Mamata Banerjee initiates educational and sanitation programmes in WB

Kolkata, Nov. 15 (ANI): In a new roadmap for development, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced the launching of educational and sanitation programmes in the region.

Banerjee said that the Calcutta and Bengal Engineering and Science Universities have come up with some educational training programme in partnership with UK-based Queens University.

The universities would launch a sanitation drive and ensure that arsenic free water would be made available to the people.

"We will work in partnership to provide them (locals) various training programmes including in the field of education, establishment of different universities and group working to provide clean arsenic water to the people," said Banerjee.

Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor of Queens University, Peter Gregson, praised Banerjee for taking initiatives aimed at the development of the state and welfare of the people.

"We've had a long standing engineering portal which has won many prizes including the embryonic prize for arsenic removal from... water as the chancellor has said we want to roll out and the support of the chief minister is very important in being able to roll this out to serve nearly 80 million people in this region are very excited about that," said Gregson.

Sustained development drives may help the West Bengal Government in luring the people residing in rural areas and prevent them from joining the Maoists.

According to analysts, the Maoists oppose all development activities such as the construction of roads, schools, hospitals, drip irrigation and drinking water facilities.

The Maoist insurgency has gripped nearly one-third of the country, spreading into the interiors of 20 states of the country. (ANI)