Bengal Cabinet gives nod to build ‘Durga Angan’ on lines of Digha’s Jagannath Dham

Cabinet ministers Aroop Biswas and Firhad Hakim said the state Tourism and Finance departments will jointly build the temple dedicated to the state’s most revered deity.

It, however, has not been decided yet as to where the structure will come up, it is learnt.

Addressing a press conference after the Cabinet meeting, minister Biswas said, “A trust will be formed. Our CM does what she says, unlike others.”

“UNESCO awarded our Durga Puja with the ‘intangible heritage tag’. To show respect to UNESCO’s recognition, our CM had proposed setting up Durga Angan, and today the Cabinet gave its nod. There will be a Trust formed. The HIDCO and tourism department will work in tandem with the Trust,” Biswas said.

He said the land for the Durga Angan would be provided by the state government, and the budget for the same would be decided later.

“The Cabinet also okayed establishing two plants of 800 x 2 megawatt in Salboni (in Paschim Medinipur district), which will help in fulfilling the increasing power demand,” Biswas said.

The Cabinet also approved a major relaxation in home construction rules.

Firhad Hakim, who holds the Urban and Municipal Affairs portfolio, said construction regulations would now allow building homes even on small plots of land. He said that previously, construction on small plots was not permitted due to regulatory restrictions.

“In a major policy shift, permissions will now be granted to build homes on plots as small as 500 square feet,” Hakim said.

“There will be no minimum plot size requirement. If the applicant meets other eligibility criteria, approval will be granted,” he said.

Hakim also clarified that the relaxations would vary based on the size of the plot.

“While fire safety norms applicable to larger plots will still be enforced, the same may not apply to smaller ones,” he said, further emphasising the size of the road adjacent to the plot will be a critical factor in granting construction clearance.

The entire application and approval process will now be conducted online, Hakim informed.

“Once the online application is submitted, the applicant can go ahead with foundational work. During this time, municipal authorities will conduct all necessary inspections and surveys. The government aims to complete the entire approval process within just 15 days,” he said.

The Cabinet has approved the recruitment of 627 personnel across various state departments, both permanent and contractual positions, official sources said.

They said the Judicial Department will see the addition of 22 new positions, while the Health Department will establish 122 new posts specifically for the SSKM Hospital.

In addition to the permanent roles, the Health Department will also hire 464 contractual staff under the ‘E-Mobile Medical Unit’ programme.

These positions will include attendants and drivers, aimed at enhancing mobile healthcare services across the state.

(With PTI inputs)