Beginning her second innings as West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee on Friday walked into state secretariat Nabanna at 2.28 pm. At 2.30 pm, half-an-hour ahead of schedule, in a first, she was given a guard of honour by the Kolkata Police. As she walked into the building, conch shells were blown and petals showered on her. After a meeting with the new cabinet, Mamata told mediapersons: “Since there was no agenda today, our only agenda was to pass a resolution taken up by the newly-formed government.” [related-post] In the resolution, the government thanked the people for reposing their trust and confidence in Trinamool Congress. “Resolved that it shall be our commitment and earnest endeavour in the second term to carry forward the development agenda for Bengal with greater pace, greater focus and greater outreach, so that Bengal becomes no. 1 in the world in terms of peace, prosperity and happiness,” it said. “In the last five years, Bengal had not only scaled new heights and outperformed the country in several parameters of social and economic growth, it has also been a place where people of all communities had flourished with peace, prosperity and harmony,” Mamata said. She added that in the coming days, her government’s focus would be on the young generation, creation of more employment opportunities and on the overall development of quality of life for all. Asked what lesson she has learnt from her earlier stint as chief minister, Mamata replied: “The lesson is if you are sincere in your work, it will give you result. We were sincere in our work and governance.” Claiming that industry would continue to be the focus, she added: “We had organised a business summit. We will again host it to attract industry.” Asked whether she would again ask the Centre to ease the debt burden of the state, she said, “We had told them earlier. We will request them again.” On her promise to return the land to unwilling farmers in Singur, Mamata said: “The matter is in court. We are waiting.” On tea gardens in North Bengal, she said her government would set up a directorate to take care of the problems. On the Opposition boycotting her swearing-in, Mamata said: “It depends on parties. But so many have come. We are deeply honoured.” Mamata said the first administrative meeting would be held on June 3. “It will be clear in the meeting which department has done what kind of work and the availability of funds. In the last six months, almost all work had come to a halt. We will chalk out a plan of action.”
