COOCHBEHAR NEWS

Health standing committee visits hospital

 

COOCH BEHAR, Nov. 3: A team of Assembly Standing Committee on health comprising of five MLAs and other officials visited Maharaja Jitendra Narayan Hospital (the district hospital of Cooch Behar) today. The MLAs headed by the chairperson of the committee, Dr Tapati Saha expressed their satisfaction about the overall infrastructure of the hospital after observing the existing condition there.

 

During their visit, the members talked with the patients in different wards. They inquired about the facilities the patients received at the hospital. They also examined the prescriptions, diagnosis, admission papers and other documents of the patients.

 

Replying a question over dearth of beds at the new children's ward of MJN Hospital Dr Saha told media persons that the ward is yet to be totally completed. The PWD is still doing the job. Soon after completion of work the number of beds may be increased in the children's ward, she hoped. []

 

SHGs of neo-literates building up coldstorage

 

COOCH BEHAR, Nov. 3: The learners of the Continuing Education centres (CEC) in Cooch Behar district came out to set an example to others. They formed many self-help groups and presently trying to build up a coldstorage.

 

Cooch Behar Sadar SDO, who is also the officer-in-charge of District Literacy Cell, Mr Jayanta Maity said the total number of the learners of 1,008 CECs is about 1,65,000. Several income generation schemes have been introduced for them to make them financially benefited as they are mostly from poor families.

 

The learners already formed 1,700 self-help groups at different areas in the district. Among these groups 900 are of APL persons and 800 are of BPL persons. Women are about fifty percent of the total number of members. These SHGs are running with credit linkage with banks. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Uttar Banga Kshetriya Gramin Bank (UBKGB) and some other banks and financial institutions extended helping hands to them to run the SHGs effectively, Mr Maity said.

 

Moreover, as a commendable initiative the SHGs formed a non-government organisation (NGO) of their own named Sitai Illiterate Poverty Alleviation Association (SILPAA) at Sitai block in Dinhata sub-division. They are now building up a coldstorage with assistance from NABARD, UBKGB and Small Farmers' Agri-Business Consortium. The total estimated project cost is Rs 2.20-crore. The  SHGs already contributed Rs 50-lakh to implement the project, Mr Maity said. []