West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced that her government will give 9.5 lakh tablets to higher secondary students to attend online classes.
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Speaking to journalists at the State Secretarait Ms. Banerjee said, “There are about 14,000 State-run and State-aided higher secondary schools in the State. We will provide tablets to each and every student.”
Schools and higher education institutions are still closed due to COVID-19, and the announcement comes months before Assembly polls in the State.
The CM also announced a three per cent hike in DA for State government employees.
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In another move, the State capped the COVID-19 tests at ₹950.
During the day Ms. Banerjee also inaugurated the newly reconstructed Majerhat bridge which had collapsed in September 2018 killing two people. For two years people in the southwestern part of the city had to face major traffic bottlenecks because of this.
Speaking at the inauguration of the bridge which she has named “Joy Hind Bridge”, Ms. Banerjee targeted the Centre for delay in the construction of the bridge. Not only did she allege that the Railways took nine months to give approval to the rail over bridge but she also added that the State government had to pay them ₹34 crore for the construction.