Ration card woes for Malda people

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Jan. 29: Tens of thousands of ration card applications are awaiting green signal from the authorities concerned in Malda district for the past one year, officials said today. After a meeting with the district officials, including the Malda district magistrate, the chairman of the Subject Committee for Food and Supplies, Mr Tarapada Chakraborti, said: "Nearly four lakh people do not have ration cards in Malda district." "Malda administration has issued only 69,000 ration cards. A total of 85,100 duplicate ration cards were issued last year and the department had cancelled 51,000 ration cards due to either death of the card holders or their transfer", Mr Chakraborti told reporters here today.Members of the Subject Committee came to Malda today to hold a meeting with the district officials to review activities of the four concerned departments. The chairman of the Committee, Mr Chakraborti, said Malda district magistrate would launch a special drive for three months in gram panchayat level to expedite the process of issuing ration cards. The district administration officials confessed before the Committee members that they could not issue the ration cards on time owing to lack of adequate staff in food and supplies department for verification of the applications following the government's special guideline for border districts. There is a hard and fast guideline for issuing ration cards to the people living along the Indo-Bangladesh border in order to check Bangladeshi people who can easily manage ration cards here and claim Indian citizenship. "Lack of adequate staff in the food and supplies department is hampering the execution of routine jobs," the Malda DM, Mr CR Das, said. "We have 53 sanctioned posts for sub inspectors in Malda food and supplies department but only 23 sub inspectors are working here these days. How could we expedite the process of issuing ration cards following government guidelines? ", Mr Das, questioned. On the other hand, it was also found that a few districts, such as Darjeeling in north Bengal and West Midnapore in south Bengal, had issued a large number of ration cards, more than the total population in those districts. "The Darjeeling district magistrate had to stop issuing ration cards in Hill areas after the detection of difference between the number of population and number of ration cards issued", Mr Chakraborti, said. At present, the people of Darjeeling Hills are in problem as they are not getting ration cards for their newborn members, he added. According to the report of the Subject Committee (based on the 2001 Census) the Darjeeling district administration had issued 18,65,557 ration cards, whereas its population was 16,05,900. Similarly, West Midnapore district had issued 56,62,152 ration cards though its population was 52,18,399 based on the 2001 Census. In Bankura, though the population was 31,91,830, a total of 33,53,656 ration cards were issued. A total of 18,65,557 ration cards were issued in Purulia, but its population was 16,05,900, Mr Chakraborti, said.

BIG BATTLE

Bangladeshi cattle smugglers are sneaking into Indian territory and taking away herds of cattle with local help, reports

Manas R Bannerjee

Indian border guards are alarmed by the Bangladesh Rifle's 'well planned' firing in connivance with the cattle smugglers, along the Indo-Bangladesh border in the districts of West Bengal. A group of senior BSF officials fear the plan to develop relation with the BDR, for joint and coordinated patrolling along the border to check infiltration, would not be implemented due to regular exchange of fire. “This trend may turn into a big battle field along the border if there is a reported causality of any Indian force by BDR’s firing,” said a senior BSF officer under Malda sector. It was reported that, BSF and a Bangladeshi minister pointed out the problem of maintaining relation between the two countries, that produces some ‘misleading’ story by a group of Bangladeshi newspapers. “Without quoting proper authorities of Bangladeshi border guards and others story on India Bangladesh border is creating problem”, the minister said. In fact the Bangladesh government was reportedly embarrassed to reply to the Indian government following the protest lodged over the clippings of Bangladeshi newspapers. Over the past few weeks there were several reports of gun battle between BSF and BDR in North and South Bengal killing at least 10 Indian and Bangladeshi cattle smugglers. Senior BSF officials think that Bangladeshi border guards are being forced to allow cattle smugglers to meet up the present crisis of cattle in neighbouring country owing to price hike of beef and present crisis of it during political unrest. “Every night Bangladeshi cattle smugglers are sneaking into Indian Territory with the help of the BDR and they are taking away herds of cattle with the help of Indian smugglers”, said D V Saraswat, eputy inspector general of BSF, Malda sector. “Most interestingly, the Bangladeshi cattle smugglers attack the Indian border security forces whenever we challenge them. Even if our border security forces open fire for self-defence and to stop cattle smuggling, within no time the BDR men fire aiming at our country keeps a safe distance”, said Saraswat. The senior BSF are regularly accusing BDR officials of directly helping the cattle smugglers at routine flag meeting after a gun battle between them. Even the senior BSF officials already sent several protest notes on it to their counter parts informing their higher authorities. It may be noted that there is a red alert along the border in Indian Territory after the declaration of emergency in Bangladesh and import and export has been suspended in some land customs stations owing to several causes. It was reported that owing to BSF’s close vigil on the border with the help of Thermal Imager, a new and sophisticated device to watch the border at night. According to the BSF, smuggling of essential items for the poor people in Bangladesh is under control. And the Bangladeshi who used to attend some fairs and festivals has been restricted to cross the border. “Though it is not absolutely correct, according to the intelligence report labourers and carrier of fake currency from Bangladesh are crossing the border regularly, but the flow of infiltration has been checked at present,” said an IPS officer. After arrest of an Indian and seizing fake currency worth Rs 2 lakh on 16 January, S P Malda Mr D K Mondal said , “ we suspect that huge amount of fake currency, all 500 rupee notes, has been collected by the racket from Bangladesh.”“He was working as a carrier and has been instructed to hand over the fake currency to another person in Jharkhand. It was detected that the racketeers had planned to send that fake currency to Mumbai via Jharkhand.” Mr Mondal admitted that racketeers are using the densely populated Kaliachak area very close to Indo-Bangladesh border, as transit point and they are active to circulate fake currencies in this region. On the other hand, the Bangladeshi border guards reportedly denying charges and blamed the BSF for their negligence and atrocities of the Indian border guards on Bangladeshi people. For instance, The New Nation, a Bangladeshi news paper had reported on 23 and 24 December 2006 that “the Indian BSF is indiscriminately killing Bangladeshi innocent people in different border areas, sources said.” “BDR sources told The New Nation that the Indian BSF killed over 100 innocent Bangladeshi farmers and traders illegally this year. About eight people were killed this month and seven in November without any provocation”. According to The New Nation, “Muslims in different places in India demonstrated against the ban on slaughtering of cattle during Eid-ul-Azha. Many Muslims, in India cannot observe their greatest festival by slaughtering cattle during Eid-ul-Azha due to Hindu fundamentalism.”“The Indian authorities increased their vigilance teams in border areas and interrupted to trade cattle in Bangladesh on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha, sources said. It is worth mentioning that Bangladesh is the big importer of Indian cattle,” the news paper reported. “The Indian BSF increased their killing operation on Bangladeshi people in border areas, which created panic among the unarmed people just before forthcoming general election,” sources said. #

Pic: Pralependu Sanyal

F B leader against military help to Myanmar

Statesman News Service
MALDA, Jan 22: - The General Secretary All India Forward Bloc and M P, Mr Debabrata Biswas, today criticised centre’s decision to increase military cooperation with Myanmar.
Speaking to the reporters here today he said: " Mr. Pranab Mukherjee has promised Myanmar authorities to provide military personnel and equipment. If India sends military to Myanmar it would be nothing but an attempt to kill democracy there. It would also have far reaching consequences on the country’s established principles. This decision would a dangerous for our country because India has always been supporting democracy every where".
Mr. Biswas also criticised the government's SEZ policy. " It is nothing but a bid to offer bribe to the capitalists", he said.
Four parties belonging to the LF have submitted a 19-page proposal demanding review of the present SEZ policy, he said.
"The present SEZ policy is wrong. The SEZ Rules 2006 should be rejected. After NDA the UPA government is also trying to implement it in the name of second generation of reform", he said.
On the issue of Nandigram he said: " The Left Front Government as well as Left Front parities in West Bengal have the responsibility to make an alternative way for the implementation of Industrialization and special economic zones ".
" If they fail, it would be most unfortunate”.
He said that the All India Forward Bloc would launch a countrywide agitation programme demanding that the government makes an act of Rehabilitation for the poor people who have been evicted for government projects and programmes.

Criminals clash in Kaliachak , two hurt

Statesman News Service
MALDA, Jan. 22: Two persons, including a lorry driver, were injured in a clash between two criminal groups at Jalalpur village in Malda’s Kaliachak police station area today.
The two groups hurled crude bombs and traded fire, targeting each other, during the clash, police said.
Trouble broke out after one Mohd Afal, a wanted criminal, was reportedly confined and beaten by his rival group at Jalalpur village. On being informed, the associates of Mohd Afal from Baluachara village attacked the members of the opponent group. Though Afal was injured, his associates managed to rescue him.
Police are looking for Afal because he is a wanted criminals.
“Afal is a wanted criminal and the Kalichak police are on the lookout for him,” the Malda SP, Mr Dilip Kumar Mandal, said.
Traffic movement on NH-34 was disrupted for a few minutes due to the gunbattle between the two groups. The wounded driver of a lorry was admitted to the Malda district hospital.
“We would start a case based on the statement of the injured driver who is undergoing treatment at the Malda district hospital,” the SP, said. No one has been arrested so far, he added.
Police patrolling has been intensified in the area to prevent further clashes between the two groups. Today’s clash between the two criminal groups has spread panic in the area.

"Care poor patients"

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Jan. 19: Acting on a complaint made by the joint director of health services (leprosy), state health minister Dr Surya Kanta Mishra has instructed the authorities of Malda district hospital to take special care of poor patients whose earning is below Rs 2,000 per month.The chief medical officer of health, Malda, Dr Radha Raman Banik, said that the minister who visited the hospital last evening, instructed the authorities concerned to buy medicines from the district illness assistance fund and provide the same to the poor patients.It was alleged that the poor patients visiting the Malda district hospital had to suffer a lot as they were finding it difficult to purchase medicines from outside. Despite Citu’s objection, the minister reportedly suggested the health officials to recruit ex-army men as security staff at the Malda district hospital. The district health authorities were not in a position to engage the ex-army men as security staff following resistance from local political leaders, including the Citu activists.Since local youths have been working at the hospital as security guards, the political leaders were not allowing ex-army men to take charge. It may be recalled that after a recent visit to the hospital, the joint director of health service (leprosy) had suggested the director of health services to immediately transfer the superintendent and a physiotherapy technician of the Malda district hospital, besides taking disciplinary action against them. The state official had also pointed out the irregularities in ECG unit, blood bank, kitchen and diet supply to the patients. “Practically there is no administration in the hospital,” the joint director, had mentioned in his letter to the director of health services. A copy of the letter was also forwarded to the Malda district magistrate. “It appeared that NACO (National AIDS Control Organisation ) guidelines were not being properly followed as evidenced from the discussion with the medical officer of the blood bank and other para-medical staff,” the letter, read.#

Minister calls for utilisation of health funds

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Jan. 18: State health minister Dr Surya Kanta Mishra today instructed the officials of four districts ~ Malda, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Murshidabad ~ to utilise the funds allotted for the development of health services latest by March this year. The minister, who held a meeting with the officials of the four districts here today, expressed concern after it was found that a sum of nearly Rs 25 crore released by the state government for development of health services has remained unspent. The minister said that the officials of the four districts were supposed to utilise the funds by December 2006. “A sum of Rs 8 crore has remained unspent in Malda, Rs 7 crore in Murshidabad, Rs 6 crore in South Dinajpur and Rs 4 crore in North Dinajpur,” the minister told reporters here today. He said that the state government had allotted Rs 600 crore for all districts in this financial year. “Overall a sum of Rs 117 crore has remained unspent in the state,” he said. Meanwhile, Dr Mishra stressed upon the need to develop sub-centres in the four districts and allotted Rs 20,000 each for these districts for the health infrastructure development and treatment of patients. The minister announced that Rs 50,000 and Rs100, 000 would be allotted for the development of primary and block health centres, respectively, in the state. He said that the government has appointed qualified staff to execute programme management and ensure better health services in the backward districts based on the “health index” as reported in the routine survey. “The state government has planned to convert the primary health centres into 10-bed rural hospitals. Two doctors each would remain on duty in these proposed hospitals,” the minister, said. He also instructed the officials concerned to expedite the implementation of accredited social health activist (ASHA) programme through non-government organisations under the National Rural Health Mission project. He said that to curb the mosquito menace, malaria experts of entomology department, North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, will conduct a study on “mosquitoes behaviour and character” in Jalpaiguri and the adjoining districts.

CPM plans tit for tat

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Jan. 17: In an apparent attempt to take revenge from the Congress leaders who did not cooperate during the tabling of the English Bazaar panchayat samiti budget, the CPI-M leaders are planning to oppose the annual budget of the Malda zilla parishad that would be tabled in February.It may be recalled that last year also, the Congress-led zilla parishad faced difficulties in passing the annual action plan and budget owing to protests by the CPI-M led Opposition leaders of the rural body. The Opposition leaders had raised some objections, citing the Panchayat Act, making it difficult for the Congress-led board to prepare the budget and the annual action plan. The budget was at last passed after the intervention of chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and the panchayat and rural development minister Mr Surya Kanta Misra. This year, however, the CPI-M-led Opposition of the MZP is determined not to cooperate with the Congress leaders during the tabling of the budget. It was learnt that the MZP would place the draft budget in the third week of January and call a general meeting to pass the budget, for which a majority of 50 per cent is mandatory. Interestingly, the CPI-M led English Bazaar panchayat samiti board has no majority. On the other hand, the Congress-led MZP may also face problem to prove majority based on its present members' ratio. The Congress office bearer of MZP, Mr Soumitra Roy, said: "At present we have 31 members out of 62. However, at the time of the meeting, we would be able to increase the number to 33, as two more leaders have promised to support us." The panchayat and rural development minister, Mr Surya Kanta Mishra, would hold a meeting here tomorrow and also review the performance of the Malda zilla parishad.

BSF, BDR trade fire in S Dinajpur

Manas R Bannerjee

MALDA, Jan. 16: The Border Security Force (BSF) and Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) personnel exchanged bullets on the issue of cattle smuggling at Jamalpur village under Mathurapur border outpost in South Dinajpur district early this morning, officials said. Deputy inspector general of BSF, Malda sector, Mr Dharamvir Saraswat, said that the BDR personnel fired more than 100 rounds within five minutes around 5.30 am, prompting the BSF jawans to retaliate.“It was the BDR’s well-planned firing in connivance with the Bangladeshi cattle smugglers. We had to fire 12 rounds in retaliation”, Mr Saraswat, said. The BSF officials said that a group of Bangladeshi cattle smugglers sneaked into the Indian territory last night and were taking away a herd of cattle with the help of the Indian smugglers at dawn, braving the curfew imposed by the South Dinajpur district administration in the area. Mr Brajesh Mishra, company commandant, 115 battalion, BSF, discussed the issue with the in-charge of 29 battalion of BDR, Cornel Samim, over telephone, and urged him to maintain cease-fire. Mr Mishra also requested the BDR official to hold a flag meeting over the issue, Mr Saraswat, said. “We are also planning to send a protest letter to the BDR officials, besides requesting them to hold company commandant level meeting on the issue,” Mr Saraswat, said.He, however, said that situation is under control now at the Mathurapur border outpost that witnessed the gunbattle between the border guards of the two countries early this morning. The South Dinajpur SP, Mr KK Mallick, said that in two separate incidents, the BSF jawnas killed two cattle smugglers in the Hilli and Kushmundi police station areas last night.It may be recalled that in November last year, Mr Saraswat had written a letter to senior BDR officials, accusing them of helping cattle smugglers along the Indo-Bangla border.

Lawyers , court staff to protest in Malda today

MALDA, Jan. 15: The recent clash between lawyers and clerical staff of the Malda court has taken a serious turn.While members of the Malda Bar Association have decided to “cease work” and stage demonstration in front of the office of the district judge here tomorrow, the Malda court employees, backed by the CPI-M-affiliated Co-ordination Committee, are planning to take out a rally in the town on the same day to protest against the “high-handedness” of the lawyers.It may be recalled that on 12 January, the Malda court premises turned into a battlefield after a group of lawyers clashed with the employees of the court over the issue of handing over of the certified copies of court cases. A lawyer was also injured in the scuffle. n SNS

Security tightened at Bangla border

MALDA, Jan. 15: The Border Security Force has intensified patrolling along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Malda following the present unrest in the neighbouring country.The deputy inspector general of BSF, Malda sector, Mr Dharamvir Saraswat, visited a few border out posts in South Dinajpur district today following reports of cattle smuggling. “Though the situation is calm and quite, we are keeping a close eye on the border areas. The Bangladeshi cattle smugglers are trying to sneak into the Indian territory for stealing cattle. Our forces, however, are leaving no stone unturned to prevent infiltration,” Mr Saraswat, said. According to him, three Bangladeshi cattle smugglers have been killed in BSF firing over the past few days in Malda and South Dinajpur districts. Meanwhile, the Malda exporters are facing difficulties in exporting goods to Bangladesh, via Mahadipur border, owing to the ongoing violence in the neighbouring country. It may be recalled that the Bangladeshi importers had recently informed their Malda counterparts that they would not receive goods owing to hike of parking fees at Sona Masjid land customs station in Bangladesh. After the declaration of emergency in Bangladesh, the problem is yet to resolved, the exporter, said. Members of the Mahadipur Exporters’ Association have sought help from the Union commerce minister, Mr Kamal Nath, on the issue. n SNS

Lawyers clash with court staff in Malda

MALDA, Jan. 12: The Malda court premises turned into a battlefield today after a group of lawyers clashed with the employees of the court over a minor issue. Trouble broke out when a lawyer, Mr Sudeb Mandal, sought certified copies of court cases from a government employee. After a brief altercation, the employees of the court allegedly roughed up Mr Mandal, injuring him seriously.Peeved at the incident, the lawyers jumped into action and a clash broke out between the two groups. Later, a few law clerks of the court also joined hands with the employees.The lawyers alleged that the law clerks usually make delay in handing over certified copies of judgments and other related copies, expecting “extra money” for carrying out the job. On the other hand, the law clerks have refuted the allegation. They claimed that Mr Samiran Moitra, a government employee who locked horns with Mr Mandal today, had no corruption record against him. The lawyers later submitted a memorandum to the Malda district judge, demanding stern action against those employees who allegedly assaulted Mr Mandal. Meanwhile, an injured Mr Mandal is undergoing treatment at the Malda district hospital. He has lodged an FIR with the English Bazaar police station against two government employees ~ Mr Samiran Moitra and Mr Manotosh Dutta. Members of Malda Bar Association have threatened cease work over the issue. n SNS

Land hurdle for Malda airstrip

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Jan. 11: The proposed land acquisition for reopening of the Malda airstrip is being delayed owing to some conditions imposed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), officials said here today. While the Malda district administration officials said there was no written proposal for land acquisition for the Malda airstrip, Mr SK Chanda, in-charge of the Malda airport, said the state chief secretary had been informed about the land acquisition proposal many days back. “Mr AK Mishra, an AAI official, had stressed upon the need for land acquisition for the revival of the Malda airstrip. He had also urged the state government to bear 50 per cent cost of the land and free supply of electricity and water. Perhaps, this condition is delaying the land acquisition,” Mr Chanda, said. It may be recalled that after conducting a survey recently, the AAI officials had pointed out that high-rise buildings and mobile towers on the eastern side of the existing airstrip would obstruct the landing of aircrafts. They felt that at least 45 acres of land would be required for the expansion of the runway. Official sources said land surveyors would be visiting the airstrip in the last week of January to settle the land dispute. The AAI officials have identified more than 10 buildings on the eastern side of the airstrip’s land and urged the district administration to take action against the owners of these buildings.

Police lathicharge in Malda

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Jan. 8: Hundreds of bandh supporters prevented the Malda district magistrate and other senior officials, including the SDO and ADM, from entering their offices today.A strong police force, led by the Malda additional superintendent of police, rushed to the spot and cleared the main gate of the district collectorate.Bandh supporters, including political leaders and some media persons, were allegedly injured in police lathi-charge. Later, the Malda DM Mr CR Das and superintendent of police apologised for the incident. A few media persons, including a cameraman of an electronic media house, were injured when the police beat the bandh supporters belonging to Congress, BJP, Trinamul and Suci. “This incident is unfortunate. We are sorry ... Police did not beat the media person intentionally”, said Mr CR Das, the DM. “An inquiry would be ordered into the incident,” he added.The Trinamul Congress, meanwhile, will observe a black day in Malda district tomorrow to protest against the police highhandedness. The bandh, meanwhile, disrupted normal life in the district today.Railway services were disrupted during the bandh in the town.

KPP convention held in Malda

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Jan. 7: The open central convention of Kamtapur People’s Party (KPP) was held at Eight Mile here today. Senior KPP leaders of the region who attended the convention accused the state government of neglecting the Kamtapuris. They chose the occasion to renew the demand for the creation of a separate state for the Kamtapuri people. The KPP, formed in 1996, has been demanding recognition of the Kamptapuri language. The general secretary of the KKP central committee, Mr Subhas Barman, said: “We would not be under the control of the Kolkata-based political leaders. After interacting with the people and the KPP supporters, we would finalise a place in north Bengal that would be the capital of the proposed Kamtapuri state,” Mr Barman, said.Mr Barman criticised alleged police atrocities on him and his associates. “The police unnecessarily linked us to the KLO,” he said. Hundreds of people from across the region attended today’s convention. The KPP also organised “Chetana Yatra”, a cycle rally from Sankosh to Ganga, covering the entire north Bengal districts before organising the open convention in Malda today.The KPP leaders said that they selected Malda as the venue for the convention to mobilse more people, demanding a separate Kamtapur state. The KPP has a strong base in Bamongola, Gazole and Habibpur in Malda.

Families of fishermen face starvation

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Jan. 5: Several families of fishermen in Malda's Manikchak block are allegedly facing starvation owing to a sudden scarcity of fishes in the Ganges, a senior officer said. "Poorest of the poor families living in the char lands on the western side of the Ganges depend on fishing. However, they are getting required fishes to earn livelihood", said Mr Sandeep Nag, the block development officer of Manikchak. "I don't know the exact cause of the scarcity of fishes but it may be due to excessive pollution in the Ganges", Mr Nag, said. A 45-year-old woman from a fisherman's family recently died after a prolonged illness at Narayanpur village. Due to lack of money, she could not get the treatment. Narayanpur village is a remotest island on the western side of the Ganges in Manikchak block, officials said. Another old man of the same village is facing death. The BDO, however, denied that the woman starved to death.He claimed that food and relief materials were sent to the villages last week. Many families live in the char lands of the Ganges on the western side of the Ganges in Kaliachak II block. They are also facing problems.

Malda link to Noida killing!

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Jan. 4: The police have initiated an inquiry here in connection with the serial child killing in Noida after receiving information that one Maya Sarkar, a resident of Nalagola area, was working as a maid at the house of Moninder Singh Pandher, the prime accused in the case. The Malda SP, Mr Dilip Kumar Mondal, has instructed police officers of Bamongola to find out if any missing child’s case was registered in the Nalagola area, where Maya Sarkar lived.According to the Malda SP, Maya was working as a maid at Pandher’s house for the last two years. Her husband, Nitya Sarkar, a day labourer went to Delhi 10 years ago. Maya was his second wife. Nitya was living there with his two wives and engaged them as maidservants. The officer in-charge of Bamongola police station today visited the house of Maya Sarkar and got information that Nitya Sarkar had two sons aged between 11 and 15. One of them is Maya’s son.The boys, Chiranjit and Prasenjit, confessed before police that their father used to send them money regularly. They also said that their father came home once a year and their mother Maya had come home two years back. “No one else was home except the two boys. We have found nothing in connection with the Noida children killing till now but we are looking for any missing children’s case in the past two years,” police officials said. “I have instructed the OC to find out any missing children’s diary in the Nalagola area related to Maya Sarkar,” the SP, said. The details would be submitted tomorrow, he added.

Row over high-rise buildings

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Jan. 4: The English Bazaar municipality authorities are in trouble following the Airport Authority’s objection against the construction of four-storied buildings in the vicinity of the airport that is proposed for reopening. Although inconvenienced, the EBM authorities have finally instructed its civil engineers to conduct a survey of all high-rise on the side of the National Highway 34 and on the eastern side of the existing airfield, the civic body officials said today. The EBM chief was forced to take the decision after receiving a letter from the Malda district magistrate intimating him of the Airport Authority of India’s reservation against permitting four storied buildings near the airstrip to keep free the flying zone. To complicate matters, the municipal authorities had already given permission for the construction of a number of four-storied buildings including two six storied ones along the NH 34 before receiving the district magistrate’s letter. The EBM chief Mr Narendranath Tiwari said that they would review the position of the multistory buildings along the NH 34 on the basis of the engineers’ report. “ We cannot cancel the permissions already given for the construction of the multistory buildings without a resolution in the board of councillors’ meeting,” Mr Tiwari said. “The matter would be discussed in the next board meeting,” he added.Not only the high-rise buildings, the AAI had also objected to a garbage dumping ground at Chandan Park, very close to the Malda airport, the EBM officials said. Senior Trinamul councillor Ms Sumala Agarwal said: “ We have already decided to shift the garbage dumping ground from Chandan park to elsewhere. We have inspected four sites for a proposed solid waste management project. Chandan Park is not sufficient for the average two metric ton garbage the town spews every day. We need more land,” she added.

Malda DM's no to multi-storied buildings

Statesman News Service

MALDA , Jan 2:- The Malda district magistrate has intimated the English Bazaar civic body chief not to allow fou-storied buildings (ground floor plus three) on either side of National Highway 34 or on the eastern side of the existing airport field. In reference to a recent letter from the Airports Authority of India, the district magistrate Mr C R Das wrote the letter to the English Bazaar civic body chief on 28 December. It was mentioned that before final survey for operating the Malda airport, the municipality should not permit any highrise construction in the mentioned areas. It may be noted that the Airports Authority had been objecting construction of multi-storied buildings in these areas since the process to revive the airport began.

Intuc stir on Singur soon

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Jan. 2: The Intuc has decided to launch a statewide stir on the issue of “forcible” acquisition of multi-crop farmland in Singur. The Intuc state president, Mr Subrata Mukherjee, has instructed all district presidents and leaders of Intuc to fix a day for the programme by 10 January. Mr Mukherjee has also instructed all district presidents to raise the question of allotting irrigated and multi-crop land to industrialists and estate agents or promoters, stop atrocities on agriculture labourers and farmers in Singur and elsewhere, ensure democratic rights of citizens and the publication of a white paper on the state government’s policy on agriculture, industry, farm labourers and industrial investment. In a letter to all district presidents, Mr Mukherjee has pointed out that agriculture workers and cultivators were badly hit by the faulty industrial and labour policies of the Left Front government. “It is pertinent to mention here that the CPI-M backed by Citu, police and local hooligans has formed a nexus to extend all help to capitalists blatantly ignoring the genuine grievances and legitimate rights of the working class and the farmers”, Mr. Mukherjee wrote in his letter. The Malda Intuc is planning to stage agitation on the issues by 10 January.

30 detained for Sujapur violence

Statesman News Service

MALDA , Jan 2: Police today conducted massive raids in the Sujapur area under Kaliachak police station since morning and detained over 30 persons for interrogation before arresting them finally. The decision to conduct the raid was taken following an incident that took place yesterday in which, four policemen were injured and their firearms were snatched. Trouble broke out after it was announced during the Id prayers that people belonging to a non-minority community had taken away cattle meant for sacrifice on the occasion of Id. Lastly, it was established that the entire episode was false and based on rumours. Hundreds of police personnel from different police stations today raided the areas in and around Sujapur to find the culprits who provoked the people. Sources said a group of criminals masterminded the rumour to take revenge against the police. The minority people dominated area is also a den of criminals and clashes with the police are common. It may be recalled that during the last Id-ul-Fitr, a clash took place among villagers in areas adjacent to Sujapur where hundreds of people attacked each other exchanging crude bombs.

Violence mars Id in Malda

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Jan. 1: At least four policemen were injured, one of them seriously, when members of a minority community attacked them during Id prayers at Bakharpur village in Malda’s Kaliachak police station area today.The agitated villagers also damaged the police vehicles and snatched rifles, mobiles and radiotelephone sets from the cops. Police said trouble broke out after it was announced during Id prayers that people belonging to a non-minority community had taken away cattle meant for sacrifice on the occasion of Id. The on duty policemen had to face the ire of the agitating people from a minority community. However, after conducting a spot inquiry, the police termed the report of cattle theft a “rumour”. By then, the damage had already been done.“We are trying to identify the cattle owners. The announcement that the cattle were stolen was false and mischievous,” the Malda SP, Mr DK Mondal, said. Additional police forces have been deployed in the area to avoid any untoward incident. “We have recovered the damaged rifles and other valuables,” the SP, said. The injured police personnel are undergoing treatment at the Malda district hospital. The condition of one of them is stated to be serious.Some passengers and picnickers were also injured when the mob allegedly attacked running vehicles on NH-34 near Sujapur. The police preferred not to retaliate as it was Id today and any such act would have led to a communal violence in the area.Sources, however, said that the police would conduct a massive raid in the area tomorrow.