Undeterred by Railway Ministry's decision to publish a white paper on her previously announced "unviable projects" when she was the Railway Minister Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced a plethora of schemes for the girl students of her State.
Under the new "historic scheme" all girl students whose parents earn less than `50,000 a year would get a yearly scholarship of Rs500.
The scheme would be available to the students up to the age of 18 years and till Class XII, Banerjee said adding the scheme had already been approved by the State Cabinet.
The new scheme christened Kanya Sree is being viewed as a masterstroke ahead of the coming panchayat elections dates for which was likely to be declared in a fortnight's time.
Terming the scheme as a "gift to the girls" before the international women's day Banerjee said, "this is a historic scheme where by we will give the
students Rs 500 per year from Class VIII to XII."
The scholarship would be available across the caste line irrespective of caste and community she maintained. A one-time amount of `50,000 would set aside and transferred to the account of the candidate after she reached Class VIII.
Of course an income certificate of the parents would have to be furnished.
HC admits Mamata libel suit against Buddha
Kolkata: In what could push the dwindling Marxists into a bigger crisis the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday admitted a libel suit against former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee for allegedly lowering the social prestige of his successor Mamata Banerjee by questioning her honesty in a televised interview recently.
The defamatory charge was earlier brought by senior Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy after a legal notice sent to Bhattacharjee from his party's side demanding an unconditional apology was greeted with a snub. The court issued directions to send summons to the parties. The date of hearing would be fixed only after summons was issued to the parties.
Bhattacharjee had told a Bangla news channel in an interview that he did not subscribe to the general statement that Banerjee was an honest politician.
He had told his interviewer when asked as to comment on whether he believed that she was an honest politicians that he for one did not subscribe to the view considering the fast changing fortunes of her relatives.
When asked to give reasons he said it was for the journalists to find out the sources of changing fortunes of her relatives. "I will not comment on the matter. But I do not accept your statement. If you want to know more of this you have to investigate yourself." Soon after the Trinamool Congress slapped a legal notice --- demanding apology --- on the former Chief Minister whose lawyers refused. PNS