Hello Kolkata Music with Fashion.

Launch of "Dui BANGLA' (2 Bengals)- a docu-fiction film by Asish Basak.

22nd February eve at Kolkata Press Club witnessed the poster launch of a Docu-Fiction Film - "DUI BANGLA', on impact of Indo-Bangladeshi Socio-Cultural aspects. 

     Jointly presented by 'Hello Kolkata' (3D News, Events & Films) and 'Apu Shiksha o Paribesh Unnayan Foundation' (NGO of Bangladesh), this film is conceptualised and directed by Asish Basak, who has recently authored a book with Bangladeshi connection--' "Dial 'M' for 'M-FACTOR' (on the positions of Muslims settled in India). 

    The poster unveiling ceremony accompanied 'Hello Kolkata Excellence Awards', presented to Bangladeshi & Indian achievers, like Prof. Dr. Saadia Ahmad, Bir Mukti Yoddha Dr. A.T.M. Abdul Hannan, Fahima Akhtar Hosna, Dr. Swapan Roy, Sunny Saha, beauty queen Ms. Sangita Sinha, Jharna Sarkar, Subir Ghosh, Sabir Ahmed, Jasmine Mitra, Gargi Gupta, Suhira Banerjee & others. 

      In the times of NRC and CAA, this is more of an introspection by the film-maker, who has tried for a fine balance. The film will bring forth the socio-cultural linkage between the two Bengals in spite of myriad trials and tribulations faced by millions of Bengalis, both here and there.   “Dui Bangla' by Asish Basak is set to highlight the Common Man’s intent to live on, his intense desire and will to survive despite all odds and also keep alive the rich socio-cultural heritage.

HR Sampark connects 120 Heart – Heads – Hands at its Wellness Conclave 2020 for a Healthier and Happier Kolkata

HR Sampark, a Kolkata based Trust founded by a team of professionals with backgrounds in HR, training-coaching-mentoring, entrepreneurship, academics came together at Hotel Hindusthan International on 8th Feb with a Wellness Conclave. It was an attempt to project how physical, social, mental & financial well-being are capable of making our workplaces and society at large a better place to live in. 

    HR Sampark, completing two years now, is a platform for professionals to network and carve out a niche in the city with its various outreach programs in CSR, industry-academia, Knowledge Sharing  etc
Hon Chief Guest, Ms. Alokananda Ray, stressed on how feeling happy is a self-controlled decision. We should choose to be happy, be empathic and less judgemental towards others.

    Speaking at Sampark’s Wellness Conclave, Mr. Nihar Ranjan Ghosh, President HR, Emami Ltd. said, "An employee looks for utilitarian, expressive and emotional benefits from the organization he works in. And organizations by including wellness strategy in their business strategy can foster the sense of emotional well-being to a significant extent."
     “We conduct health check–ups and celebrate internal champions, incentivizing employees based on their physical and mental agility," said Mr. Ravinder Saini, Talent Management, PMS & New Initiatives, L&T .

"LETS START" A New PLATFORM BY HELLO KOLKATA

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On 8th Feb eve at HHI, Kolkata, 'LET's START' (a summit of new entrepreneurs) was organized by 'Hello Kolkata' (3D News, Events and Films),  in  association with  ‘HR Sampark'  and  ‘RMB', supported by  'Kaffein Entertainment', 'Entrepreneurs Face', 'SSL Academy', 'Kolkatatimes24' and 'PR Signal'.
        Asish Basak, Editor-Director-Hello Kolkata' remarked that 'LET's START' is a Series of Incubation of Start Ups, where in they are given a platform to interact with lots of other people from trade and non-trade and also include Angel Investors. Apart from hard core business, there were also entries from organizations and individuals who are social activists, poets, dancers, groomers, actors, etc.
       Ajit Jain (Managing Director - Medra Finvest), Roshni Ghosh (Anchor & Dancer), Kailash Mohta ('Silent Crusade' - NO Honking Man), Reshmi Nayak (LIC Consultant),  Abhinav Bajpai (Ubuntu Community Cafe) and Soma Bhattacharya (Writer) were the winners of 'LET's START' conclave.
       Special Guests and Jury Panelists of 'LET's START', conducted by Asish Basak, 'Hello Kolkata' included Kanak Jain, Payal Varma, Debarghya Deb, Ashish Banka, Arijit Bhattacharya, Kiran Tiwari, Rekha Sharma, Sam Kapoor, Osim Kureishi, Sumit Agarwal, Ehteshamul Haq, Farooque Malik, and Sambhunath Saha.

সম্মানজনক পুরস্কার জিতেছে 'ENIGMA by Payal Varma'

গ্রুমিং (বিনোদন শিল্পের সাথে সম্পর্কিত) এবং প্রানিক হিলিংয়ের অঙ্গনে প্রশংসনীয় অবদানের জন্য 'ENIGMA by Payal Varma'  জাতীয় স্তরের সম্মানজনক পুরষ্কার "দ্য হল অফ ফেম অ্যাওয়ার্ডস 2019" অর্জন করেছে।
             'ENIGMA by Payal Varma' প্রানিক নিরাময় প্রকল্পের মাধ্যমে সমাজে নিয়মিত মানসিক স্বাস্থ্য এবং স্বাস্থ্যবিধি সম্পর্কে সচেতনতা ছড়িয়ে দেওয়া ছাড়াও উচ্চ প্রোফাইল মডেল এবং বিউটি কুইন্স তৈরি করেছে।
             মালিক পায়েল ভার্মা নিজেই একজন বহু প্রতিভাধর ব্যক্তিত্ব, যিনি সেলিব্রিটি প্রশিক্ষক, উদ্যোক্তা, অভিনেত্রী, মডেল, গ্রুমার (পেজেন্ট এবং ব্যক্তিত্ব) এবং পেশাদার প্রাণিক নিরাময়ের চরিত্রে প্রশস্ত প্রশংসা অর্জন করেছেন। তিনি মিসেস বেঙ্গল এভারগ্রিন 2018 ক্রাউন বিজয়ী এবং যুবতান + 2019, মিস এবং মিসেস বেঙ্গাল 2019 (প্যান ইন্ডিয়া গ্রুপ) এবং বেঙ্গাল জুনিয়র 1019-এর সেলিব্রিটি মুখ ছিলেন She একজন আইভলান্টিয়ার শীর্ষস্থানীয় এবং আইভলেন্টিয়ার অ্যাওয়ার্ডস ২০২০ এর জন্য সরাসরি মনোনীত প্রার্থী।

     পায়েল ভার্মা তাঁর সৃজনশীল অঙ্গনে আরও দক্ষতা অর্জনের ইচ্ছা পোষণ করে এবং তার প্রাণিক নিরাময়ের মাধ্যমে এবং অন্যান্য বিভিন্ন সামাজিক-সাংস্কৃতিক প্রেরণামূলক প্রকল্পের মাধ্যমে সমাজকে আরও উন্নত স্থান হতে সহায়তা করে অব্যাহত রাখে।

Create Change: PM’s Ujjwala Scheme & its implications

   

 Prime Minister’s Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was launched by Narendra Modi on 1 May 2016. It is an initiative by the Prime Minister to distribute 50 million LPG connections to women and their families who lie below the poverty level.

     A study by the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that around 4.3 million people die around the world due to extended smoke inhalation from home made earth stoves fueled by dried cow dung, firewood fueled by kerosene or coal. It is no secret that even as a strong and upcoming economy, a large majority of India’s population are still impoverished. In 2019 we find ourself in as situation that’s both contradictory and shocking. In one side a majority of Indians own and carry smartphones, but on the other side many of the women in the villages and urban ghettos on average spend 4 hours a day in kitchens with earth stoves that create smoke that’s equivalent to smoking 400 cigarettes in an hour. To put that into perspective, in India more people die because of smoke inhalation than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, combined.       

       Irregardless of politics and policies the scheme, Ujjwala Yojana directly addresses the problem of localized air pollution. It is designed with the welfare of the women and their families in mind. The PMUY will not just affect families and women, but it will have large scale implications for both village communities and also the urban population. We have to understand smoke and pollution created in a small village 50 kms away DOES EFFECT US, AS WE BREATHE THE SAME AIR.

      Use of forest wood and agriculture waste for cooking in rural households is a major source of respiratory diseases, in these communities. LPG supply will ensure a reduction of these pollutants thus improving the respiratory health of these women and their families. The Prime Minister’s Ujjwala Yojana’s effect is not just restricted to the energy sector, but has direct and far reaching implications on social, economic, and environmental sectors. 

      In order to be eligible to get the benefits of the Ujjwala Yojana, applicants will have to meet the following criteria:-

 • Must be a woman above the age of 18. 

• Must be citizen of India. 

• Should belong to a household, under BPL (Below Poverty Line). How one can apply to become a beneficiary of the Ujjwala Scheme? 

• The eligible women candidates from BPL families can apply for the scheme by filling up the Ujjwala Yojana Form.

 • KYC application form (in prescribed format).

 • The interested candidates require to fill the 2 page application form and attach required documents along with the form. 

How many LPG connections have been provided under the Ujjwala Scheme to BPL families?

It was targeted that the Scheme will reach to the 80 Millions households within the first 100 days of Modi Government while, so far, about 7.4 crore such connections have been provided. The target is to reach 8 crore connections by 2020. 

     The Ujjwala Scheme, is highly been appreciated by the International Energy Agency (IEA), which said it is a "major achievement" in improving the environment and health for women in India”. 

     "Providing access to LPG across India by 2020 is a major achievement goal. It is not an energy issue, it is an economic issue, it is a social issue," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said. 

     Ujjwala Yojana makes on-ground impact in West Bengal; affordability remains key concern - a CEEW study:

    "In 2018, 55 per cent of West Bengal’s rural households used Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) as the primary cooking fuel, up from 15 per cent in 2015, according to the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), which recently published its findings from the second round of India’s largest multidimensional energy access survey. The proportion of rural households using LPG as exclusive cooking fuel also increased from eight per cent in 2015 to 40 per cent in 2018.  Using LPG for cooking reduces the health risks due to indoor air pollution caused by using traditional fuels such as, biomass, dung cakes, and agri-residue. The PM’s Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) played an important role improving energy access in West Bengal."

         Indeed, the benefit under Ujjwala Yojana is high in West Bengal. A total of 78.47 lakh poor families have received free LPG connections under the scheme in this state which is second highest after Uttar Pradesh. 

      In 2018, 55% of Bengal's rural households used LPG as the primary cooking fuel, up from 15% in 2015, -this is according to the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW). So it is absolutely key that we maintain this grown and ensure broader adoption by the people of Bengal, which would ultimately be translated in to a healthy, clean and pollution free environment for all of us.

     It is unfortunate that rather than using this Scheme to improve all of our lives, certain groups of short-sighted, narrow-minded and selfish people are more interested in political gains. These individuals are more interested in either their own or their parties’ gain from these initiative than looking at the bigger picture of creating a holistic improvement for the community and the country. Any initiative can be successful, so long there is support from the people. There has never been a higher need for spreading awareness than now. We should think of alternative ways of reaching out to the masses, rather than putting a print on the papers and calling it a day. We have and opportunity here to leverage both digital, and traditional analog means to reach out to the people. We should spread the truth and the facts, we should empathize, and stop the people who use poverty as a weapon to spread false propaganda. These so called “elected government personnel” spend millions of taxpayer’s money on page-wide news print photos of themselves basking in their own narrow minded glories. These same “well-wishers” only turn up to your house before voting season requesting or at times threatening you for your vote, promising things that they never intend to fulfill. This has to stop, and it should right now. We have to take an initiative as a citizen of this country to stand up to these unscrupulous people, together as we are as strong as our weakest link.

      Abhishek Jain, Senior Programme Lead, CEEW and the lead author of the study, said, “The ACCESS study provides a nuanced understanding of the evolution of energy access in rural West Bengal. The question is with the issues of reliability, quality and affordability. In the districts like Nadia and Puruliya where households experienced five days of 24-hour blackouts in a month, it is imperative for the District Commissioners to identify areas afflicted by poor maintenance and improve efforts by assigning manpower in these areas.” 

      It is also added, “While access to LPG connections and its use as the primary fuel for cooking has improved significantly in West Bengal in the last three years, the LPG distribution network needs to be strengthened further to achieve the envisaged goal of home delivery for all households. Affordability of LPG also needs to be addressed through targeted subsidies, considering it is a concern highlighted by 97% of the households that did not have an LPG connection.” 

      West Bengal witnessed a marked improvement in rural LPG connections, which increased from 22% in 2015 to 68% in 2018. Also, the proportion of rural households using LPG in West Bengal that had LPG delivered to their doorsteps increased from 61% in 2015 to 79% in 2018. Households that did not get home deliveries travelled the median one-way distance of two kilometres to procure LPG, marginally lower than three kilometres in 2015. 

       Of the households that did not have an LPG connection, 85% expressed interest in getting one, according to The Council’s study. The Council’s study also found that about 51% of rural households that received a LPG connection in the last two years, received it under the PMUY.

      The Council’s study covered the districts of Darjeeling, Maldah, Nadia, North TwentyFour Parganas, Paschim Mednipur, and Puruliya in West Bengal. 

রক্তদান শিবির এবং স্বাস্থ্য পরীক্ষা অনুষ্ঠান

'রক্ত দান জীবন দান'.এই উদ্যোগ নিয়ে 2রা ফেব্রুয়ারী দমদম ক্যান্টোমেন্ট সংলগ্ন  এলাকায় নেতাজি  সুভাষ চন্দ্র বসু সেবা প্রতিষ্ঠানের তরফ থেকে আয়োজিত হলো   রক্তদান শিবির এবং স্বাস্থ্য পরীক্ষা  অনুষ্ঠান। ।।
নেতাজি সুভাষ চন্দ্র বসু সেবা সংস্থান  সুপ্রসিদ্ধ সমাজ সেবা সংস্থান
সেখানে বিশেষ অতিথি হিসেবে উপস্থিত্ ছিলেন তন্ময় ভট্টাচার্য (বিধায়ক), সোনিয়া দে,অরূপ ধর,সোমা ভট্টাচার্য, রতন সোম (কলকাতা পুলিশ আধিকারিক)। ছিলেন প্রখ্যাত অভিনেতা সুপ্রিয় দত্ত ও আর গন্য মান্য ব্যক্তি বর্গ।
উল্লিখিত যে একজন ক্যান্সারের রোগী সুভমিতা সাহা নিজের সঞ্চিত অর্থ দিয়ে এই সংস্থাকে একটি স্ট্রেচার এবং হুইল চেয়ার দান করেন। জানালেন সম্পাদক সুভাষ পাল।
আর উদ্যোগতারা  হলেন- সুভাষ পাল,জয়ন্ত সাহা,বাবুদেব দাস,দীপাক দাস,রাজু দে,শ্যামল  দাস, বাপি মিত্র.শম্ভুনাথ সাহা,শিবনাথ সাহা (সভাপতি ) প্রমুখ।
হ্যালো কোলকাতার কর্ণোদ্ধার আশিস বসাক এই মহৎ কাজের জন্য এই সংস্থাকে শংসাপত্র প্রদান করেন এবং তাদের হাতে তুলে দেন  প্রখ্যাত অভিনেতা  সুপ্রিয় দত্ত