Juthor Abishkar for the 21st century

জুতোর আবিষ্কার version by Parnab Mukherjee-
I AM PROFESSIONLESS-1 is one of 4 on Kalpana Chakma presented to Free Binayak Committee in Mumbai

Swasthya Bidhan

446 families below the poverty line applied for latrines under this programme last year in Bochadanga Panchayat. The Rs 123,800 they contributed has been returned by CADC Kaliaganj. Proshikha could not manage to complete their work either. Now Chatrapur Vivekananda Ramakrishna Samitary Mart has been approached. We heard that many other families will be rejected as they do not have BPL cards. This is different from Janani Suraksha Yojana where the village Prodhan can attest that the family of a pregnant woman is poor. Maybe some simplification of the process to get latrines will help speed up the process. There is now a huge amount of unmet demand for sanitation in rural areas.

Is this lathyrism?

Oldest affected boy among 4 similar children in a 6 sibling family. The mother is also affected. The father had smallpox 40 years ago, when he was 2 and a half. The boy in the picture's grandmother lives with them. They do eat khesari dal (lathyrus sativus). This is near Bahutoli in Suti I block (Ahiron BPHC) of Murshidabad. Bahutoli is 5 km from Rajgram station (Birbhum).
There has been a polio case on 28th May in Muraroi 2 (Birbhum district). There is another Polio case recently at Dhuliyan (within 40 km).
In 2007 there was a JE vaccination campaign that covered Birbhum. We met a girl in another home in this village who became disabled after encephalopathy. She was educated up to class 8, but has now discontinued. Her aunt is an ICDS worker.

Murshidabad 3.06.10

Link Volunteer showing us her child tracking register at Hariharpara Block of Murshidabad. Along with ASHA workers the Link volunteers in West Bengal are also a great resource for health information. They could be trained to use Facts for Life (Jibon Tathya) flip charts to inspire self help groups on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Panchanandapur and Hamidpur in Kaliachak II block

Film about Malda shown at Nandan II in Kolkata

Bill No.7 of 2009
THE WEST BENGAL RURAL HEALTH REGULATORY AUTHORITY BILL,2009.
http://www.wbhealth.gov.in/notice/let_to_aso.pdf
FINANCIAL MEMORANDUM.

Non- Recurring:
(i) Cost of upgrading or improving existing buildings of district level health facilities:
Considering that the State Government, at inception, would set up four Medical Institutes by way of upgrading or improving the existing health care facilities (inclusive of residential facilities) at District level, and that no additional cost would accure for acquisition of land, therefore,an ad-hoc estimate of four crore rupees may be considered for the first five..

(ii) Cost of books, periodicals, furniture. audio-visual aids. equipments, teaching aids, laboratory equipments and reagents:
The total expenditure on above accounts would be fifteen lakh rupees per Medical Institute per annum. Therefore, the initial expenditure which may be considered for the first five years would be three crore rupees.

Recurring grants to be provided to the Authority:

(i) Staff Salary:
The total expenditure on account of salary per annum of the Register and other full time non-technical supporting staff, as per the provisions of this Bill, will be around five lakh rupees per annum. The expenditure for the initial five years will be around twenty-five lakh rupees.

(ii) Payment of additional remuneration of teaching and other technical staff who would participate in the teaching and training process:
The total expenditure on account of additional remuneration payable to reaching and technical personnel who would render, directly or indirectly, the teaching and training services in addition to their usual duties, will be around one lakh rupees per institute per annum. The expenditure for the initial five years will be around twenty lakh rupees.

(iii) Contingency and other costs:
In addition, funds will be required for recurring expenditure on telephone bills, electricity bills, stationery , fuel consumables for office work, and, other contingent items. The total cost for such contingencies is estimated to be five lakh rupees for the initial five years.

Financial estimate for the initial five years is, therefore, as follows:-

The liability of the State Government will, however, be met from the appropriate provisions to be made in the Budget in consultation with the Finance Department in
due course.
SURJYA KANT A MISHRA,
Member-in-charge.
KOLKATA,
The 23rd April, 2009.
By order of the Governor,
ANINDYA BHATTACHARYYA,
Secy.-in-charge to the Govt. of West Bengal,
Law Department.

Notes-
1. Here the budget is for 4 Medical Institutes (note- not Health Institutes) which comes to 4,00,00,000 rupees.
2. Accrue is spelled wrongly
3. Since when has an annual expenditure been considered non-recurring?
4. The support staff including the Registrar will be paid around Rs 40,000 per month
5. The teaching is only worth Rs 8,500 per month per district level institute. This hardly comes to Rs 400 per day. This is the level of payment for an ANM. Are these institutes with nearly 1 crore of furniture to be taught by this staff on the salary of Rs 8500?
6. Fuel of Rs 8500 per month for the Registrar’s Office. But for the 4 Institutes?
8. There is no provision for depreciation of the buildings. No recurring costs for maintenance of equipment. No mention of how many students will be trained by an institute.