Meeting balm for erosion victims

MALDA, Nov. 24: Thousands of erosion victims will get a chance to express their plight and grievances during a “public hearing” to be held at Mothabari block office in Kaliachak, Malda, tomorrow. The programme has been organised by the National Legal Service Authority (Nalsa) authorities. The Nalsa has instructed the chairman of District Legal Service Authority (Dilsa), Mr Prasanta Kumar Mahanti, to conduct the “public hearing”. Villagers as well as the erosion victims presently living on the bank of the Ganges in Kaliachak and Manikchak have been urged to attend the public meeting tomorrow. “I will hear the grievances of the erosion victims and send the views to the Nalsa,” said Mr Prasanta Kumar Mahanti, district judge of the Malda Court. Officials said that the Malda district magistrate, Mr CR Das, additional superintendent of police and other officials would be present in the “public hearing.” Members of the Active Citizens’ Forum in Panchanandapur had requested higher authorities, including the President of India, to take initiative to stem erosion and provide compensation to the erosion victims, but to no avail. Thousands of poor families have been rendered homeless in the area due to erosion. In the past five years, over 1,400 hectares of crop and homestead land have been eroded by the Ganges in Manikchak, English Bazaar, Kaliachak II and III blocks. The state government had allotted Rs 3 crore in August 2003 for rehabilitation of erosion victims and it was decided that the government would pay Rs 5,000 each to the erosion victims for buying a plot of land.n SNS

Roadblock

MALDA, Nov. 24: Locals staged a roadblock on the state highway at Pakuahaat in Malda's Bamongola police station area today, protesting against the BSF "highhandedness". They alleged that the BSF jawans opened fire in the air after seizing 26 heads of cattle at Uttarjoyee village today. Police said the BSF jawans entered beyond their jurisdiction. Mr Suresh Yadav, in-charge of the BSF's Malda sector, however, said that the border guards had to open fire in self-protection as the villagers had gheraoed them. The Malda ASP, Mr S Sarkar, has termed the incident "unfortunate". He said the matter had been brought to the notice of the BSF authorities. nSNS