool Congress had a landslide victory in all the four by-elections held in 2017 – for the seats of Cooch Behar, Dakshin Kanthi, Tamluk and Sabang.

The industrial climate in Bengal received a much needed boost with the international IT giant Infosys deciding to invest Rs 100 crore to set up a campus in Rajarhat, which will generate around 1,000 jobs.

The state government also set a benchmark for other states as well as the Centre with the West Bengal Clinical Establishments (Registration, Regulation and Transparency) Bill, that brought in a slew of new measures for strengthening health administration.

Among other advantages, now, even for treatment in private hospitals, patients would be able to know the details about the cost and other aspects.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee undertook highly successful visits to England and Scotland, drawing a lot of interest from industrialists and entrepreneurs. She held up the huge opportunities and every type of help from the government that investors will find in Bengal.

The prestigious Horasis Asia summit was held in Kolkata in November, which was attended by business leaders from 65 countries. It was for the first time that this event was held in the country and that too in Kolkata.

Bengal also won the Geographical Information (GI) tag for Rosogolla after a long fight with its neighbouring state Odisha.

The well-known aromatic Gobindobhog variety of rice has also earned a GI tag, giving it a uniqueness and a huge marketability potential. Sitalpati earned a similar recognition from UNESCO when it was recognised as an 'intangible cultural heritage'.