Rogue elephants to be confined to forests!

statesman news service
SILIGURI, 21 MAY: To bring under control "resident" wild elephants that frequently damage houses and crops and even kill people, the state forest department is planning a project.
The objective is to confine elephants known to be trouble-makers ~ particularly tuskers ~ in a forest area and keep them there, inside the fencing. State forest minister Hiten Barman said his department had sent two proposals recently to the Central government, to build "rescue" centres for the notorious elephants.
"If the Centre allows it, we have to earmark 100 acres of forest area to build a rescue centre in north Bengal for erratic and notorious elephants involving in fighting within forests and disrupting life in forest villages," Mr Barman said.
"Our forest officials have already identified those tuskers ~ members of different herds of elephants ~ based on their track records and, at present, departmental officials always keep their eyes on them, to check the elephant menace," he said.  
"But, owing to some limitations we cannot check infighting and other problems, including man-animal conflict, when those tuskers go on the rampage. We cannot tranquillise elephants without reason and without permission from the Central authorities," the minister said. 
"So, we have decided to begin a pilot project to rehabilitate those elephants whose track records are horrible and alarming. We think this project may reduce man-animal conflict and the elephant menace in forest areas," Mr Barman told The Statesman by phone.
According to forest officials, the state has planned to build two such rescue centres: one in north Bengal, and one in south Bengal. Funds would be required for fencing to confine the elephants within the restricted zone, and to arrange fodder for them. 
A few tuskers create problems, but many wild elephants are well-behaved, according to according to the north Bengal forest department’s records. 

Opposition

Opposition against inclusion of areas from Jalpaiguri in Alipurduar dist

statesman news service
SILIGURI, 21 MAY: Residents of two gram panchayats ~ Sakoajhora-I and Binaguri ~ and almost all office-bearers and members of the two civic bodies, have started a movement against a proposal to include the areas in the proposed Alipurduar district, which is to be carved out of Jalpaiguri district. 
It was decided that office-bearers of the two gram panchayats will continue their movement jointly against the initial proposal to carve out a new district map comprising five Assembly constituencies, including Madarihat AC.
Irrespective of political affiliations, gram panchayat members have united on the issue and are raising slogans such as "We will not go under Alipurduar district". They had a meeting yesterday. 
The two gram panchayats that are under the control of Dhupguri administrative block in Jalpaiguri, are part of Madarihat AC. It was proposed that a major part of Dhupguri block and panchayat samiti remain under the present Jalpaiguri district. 
There was discussion about two gram panchayats under Dhupguri block being included in Madarihat block in Alipurduar district in order to avoid administrative and technical problems, following the Election Commission’s guideline. But it seems those gram panchayats oppose the idea. 
An all-political party meeting was convened by the Jalpaiguri district magistrate on 17 May. The political leaders will meet again on 28 May again to reach a consensus on the proposed new Alipurduar district and discuss in detail several issues after studying administrative proposals to carve out a new district, including the creation of sub-divisions. 
The pradhan and other members of Sakoajhora-I gram panchayat, which is jointly controlled by BJP, Trinamul and Congress members, convened a meeting at Gayerkata HS School this evening to formulate strategies to prevent the administration from including the gram panchayat in the new district. 
The Binaguri gram panchayat, controlled by the Congress, convened another meeting on the same issue at a local market.
Sakoajhora-I pradhan Manohar Mandal, a BJP leader, said: "We welcome the decision to create a new Alipurduar district. However, we will not go under the control of a new district as local residents will face difficulties in getting administrative services."
"If our area is included in Madarihat block, the distance to the district headquarters will be 85 km. At present, the distance between Jalpaiguri and Sakoajhora is nearly 41 km. The present distance between the panchayat and Dhupguri block is 12 km and, in the new administrative set-up, the distance will be 35 km," Mr Mandal said. 
The upo-pradhan of Sakoajhora gram panchayat, Mr Satyabrata Chakraborty, a Trinamul leader, said: "We have started campaigning against the proposals, collecting signatures from villagers. Local political leaders, including the CPI-M and other Left parties have supported us on this issue."
The upo-pradhan of Binaguri GP, Mr Balaram Roy, a Congress leader, said: "Local residents would have to face harassment following the new administrative set-up. Though we welcome the formation of a new district, we will never go under the new district.
"The people of Binaguri GP are under the jurisdiction of Banarhat police station, which is 5 km away. If the area goes under the control of Alipurduar district, it will come under the control of the Birpara police station, which is 13 km away," said Mr Roy

‘No bandh if no part of Terai-Dooars put in GTA’

‘No bandh if no part of Terai-Dooars put in GTA’

7 April 2012

statesman news service

SILIGURI, 7 APRIL: Leaders of two groups said they would consider calling off a proposed 10-11 April bandh only if the state government assures them that no Terai-Dooars land will be put under the GTA, while the leader of a third group said his unit would go forward with the strike no matter what.

State industry minister Partha Chatterjee will meet in Siliguri tomorrow with representatives of the Terai-Dooars Joint Action Committee, which has been spearheading the no-land movement. Mr Chatterjee is coming as the chief minister’s emissary ask the anti-GJMM coalition to withdraw its two-day shutdown.

Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikash Parishad state president Birsa Tirkey said Mr Chatterjee’s trip would yield a result only if he declares unambiguously on behalf of the state government that not a single mouja from the region would be included in the GTA territory.

"We would indeed consider withdrawing agitation if he gives such an assurance," Mr Tirkey said.

A development package from the state government would not soften the ABAVP's stance, Mr Tirkey said. "Such a strategy might have succeeded in the past when we were a gullible community. Now the situation has changed. We will not wager land for development," he said.

Echoing Mr Tirkey, Kamtapur Progressive Party president Atul Roy, who is the convener of the Dooars-Terai Joint Action Committee (TDJAC), said he would ask Mr Chatterjee to arrange a meeting with the chief minister on the land issue.  "If the chief minister states no land from the region would be included in the GTA, we would withdraw the bandh," he said.

The president of another TDJAC constituent, the Bangla O Bangla Bhasa Bachao Committee, Mr Mukunda Majumder said there was no question of withdrawing the bandh. "The GTA agreement itself is unconstitutional," he said. 

Bratya for Marx, Friedrich and Lenin in syllabus

Bratya for Marx, Friedrich and Lenin in syllabus
SILIGURI, 7 APRIL: Taking a stance that stands contrary to one taken by the School Education Syllabus Committee (SESC), the state education minister, Bratya Basu, today said there was no question of ridding the history syllabus of the historical legacy associated with Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and VI Lenin. “Marx, Engels and Lenin are indispensable parts of world history. There is no question of erasing these important figures from the history syllabus of the schools,” he said while talking to the media on the sidelines of the inauguration of a B.Ed college at Patagora under Rajganj block in Jalpaiguri district today. When asked about the recent controversy regarding the matter, he said it was about a mere recommendation of the committee.  sns

Asok claims discrepancies in GTA

Asok claims discrepancies in GTA

6 April 2012

SILIGURI, 6 APRIL: Former state urban development minister Asok Bhattacharya pointed out what he said were several discrepancies in the GTA agreement in an article today in CPI-M mouthpiece, Ganashakti. In the article, Mr Bhattacharya wondered whether the state government has erroneously mentioned that a three-tier panchayat system would be introduced in the Hills, or intentionally created discrepancies on the subject.
"The three-tire panchayat system and municipalities are recognized by the Indian Constitution. But the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration is a statutory body under the purview of the state Act. Can a body recognised by the Act control constitutionally guaranteed self-government?" he wrote.
Mr Bhattacharya also criticised the chief minister’s commitment to nominating five members from the Terai and the Dooars to the GTA.
"The GTA will be constituted comprising 50 members, according to Section 5(1) of the GTA Act. The Governor would nominate five persons. The state government would not nominate. Five members will be selected from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, women, and the minority community. But it was decided at a meeting in Kolkata on 24 March that the state would nominate members from new added areas. How is it possible?” he asked.
He also pointed out that: "A total of 45 constituencies will be made to resolve the GTA ‘region’ according to Section 5(1) and 6(4) of the Act. But the definition of the GTA region has specified all areas under three Hill sub-divisions ~ Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong ~ and 18 moujas under Siliguri sub-division. Notably, all 18 moujas have already been included in the Kurseong sub-division. How has the state government assured the GJMM leaders that all 18-moujas would be included in GTA?” sns

GTA land issue: Committee to meet on 20 April

6 April 2012

statesman news service

GTA land issue: Committee to meet on 20 April
 

SILIGURI, 6 APRIL: In order to expedite the land transfer process involving the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), the high-power committee, headed by Mr Justice (retd) Shyamal Sen will meet in Kolkata on 20 April. Senior GJMM leader LB Pariyar, who is also a member of the high-power committee, said the agenda was yet to be decided. Notably, Mr Sen met the state home secretary and the district magistrates of Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling on 27 March in Kolkata.
Mr Sen is understood to have asked the two district magistrates to furnish details involving the mouja-specific maps based on latest Census reports.  Mr Pariyar said he had not yet been informed about the spot verification by the committee. “I have no idea when the verification process will begin. All I can say is that the district magistrates have been asked to provide data-based information about the moujas which will help the committee to differentiate the Gorkha and Adivasi majority areas across the Terai and the Dooars,” he said. He also said the mouja map and the Census report should be considered as determinants in identifying the lands to be included into the GTA territory. “Language can be a determining factor too in the land identification process,” he added. Another member of the committee and a GJMM leader based in Terai, Mr Shankar Adhikari, claimed that several hundred moujas will be included in the GTA. 

11 child deaths in Malda

11 child deaths in Malda

6 April 2012

statesman news service
MALDA, 6 APRIL: At least 11 children died in Malda Medical College and Hospital in last 36 hours. 
State health department spokesman Asit Biswas confirmed the deaths of nine children in a 24-hour period and 15 children over the past seven days. But those figures aren't what the department is focused on, he said.
“We’re not concerned with the number of deaths,” Mr Biswas said. "Our concern is to see how many crib deaths can be prevented.”
Mr Biswas said a task-force has been formed and “the MMCH authorities have been asked to record the details of the sick babies on the bed tickets.”
Asked about the normal average number of crib deaths in Malda, Mr Biswas said that “generally 33 newborns out of each 1,000 die, but the situation in Malda is different.”
“MMCH bears the pressure of the patients not only from neighbouring districts, but also of the sick children referred from neighbouring states like Bihar and Jharkhand,” he said.
Malda Medical College and Hospital (MMCH) sources say nine babies died there up until yesterday afternoon. The particulars of those children couldn’t be obtained from hospital authorities, but eight of them were referred to MMCH, seven of were suffering from asphyxia, and two had very low weights.
Two more children died this morning.
Five-month-old Romit Sheikh, of Babupur village under English Bazaar block, was brought to MMCH by his parents ~ Mrs Amina Bibi and Mr Abdul Kalam Azad ~ with breathing trouble. Mr Ekramul Hoque, Romit’s grandfather, alleged that the child died soon after a nurse had given him an injection, and that no doctor attended the sick baby.
Five-day-old Juthika Pramanik, of Raipur village in the Mojampur area of Kaliachak block, was also brought in suffering from asphyxia and died. 
MMCH principal Debasis Bhattacharyya has been transferred to Sagar Dutta Medical College and Hospital at Kamarhati. Dr Uchchhwal Bhadra, of NRS Medical College and Hospital, a professor of community medicine, has taken over as the new principal.

Hill tour operators want relief from strikes

Hill tour operators want relief from strikes

6 April 2012

statesman news service
SILIGURI, 6 APRIL: Tour operators are appealing to the political forces in the Hills to spare the tourism industry from their bandhs, as it is one of the mainstays of the regional economy.
The anti-GJMM forces have called a 48-hour strike in the Terai and the Dooars on 10-11 April and the GJMM-backed Joint Action Committee has called another 48-hour strike on 18-19 April.
"Bandhs and tourism are two extremely opposite poles and can never meet," said tour operator Raj Basu.
"For the past two decades tourism has come up as the main industry in the north Bengal and Sikkim region, which is considered a major tourism circuit globally, because of its  geographical location, heritage and hospitality," Mr Basu said.
"We saw during the previous series of bandhs that they affected the industry badly," he said. "So we ask the conveners of the bandh to exempt the industry and treat it as an emergency service."
Mr Basu said the hotels had been almost booked, but around 30 per cent of bookings have already been cancelled because of the proposed bandhs. "Many people are associated with the industry," he said. "They will be affected badly if the industry is not kept out of the bandh's purview."
Another tour operator, Mr Vivek Gupta, said the industry had already suffered losses of Rs 200-300 crore because of the earthquake in Sikkim last year. "We fear that if the tourism industry is affected by the proposed bandh, we might suffer a financial loss of around Rs 400-500 crore," he said.

Move to seize cell phones from inmates

Move to seize cell phones from inmates

6 April 2012

statesman news service
SILIGURI, 6 APRIL: After 250-300 cell phones were confiscated from inmates of various state correctional homes over the past 10 months, state minister for jails Shankar Chakraborty today admitted that the convicts have been availing the facility with a connivance with some jail employees.
At the inauguration of a guest house for officers of correctional home departments in Siliguri, he said: “We are conducting surprise visits to seize cell phones. We have also decided to introduce modern technologies like close-circuit cameras and jammers to track if anybody was using cell phones.” The minister also inaugurated a 16-bed hospital for inmates of the Siliguri special correctional home and said the state government was planning to set up more hospitals for correctional homes. “We have just inaugurated a 10-bed hospital for female inmates at the correctional home at Balurghat. Work is on to set up a 20-bed hospital for male inmates at Balurghat and a 30-bed hospital at Hooghly,” he said.
Mr Chakrabarty said the jail department had tied up with the Indira Gandhi National Open University for imparting basic and higher education to inmates. “Initially, it will be introduced in the Central correctional homes and will later be introduced to the ones in various districts and sub-divisions,” he said.
North Bengal development minister, Mr Gautam Deb, Siliguri MLA and Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority chairman Rudranath Bhattacharya, inspector-general of north Bengal police, Mr Sanjay Singh, inspector-general of correctional services Ranbir Singh were also present at the programme.

Trinamul opposes appointment of Gour Banga varsity official

Trinamul opposes appointment of Gour Banga varsity official

6 April 2012

statesman news service
MALDA, 6 APRIL: A Trinamul-backed group has written to the Governor to oppose the confirmation of an official to a permanent post at the University of Gour Banga.
Mr Apurba Chakraborty was appointed as inspector in colleges (IC) of the university in February 2011 by the former university council. The other candidates who competed for the post alleged that Mr Chakraborty was given undue advantage, and his appointment was unfair.
"Dr Chakraborty has neither the prescribed experience nor due qualification required for the post. It was his intimacy with the former Left Front government that fetched him the crucial post," said Mr Pradyot Ghosh, speaking on behalf of the Trinamul-backed Gour Banga Siksaha O Sanskriti Unnayan Mancha (GBSSUM), a forum of intellectuals from Malda and both Dinajpurs.
Mr Chakraborty was on probation for the first year, and his service was due to be confirmed in February, making him the permanent IC. Meanwhile, the former council was dissolved and a new council was formed.
The members of the GBSSUM met the new council members right before the first meeting on 25 March and alleged that Mr Chakraborty’s appointment was controversial and illegal. They also asked the new council not to confirm Mr Chakraborty's service.
The council, however, referred the issue to Governor MK Narayanan, who is also the Chancellor. So the GBSSUM on 3 April sent a written objection to the Governor, claiming Mr Chakraborty's appointment was an "instance of corrupt practice" by the selection committee.
The GBSSUM also said the "standard procedure of screening the applications for the interview by a screening committee" was violated by the Vice-Chancellor (V-C).
"The interview was cancelled on the date fixed at the sweet will of the V-C and the interview was held the next day without giving ‘sufficient time’ to the candidates," the group alleged.
A good number of UGB teachers, however, stand by Mr Chakraborty and claim he served as the officiating registrar during a period of crisis for the varsity. "It’s unfortunate that a commendable officer like him is being targeted merely on political grounds," said a senior teacher on the condition of anonymity.
The senior teacher also said that, as per the conditions mentioned in the appointment letter, Mr Chakraborty’s service should be automatically confirmed after one year. The council's nod is "a mere formality," he said.
V-C Gopa Dutta also supported Mr Chakraborty, saying: “I’m happy that he performed satisfactorily from his capacity."

GJMM, GNLF men clash; five injured

GJMM, GNLF men clash; five injured

5 April 2012

KURSEONG, 5 APRIL: Five GNLF activists were injured as they clashed with GJMM workers at Gaaridhura in Kurseong today. However, the GNLF activists observed the party’s foundation day in the vicinity of the Panighatta police outpost.  
GNLF supporters from different areas adjoining Gaaridhura started assembling at Gaaridhura Bazaar in the morning to observe the party’s foundation day programme. They alleged that hundreds of GJMM supporters had swooped down on them.
“They pounced upon us, chased us and pelted us with stones. We had to leave Gaaridhura and observed the programme at Panighatta. Several of our supporters were injured. The number of the injured would have gone up substantially had we not retreated to Panighatta in time,” said the GNLF’s Kurseong unit leader, Mr Nima Lama. The GNLF activists blocked roads at Panighatta for around an hour and also staged a demonstration in front of the Panighatta police outpost. Slogans against Mr Bimal Gurung and the GJMM were raised. They also shouted slogans against the police for the latter’s failure to provide them with adequate protection against the alleged GJMM hooliganism. He also said three GNLF supporters were injured in Mirik when they were returning after having participated in the foundation day rally at Mahendra Busty.
GJMM’s Kurseong youth leader Subash Pradhan, however, said his party activists had done nothing to spoil the GNLF programme. sns

GNLF to renew Sixth Schedule campaign

GNLF to renew Sixth Schedule campaign

4 April 2012

statesman news service
DARJEELING, 4 APRIL: The once preponderant party of the Darjeeling Hills, the Gorkha National Liberation Front, is set to observe its foundation day tomorrow across the Hills and the party activists are likely to launch renewed campaign in support of including the Hills within the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. However, inter-party clashes cannot be ruled out as, according to Subash Ghising’s followers, the GJMM activists are tearing off the GNLF flags in order to intimidate them.
“Our party flags have been torn off at several places and we are sure the GJMM activists are doing this to intimidate us. Such incidents have happened at Rock Garden and Dali in Darjeeling but we are determined to go ahead with the foundation day programme at any cost,” said a GNLF activist Mr Basant Subba. He said the party chief, Subash Ghising, has asked them to carry on with the programme regardless of everything. “We know the GJMM would pull all stops to obstruct it. But we are prepared to take the challenge head on,” he said.
Another party activist said the thrust of the foundation day programme would remain trained on reaching out to the people with the message that the inclusion of the Hills in the Sixth Schedule is the only option left with the GTA setup floundering. “We are invincibly opposed to the GTA, as it is a mockery of the Constitution-guaranteed power enshrined in the Sixth Schedule,” he said. When asked to comment on the GNLF allegation that the GJMM cadres are tearing off GNLF flags, the GJMM general secretary Binay Tamang said his party was least interested in the GNLF. “The common people have decisively rejected the party and its Sixth Schedule panacea,” he said.

GJMM-GNLF face-off likely today
Tension is likely at Gaaridhura tomorrow as the GJMM and the GNLF are both going to hold programmes in the town. The supporters of the GNLF are going to observe their party's foundation day tomorrow. The GJMM, after failing to obtain police permission to hold its proposed youth meeting at Gaaridhura, is organising a five-day puja there, instead.

200-kva generator gathers dust at hospital

200-kva generator gathers dust at hospital
Siliguri MLA Rudranath Bhattacharya  presented a 200-KVA generator to the Siliguri Hospital, as a back-up power supply during load-shedding, a few months ago. However, the generator is gathering dust at the hospital. The hospital does not know how to manage additional funds required to buy fuel in order to run the generator.

The electrical engineering division associated with the hospital does not have specific knowledge about how to install the generator and the necessary works to replace the old generators, which are presently operating at the hospital. According to officials associated with the hospital, there are two generators ~ one for the entire hospital and another for the Sick Newborn Care Unit (SNCU). While the hospital authority is facing trouble in managing fuel costs for the existing generators, a new generator has been installed at the SNCU, as power supply is erratic at the unit due to a technical snag. Though the hospital took initiatives to resolve the fuel consumption disorder, the crisis persists.sns

BSF, BGB jawans exchange shots

BSF, BDR jawans exchange shots

2 April 2012
MALDA, 2 APRIL: India's Border Security Force (BSF) and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) exchanged fire today on the border at Malik Sultanpur. It all started when some Bangladeshis made obscene remarks to Indian women bathing in the Pagla River on Sunday afternoon. The women protested and some men came to their rescue, but two of the men were abducted by Bangladeshis. BSF jawans fired at the Bangladeshis, and the BGB retaliated.
The villagers claimed 12-14 shots were fired, and said there were no casualties. BSF deputy commandant P P Singh said two blank rounds were fired after the abduction of the two Indians. A Bangladeshi was also abducted by Indians.
The abduction of the two Indians created a sensation in the village, and pressure mounted on the BSF's 134th Battalion to get them back.
Last night, the BSF made contact with the commandant of the BGB's 39th Battalion, Mr Habib Mostafa. They decided a flag meeting would be held today; it was held at Chakpara, and the captives were exchanged. A huge part of the border at Malik Sultanpur is unfenced, with the river serving as the only border between India and Chakpara of Chapai Nawabgaunj in Bangladesh. sns

Tea workers threaten strike

Tea workers threaten strike

2 April 2012
DARJEELING, 2 APRIL: Tea garden workers pressing for the cancellation of Mr Sushil Chowdhury's lease for the Ring Tong tea garden have threatened to start shutting down tea plantations in the Hills.
The 87 tea garden sub-units of Darjeeling Terai-Dooars Plantation Labourers Union calling for the cancelation of the lease say they will start an indefinite relay-shut-down all the tea plantation in the Hills, said union general secretary Suraj Subba. Today, the union sent a deputation to the additional district magistrate to make this clear. The union has not set a deadline for the lease cancellation, though ~ that will come later, Mr Subba said. Meanwhile, workers from the Ring Tong tea garden have been on an indefinite relay-hunger-strike for seven days, calling for the cancellation of the lease. Mr Subba said the High Court has scheduled a hearing on 4 April regarding the lease of the Ring Tong tea garden. Also, state commerce and industry minister Partha Chatterjee is expected to visit Darjeeling on 3 or 4 April, to look into the issue. The tea garden was officially closed in 1996 after a fire in the factory. An agreement was reached in 1997 to keep the tea-picking work going until 2002. "In the previous agreement, it was mentioned that the workers would only get salaries but not fringe and other benefits. Compared to the workers of other tea gardens, the agreement was not fair," said Mr Subba. The tea garden was completely shut down after 2006, when the union found the owner had been running the garden and "exploiting the rights of the workers and had illegally extended the lease up to 2032," said Mr Subba.
Mr Mohammed Rizwan, the joint labour commissioner for the north Bengal zone, summoned Mr Chowdhury on 27 March to Siliguri to resolve the situation, but Mr Chowdhury did not appear. Mr Rizwan said Ring Tong has 312 labourers, but the union has documentation showing the employees strength at the tea garden is 933, said union leader Milan Pradhan. “However, only 333 have been getting a grant of Rs 1,500 per month by the government,” he said. sns

Move to bring back courts to Darjeeling Hills

Move to bring back courts to Darjeeling Hills

2 April 2012
DARJEELING, 2 APRIL: As part of its effort to bring the CBI court ~ and other courts ~ back to Darjeeling, the bar association here plans to approach GJMM chief Bimal Gurung for support.
Lawyers from Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong today met and decided to continue their cease-work until all the courts shifted out of the district are brought back to Darjeeling. The lawyers have been unsuccessfully protesting the establishment in Siliguri of the CBI court, which was once located in Darjeeling. Mr JN Patel, chief justice of Kolkata High Court, rejected their complaints on 26 March, and laid  the inauguration stone for the court at Siliguri on 31 March. "We strongly condemn the recent announcement by the state law ministry that it’s useless to have CBI court in Darjeeling, and the laying of its foundation at Siliguri," said Darjeeling Bar Association president Taranga Pandit. "We will soon send a deputation to the chief justice of the Supreme Court in Delhi and ~ if necessary ~ we will also meet the chief minister, to recommend the return of not only the CBI court but also the labours tribunal, land reforms tribunal and other courts that have been shifted from Darjeeling," Mr Pandit said.
"The lawyers from Kalimpong and Kurseong have also joined us to conduct a cease-work in other sub-divisional offices, protesting the shifting of the courts ... our cease-work will continue until our demand is met." Shifting the courts from Darjeeling to other places would result in "a loss of jurisdictional power from Darjeeling and its people," said association vice president Seshmani Gurung. Darjeeling currently has seven courts: those of the district and sessions judge, the additional district and sessions judge, the civil judge (senior division), the chief judicial magistrate, and the judicial magistrate. sns

GTF slams move on additional areas

GTF slams move on additional areas

1 April 2012
DARJEELING, 1 APRIL: The Gorkhaland Task Force, a conglomerate of political and social organisations, today said the additional areas from the Terai and the Dooars proposed to be included in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Act would run counter to the concept of Gorkhaland.
Further they maintained that the organisation would hold seminars and conferences in Kolkata and Delhi from August on the separate statehood demand. “If the additional areas from the Terai-Dooars region are included in the GTA Act it would completely disfigure the Gorkhaland map,” said GTF president Mr Enos Das Pradhan
Speaking about their programmes, Mr Pradhan said that “the non-Nepali population in the country is still not aware of the demand for a separate state. Our main aim is to make these people aware and understand the issue of statehood and take them into confidence.” The Gorkhaland Task Force, comprises apolitical organisations like the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh  and the Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha and political outfits like the All India Gorkha League, Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist and the GNLF(C).
The GTF also opposed the idea of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, maintaining that it would not fulfil the aspirations of the Gorkhas living in the country. “The GTA is but a temporary arrangement and does not fulfil the real aspirations of the Gorkhas living not only in Darjeeling but also in the entire country,” said Mr Pradhan.
“The state government is falsely projecting and claiming that the Hills problems have been solved by the GTA which is a completely wrong message being sent to the country,” Mr Pradhan added. It may be mentioned here that the GTF was recently termed as a terrorist outfit by Morcha president Bimal Gurung for opposing the GTA. In fact, he had termed the organisation as a terrorist outfit bent on disturbing peace of the Hills. sns

Gurung meets party leaders from Terai-Dooars

Gurung meets party leaders from Terai-Dooars

27 March 2012

statesman news service

SILIGURI/DARJEELING, 27 MARCH: The Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) central committee will meet on 29 March at Garubathan in Kalimpong to formulate strategies regarding the party’s land demand across the Terai-Dooars region.
The GJMM chief, Bimal Gurung, and other senior central committee members, including party general secretary Roshan Giri, held a meeting with the party leaders based in the Terai-Dooars region today to discuss the situation in the aftermath of the meeting with the chief minister in Kolkata on 24 March. The GJMM general secretary said the main object behind today’s meeting was to inform party supporters in the Dooars and Terai about what has transpired in the meeting with the chief minister and what kind of resolution has been adopted.
Mr Giri said: “We will hold another a meeting with the Adivasis in the Dooars at Gorubathan on 29 March wherein we will decide on the future course of action."
“The GJMM chief has asked us all to exercise utmost restraint as the situation regarding the land demand has reached a sensitive stage. He was confident that most of the moujas the party is demanding will be incorporated in the GTA,” a senior GJMM leader said.
Mr Giri said: “The high-power committee will submit its report in the first week of June and in July election will be held in 45 constituencies after 16 moujas are added to the existing areas of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. Delimitation will take place in the existing areas and be changed into 45 constituencies in which the elections will be held. After that whatever areas are included from the Terai and Dooars, there will be no election initially but will have nominated members.”
However, a group of GJMM leaders based in the Terai-Dooars region were not happy with the party leadership having undertaken a written commitment to abide by the Sen Committee report irrespective of the contents of the report.
“The party president assuaged their feeling, assuring that they had done everything to ensure the inclusion of additional areas with the least glitch,” a party leader said. GJMM leaders have cancelled all their programmes, including a march from Kalimpong to the Dooars on 7 April.

Information on moujas sought
The chairman of the state-appointed high-power committee, Justice (retd) Mr Shyamal Sen, has asked the Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri district magistrates to furnish some special information about the moujas the GJMM has demanded for inclusion in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) territory.
Mr Sen, along with district magistrates Soumitra Mohan from Darjeeling and Smaraki Mahapartra from Jalpaiguri, held a meeting with the state home secretary GD Goutama today to decide the schedule of the land survey involving the Terai and the Dooars region. Sources said no decision has yet been taken regarding the schedule for the spot verification of Nepali-dominated areas at today’s meeting.
“We have been asked to provide specific information about the region as early as possible,” a senior administrative official said. The Darjeeling district magistrate said he would extend all possible assistance to meet the deadline.
Mr Mohan refused to divulge details about the meeting and said "It is confidential.” According to GJMM leader, Mr L B Pariyar, who is also a member of the committee, things would move after the state government allots funds to the district administration for the field verification.

New medical college to come up in Kurseong

New medical college to come up in Kurseong

26 March 2012

statesman news service  

SILIGURI, 26 MARCH: The state government has planned to set up a new medical college and a nursing college under a PPP (public-private partnership) model on the SB Dey TB Sanatorium premises at Kurseong. 
A team comprising top state health officials under the chairmanship of the director of medical education, Mr SK Banerjee, is preparing a project report  for setting up the college, said the state health spokesperson, Dr Asit Biswas. 
Another team comprising principal of North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH), Prof. Anup Roy, Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council administrator, Mr Anil Verma, and other health officials had visited the SB Dey TB Sanatorium a few days ago and submitted a report and given positive review. Based on the report health officials held a meeting in Kolkata recently for the preparation of the project.
According to sources, the state will apply to the Medical Council of India (MCI) this year and simultaneously select a private partner to set up the medical college in 2013. The private partner would have to invest Rs 400 crore, sources said. The government will allow the private partner to enjoy 50 per cent seats for the students to be admitted by paying capitation fee.
The principal of NBMCH, Prof. Roy, in a letter to the state health authorities has informed that the SB Dey TB sanatorium is suitable for setting up the medical college. The campus area is around 32 acres. According to the MCI norms 20 acres of land is required to set up a medical college in the hills, and three acres for a nursing college.
Professor Roy also mentioned that the sanatorium has 200 beds (50 beds for women), in addition there is a separate building of Indian Railways that has 100 beds. According to MCI, at least 200 beds are required for 50 students at the time of its inception and 400 after MCI gives permission. He said the hospital buildings need to be expanded to fulfil the MCI norm.

CM flayed for GTA stance

CM flayed for GTA stance

Anti-gorkhaland parties to launch agitation today

statesman news service

SILIGURI, 24 MARCH: An 11-party anti-GJMM conglomeration has decided to launch an agitation tomorrow, saying the Mamata Banerjee government has “all but bowed down before the GJMM’s pressure tactics”.

The senior Marxist leader from Siliguri, Mr Asok Bhattacharya, said the state government’s softened stance toward the GJMM’s demand to include 400 moujas across Terai-Dooars region under the GTA, would land the region in ethnic distemper.

At a meeting in Kolkata between a GJMM delegation and chief minister Mamata Banerjee, it was decided that the GTA election would be held in June or early July after the committee chaired by retired justice Shymal Sen submits its report on the land issue to the state government.

The GJMM is understood to have promised it would participate in the GTA election irrespective of the contents of the report. Observers are of the view that the state government will agree to include at least some of the moujas being demanded by the GJMM to keep the party in good humour.  

ABAVP state president Birsa Tirkey today said his outfit would launch a movement tomorrow to resist any attempt by the Sen Committee to include additional areas from the plains in the GTA territory.

“The ABAVP has convened a people’s congregation at Nagrakata in the Dooars tomorrow to start a mass-mobilisation programme against a possible land understanding between the state government and the GJMM,” Mr Tirkey said.

“We would resist any such attempt with every means at our disposal. The Adivasis would not hesitate to sacrifice ourselves as part of a non-violent agitation to keep the sanctity of the lands they have been inhabiting for generations,” he said.

Kamtapur Progressive Party president Atul Roy said his party would meet at Nagrakata tomorrow to finalise its plans.

“We still stick to the proposed bandh the 11-party conglomeration has convened in the Terai-Dooars on 6 and 7 April,” Mr Roy said. “We will not allow the state government to gift lands from the multi-ethnic region to the GJMM on a silver platter.” Bangla O Bangla Bhasa Bachao Committee president Mukunda Majumder said any decision to include lands from the plains would bring the region to a boil.

“The state government is playing with fire,” Mr Majumdar said. “We will convene a bandh on 7 April to help the people to articulate their anger against the state government having buckled down before the GJMM’s land pressure,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Terai-Dooars unit of the Haji Mohammad Mahasin Muslim Unnayan Samity demanded minority representation in case additional lands are included into the GTA territory. “We will meet in Siliguri on 8 April to forcefully raise the demand,” said the outfit’s spokesperson, Mr Nasirruddin Ahmed.

Mamata, Gurung give and take on GTA

Mamata, Gurung give and take on GTA

KOLKATA, 24 MARCH: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee today managed to avert a renewal of the crisis in the Hills for the time being with the government conceding the demand of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) of publishing the report of the High Power Committee on inclusion of newer territories in Terai and Dooars before holding elections for the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA).

However, the state government too scored some significant points by getting the GJMM to agree to its stand that the election would be held in the "existing area", that is, the area currently under the Darjeeling Gorkha Autonomous Hill Council, according to the GTA Act.

While the GJMM agreed ~ in writing for the first time ~ to abide by the decision of the High Power Committee, it was decided that the state would request the committee headed by the former Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court, Justice (retired) Shyamal Sen to submit his report by June this year. The elections to the GTA in that case would be held either towards the end of June or in early July and in the meantime delimitation work for the existing area would continue ~ another thorny issue that was resolved today to the satisfaction of the chief minister.  

The GJMM president, Mr Bimal Gurung today met the CM at Writers' Buildings to resolve the stalemate created by the party's demand to include newer areas of the Terai and Dooars before elections are held while the state government had been adamant that the first election held in the area would be in the existing area only. Mr Gurung was invited by Miss Banerjee in order to resolve the crisis.

The GJMM, while raising the issue of holding elections in the additional areas, contended that they would be without any representative, if and when they are eventually included under the GTA.

Since the GTA Act does not have any such provision it was decided that the five nominated members would in that case be representing the additional areas, and the state government would nominate them in consultation with GTA. Asked whether they were sure of inclusion of the additional areas, an elated Mr Gurung said: "Our four members in the High Power Committee would not sit with their hands tied. The delay caused by the High Power Committee in submitting its report had led to the stalemate." He also said that it was "wrong" on the part of the ruling party to disregard their demand for a Rajya Sabha member and said it should be rectified next time. An upbeat chief minister, on her part, expressed happiness over the outcome of the meeting. sns

Bimal Gurung, Mamata Banerjee meet in Kolkata, agree to go for polls in July

A delegation of Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) led by its president Bimal Gurung met West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday and held talks for more than half an hour over several issues like holding elections of the newly formed Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) and inclusion of several areas in the planes of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts to the GTA.

After the meeting Gurung told reporters that "I am happy with today's meeting with the chief minister. Elections to the GTA will take place in July this year."

Senior GJM leader Roshan Giri also told reporters that the high-power committee headed by former justice Shyamal Sen will submit its report to the state government by the first week of June. "The chief minister has agreed in principle to include 398 mouzas in Terai and Dooars in the proposed GTA. After these areas are included in the GTA, we will go for polls in July this year," Giri said.

Mamata and GJM leadership had differed over inclusion of the mouzas in the Darjeeling planes to the newly formed GTA. The state government had given an impression that the mouzas located in the planes of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts would not be included in the GTA. But the GJM had demanded 198 mouzas in Terai and similar number of mouzas in Dooars will have to be included in the GTA.

Gurung had held a meeting in Mongpoo in Darjeeling district last week and came down heavily on the chief minister Mamata Banerjee for her government's refusal to accept their demand for inclusion of Terai and Dooars mouzas under GTA. Gurung had also criticised publicly the chief minister at his Mongpoo meeting and also questioned her intentions behind signing of the tripartite meeting and implement the same. He also threatened to go for widespread movement across the Darjeeling hills from March 27 to force Mamata's government to accept their demand.

The state government wanted all the mouzas in Kalimpong, Kurseong and Darjeeling areas to bring under the GTA. But the GJM leadership had objected to it and had announced to launch a fresh movement in the Hills. Before the GJM's proposed agitation from March 27, Mamata had called Gurung and asked him to come to Kolkata to hold a meeting with her on Saturday.

Gurung and his men had responded positively to Mamata's appeal and held a meeting with her at the state administrative headquarters in Writers' Buildings on Saturday.

Source : 24 Mar, 2012, 05.01PM IST, tomal sen gupta,ET Bureau

Gurung says GJMM will not change stance on GTA election

Gurung says GJMM will not change stance on GTA election

23 March 2012

statesman news service
SILIGURI, 23 MARCH: Sounding adamant on the contentious land issue, the GJMM chief, Mr Bimal Gurung, today said the land issue alone would figure during the discussion with chief minister Mamata Banerjee tomorrow.
“There can be only one agenda for the talks and it is the land issue. Nothing can persuade us to backtrack on this demand. We have struggled a lot and we are prepared to make more sacrifices in the future. The GTA election can be held only after the moujas are included in the autonomous body,” he said to reporters at Bagdogra airport before leaving for Kolkata.
The GJMM president said his party would not budge an inch from its avowed stance. “We will reiterate our position on the matter tomorrow. No persuasion, no development bonanza can move us from our stated position,” he said.
Taking issue with the state government on the matter of the simultaneous processes for the GTA election and the proceedings of the land verification committee, Mr Gurung said there was no such clause in the GTA agreement. “It is not right to claim that elections are to be held as per the agreement before the land issue is settled. This is unacceptable to us. Besides, it goes against the letter and spirit of the GTA agreement,” he said.


Anti-GJMM parties hope GJMM will give in 

statesman news service
SILIGURI, 23 MARCH: As the GJMM delegation led by the party president, Mr Bimal Gurung has arrived in Kolkata to have talks with the chief minister, Miss Mamata Banerjee to end the GTA logjam the anti-GJMM parties based in the Hills termed GJMM land-intransigence as a piece of drama staged calculatingly to deceive the common people. 
Affirming that the state government and the GJMM have gone into ‘a tacit, mutually agreed understanding’, the All India Gorkha League president, Mrs Bharati Tamang said the land-inflexibility on the part of the GJMM was nothing better than a stratagem to vaunt its sincerity. “We are convinced that the land- intractability would end tomorrow. Mr Gurung would melt and give a positive nod to the election proposal after the meeting with the chief minister. But the question is-where the people of the Hills would go? Would they rest content with the empty avowal of the goal when things would remain stuck where they were before the GTA agreement was signed?” she asked.   
Agreeing to Mrs Tamang’s view of the matter, the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM) president, Mr R B Rai said the land -drama was being staged to divert the collective attention from the paramount Gorkhaland issue.  “The GJMM settled for the GTA long time back. It sounds incredible that the party think-tank was caught unaware when the state government decided to carry on with the election programme for the autonomous body. The logjam would thaw tomorrow as the chief minister would announce economic largesse. The self-proclaimed champions of statehood are most likely to acquiesce supinely, consigning the emotive demand to the backseat,” he said
He further said the state government should handle the developing situation in the Terai-Dooars with utmost care. “Most of the mainstream parties keep encouraging the slander campaign being carried on by some rabid outfits. This is a dangerous trend,” he said.

Tea planters’ association to slash wages

Tea planters’ association to slash wages

23 March 2012

statesman news service
SILIGURI, 23 MARCH: The North Bengal Small Tea Planters Association is threatening to slash the wages of workers who do not labour for eight hours and pluck at least 26 kg of green leaves, a decision that is likely to cause conflict with the workers.
A few months ago, the association introduced a new pay structure following an agreement involving the state, the unions and the planters in the Terai-Dooars region. To earn their daily Rs 85 workers are now supposed to deliver at least 26 kg. They can get another 50 paise per kg over that mark. 
Some workers, however, have not been cooperating, the planters complain: They have not been working for eight hours, and they have been delivering closer to 15 kg than 26 kg per day. The small planters in North Dinajpur, a non-traditional tea belt, are facing huge losses, said association secretary Nitai Majumdar. So the association has decided that, starting 1 April, it will pay workers on a pro-rata basis if they don't put in their eight hours and deliver their 26 kg.
The planters fear they will face unrest when they withhold wages. In order to resolve the problem amicably, they decided to seek help from the union leaders and tell the district administration about the matter.
More than 50 small tea planters convened a meeting with senior union leaders at Chopra in North Dinajpur yesterday and asked them to help resolve the crisis. Union leaders from both the Intuc and the Citu asked the planters not to take such drastic steps hastily, and promised to talk to workers to resolve the crisis.
Intuc-affiliated National Union of Plantation Workers district secretary Ashok Roy said his organisation would look into the planters allegations against the tea workers. "After meeting with the NBSTPA leaders we have sought time and decided to interact with the workers in some places," Mr Roy said. "We will try to pacify the irate workers to resolve the crisis."
Citu North Dinajpur district secretariat member Karik Shil said his organisation plans to start meeting with workers to try to deal with the situation. "We will hold a meeting with workers beginning on 26 March," he said. "The first meeting will be held at Chopra, where we will interact with the workers and try to resolve the crisis."
The district administration faced law-and-order problem in 2006 when small tea planters issued closure notices in all the tea plantation areas in Chopra and Islampur area in North Dinajpur district. All small tea plantations were closed for nine days before then chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya intervened.
Paddy farmers complain of inadequate purchasing camps
RAIGANJ, 23 MARCH: The paddy farmers are being deprived of the state-fixed support price for their produce in the absence of adequate number of purchasing camps in north Dinajpur district. A group of officials of the district food and supply have admitted that they failed to organise satisfactory number of camps for purchasing paddy at subsidised rate from the farmers.  To protest against the alleged apathy, the district Youth Congress members and members of Sara Bharat Kishak Sabha will launch a movement soon at block levels. According to the officials the farmers harvested their crops around three months ago. “We set a target to procure 90,000 metric ton of paddy from the farmers at subsidised rate. But we were able to collect only 55,000 metric ton. Till date 36 camps have been organised in the district. In some blocks, only one or two camps were held,” a senior official said.
The secretary of the district unit of Sara Bharat Kishak Sabha, Mr Dilip Das, said the farmers were being compelled to resort to distress sales at a price much lower than the state-fixed rate because of the absence of adequate number of camps. “We demand that the district food and supply department arrange more such camps. If they fail we will launch a movement,” he said. The Raiganj Youth Congress committee president, Mr Manas Ghosh, said they had staged an agitation nearly a month ago demanding that the district controller of food and supply take initiatives to collect at least 1 lakh metric ton of paddy from the farmers. “But till date the number of camps is not satisfactory. We will start agitation in all the nine blocks of the district if the department does not come up with a solution soon,” he said. sns

Country’s oldest hydel project lying defunct

Country’s oldest hydel project lying defunct

23 March 2012

SIDRAPONG, 23 MARCH: India's oldest hydroelectric station, the Sidrapong Hydel Power Station (in sns photo below), has been out of commission for months, but it could be generating electricity, employees say. "The more-than-a-century-old electricity generating machines are serviceable, but due to the apathy shown by the government, it is presently unused maintaining that the project is of total loss," said mechanical technician Dhadiram Chettri.
The plant was commissioned with a 600 KW capacity in 1897, according to the state department of power. The Burdwan raja donated the land and the electricity from the project was supplied to the hospital at Darjeeling, the Governor’s house, the correctional home, and the nearby tea garden factories.
In 1978, Sidrapong became a backup, used whenever the power station in town needed more electricity. The station used to be powered by Barbatia Khola, Kotwali Khola, and Hospital Khola. Cyclone Aila battered Hospital Khola, Kotwali Khola dried up, and Barbatia Khola became defunct because of the earthquake.
Mr Chettri said the department is not interested in the project, and the state electricity board has given it for lease to a private company.
"The state government has not taken any initiatives to renovate the cracks developed due to recent earthquake where the intake pipes, reservoirs and the water channels have developed serious cracks making it defunct," said Mr Chettri. If the fixed the station, it could generate electricity useful at times of load-shedding in Darjeeling, he said. "The government should look into this project as it is a piece of national heritage and the hydel power just requires a proper maintenance to run properly," Mr Chettri said. "In comparison to other electricity-generating projects like that of steam or coal, this is more profitable. There is a lot of investment but the expenditure can be overcome in about two years." sns

Ragging: Accused trio suspended

Ragging: Accused trio suspended

23 March 2012

Engg college hands over case to police

statesman news service
DURGAPUR/MALDA, 23 MARCH: Two private engineering colleges at Kanksa in Burdwan have brought separate charges of ragging and one of the colleges suspended three second-year students for the offence.
The other college has handed over the case to police for action. Dibyendu Mallik, a second year Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering student with WBUT-affiliated Durgapur Institute of Advanced Technology and Management near Panagarh, complained that he was teased and physically assaulted by two fourth year students ~ Prasenjit Kumar and Ashis Kumar ~ yesterday evening.
He said: “They were teasing me on the plea that I was not properly dressed as I didn’t put the shirt in the trouser.” He alleged: “When I didn’t pay any serious attention to their taunts they dragged me and started beating me in front of others. A handful of my class-mates finally rescued me.”
Dibyendu, son of Mr Ananda Mallik, a staff with Durgapur Municipal Corporation, was rushed to the Durgapur SD Hospital today. Mr Mondal alleged: “The director of the college didn’t pay any heed to my son’s complaint and for that we had to lodge an FIR with the Kanksa police station finally.” The police, after discussing the matter with the college authority, have decided to book the accused seniors. Mr RN Majumdar, chairman, DIATM said: “We have told police to take necessary steps against the errant students.”
Malandighi Institute of Engineering & Industrial Technology, another private engineering college near Panagarh, has suspended three second-year students ~ Anand Sharma, Prabhakar Raj and Manish Sharma ~ from the college hostel after a first year Computer Science & Engineering student, Washim Ali, complained of ragging. The victim’s complaint stated that he was roughed up by the three at the college canteen last night as the seniors asked the first-year students to vacate seats as it was time for the seniors' dinner.

The college authorities woke up immediately and after medical examination of the victim, asked the accused to vacate the hostel and suspended them.

Mr Partha Pobi, vice-president of the college, said: “Four days ago we forced eight first-year students to vacate the hostel as they were caught consuming alcohol in the hostel.”

Boy confined to school hostel
A Class IX student of St. Xavier’s School, Malda Motalem Sheikh, was allegedly kept in a hostel alone for five days after his father failed to pay his fees. The boy was rescued by police. Now the desperate father has decided to go to court. The school authority, however, alleged that the allegation was baseless and said the father was “threatening and blackmailing” the teachers. A case has been filed against the school authorities.

FLUTTER IN THE HILLS - Let GTA materialise

The Statesman edits

21 March 2012

FLUTTER IN THE HILLS
Let GTA materialise  

THE presidential assent to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration agreement has finally come through. Yet it would be presumptuous, even inappropriate, for the BJP’s MP from Darjeeling to suggest that “this is the first step towards achievement of Gorkhaland”. Small wonder that Jaswant Singh’s statement in the Lok Sabha on Monday caused a flutter in the roost.  This isn’t the perception of the Centre, the State, of Parliament or for that matter the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha. The agreement envisages a fair measure of autonomy, at best a marked degree of self-rule after more than 25 years of turmoil. More critical and relevant  than Jaswant playing to the Gorkha gallery are the brass tacks that remain to be addressed. Most importantly, the GJMM’s decision to boycott the election to the GTA unless the territorial issue is settled, a move announced in parallel with the MP’s statement.
  The inclusion of the Dooars and the Terai will involve a measure of state reorganisation, a risk that no Chief Minister will be prepared to shoulder. Furthermore, it could ignite similar demands in other parts of the country. Substantial is the risk of the GTA agreement being reduced to a non-starter unless elections are held.
Statehood may be a consummation devoutly to be wished by the Hills people. At this juncture though, the GJMM views the GTA agreement as a step towards added territories, indeed a change in the contours of Darjeeling’s map. Attitudes have distinctly hardened since the simulated euphoria last July when the deal was concluded. This is reflected in Monday’s decision of the GJMM MLAs to seek the party’s permission to resign from the Assembly. To put a charitable construct upon it, the morcha must stop short of precipitating a crisis however valid its grouse of exploitation. The territorial question goes beyond the remit of the state government and the Assembly; it requires the concurrence of the Centre and Parliament. Of far greater moment and an issue of immediate relevance is the devolution of powers and funds from the state to the GTA. All efforts ~ and parliamentary presentations ~ ought now to be directed towards that end, indeed to make the new entity functional.  Jaswant Singh’s wish-fulfilment can wait as can the demand for a larger slice of territory.

Teen foils trafficking plot

Teen foils trafficking plot

21 March 2012

statesman news service
DARJEELING 21 MARCH: A Class XI student worked with police to save a 26-year-old woman from being trafficked. Police have arrested two traffickers in Darjeeling and two in Siliguri.
According to Darjeeling police station inspector in charge LT Bhutia, here's what happened:
The victim was a woman "from a poor family, residing in a rural area of Darjeeling, and was married with one child. Her poverty was the main cause for her to be enticed easily by the trafficker and agreed on the agent’s deal, which provided a false promise of job to get her work in a clothing store in Delhi, which would pay her a good salary.
"However, (the woman) told her family she was going to work in Siliguri. When she came to Darjeeling and halted at her relatives' place, the student met (the woman), came to know she was about to get trafficked, and informed the police and the NGOs without letting (the woman) know about it."
"The student here played a tricky part. Working together with police, she called those traffickers from the number she got from (the woman) and said she would also want a job in Delhi. The trafficker then had asked whether she was willing to participate in any kind of job ~ no matter if it is physically related.
"The student told them that she was willing to do anything for money. This became a major plot in arresting those traffickers," Mr Bhutia said.
He said two people had been arrested in Darjeeling and two in Siliguri, who were husband and wife. The four traffickers were charged under the Kidnapping and Immoral Trafficking Act. Superintendent of police Ananta Kumar said the CID department is awarding Rs 5,000 to the student for her brave act.
Police say every year 15-25 cases of human trafficking are registered. “Before getting an offer for a job out of town, one should take every preventive measures and consult the experts nearby, asking them to verify if the jobs are valid offered by the agents."

Tagore’s Sahaj Path found being used to wrap groceries

Tagore’s Sahaj Path found being used to wrap groceries

21 March 2012

MALDA, 21 MARCH: At a time when hundreds of school children are yet to receive Rabindranath Tagore’s Sahaj Path, the textbooks were seen being sold as scrap paper, used to pack grocery items in English Bazar in Malda.
The scam unearthed recently has created a sensation in primary education circles. Administrative officials have vowed to investigate the matter. Some residents first noticed this in a local grocery shop of Mr Sagar Mandal. Mr Mandal was busy selling items like muri and chanachur using paper packets made of pages from Sahaj Path.
A resident, Mr Bappa Roy, said: “My son studies in the Class I at a local primary school. He and many of his classmates have not yet received their textbooks. The teachers keep saying that the government has not yet supplied the books. But when I went to a local grocery shop to buy biscuits I found with horror that it was packed with the pages from Sahaj Path.”
It is all the more astonishing as the book is not supposed to be sold in the open market and each of the books carries the serial number and the printer’s name: Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad Press. Similar complaints were made by the students like Moumita Sarkar and Rani Halder. Mr Mandal conceded that he had bought 5 kg of books at Rs 10 per kg from a godown in the market. He said: “All these are new edition (2012) books and there are huge number of books dumped at the godown.”
District inspector of schools (primary) Tripti Guha was handed such a book. She, too, expressed her shock. She said: “I can’t think how these books reached the open market.” She wasted no time in visiting the godown and verified the allegation. Ordering seizure of the dumped books, Ms Guha said: “We cannot find out how the books reached the market by just checking the serial numbers. Only the authorised circles could clarify to which schools the books were issued.” She promised a probe into the entire scam. The CPI(M)-affiliated All Bengal Primary Teachers Association (ABPTA) was vocal against this fiasco. “When the books could not be supplied to all the students, how can they be available in the market? We demand a thorough inquiry and exemplary punishment for the culprits.” sns

GTA: MLAs caution state govt

GTA: MLAs caution state govt

20 March 2012

KOLKATA, 20 MARCH: State legislators, cutting across party lines, today called upon the government to move cautiously on the issue of Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) during the discussion on the Governor's speech in the Assembly today.
Congress MLA Debaprasad Roy called upon the government not to make a "political wound" in the Terai-Dooars region, which is inhabited by many ethnic groups. State Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya has already written a letter to the committee, headed Mr Justice (retired) Shyamal Sen, urging it not to include areas from the region, Mr Roy told reporters later in the Assembly lobby. The area has to be properly demarcated, otherwise it would continue to be a festering sore like the border dispute between Assam and Nagaland.
CPI-M MLA Anisur Rahman said that unless the government treads warily on the Gorkhaland issue, it will find itself in an explosive situation. Forward Bloc MLA Paresh Adhikari said that the GJMM has demanded 396 moujas from the Terai-Dooars region. While the Governor made a brief speech stating the ills of the previous Left Front regime, he made a longer address this time stating the achievements of the present government, Mr Rahman said earlier. Given Miss Mamata Banerjee's fast for the Singur farmers, one would have thought peasant's welfare would have been the priority of her government. But reports of peasants deaths are pouring in, he added.
The Governor's speech can be ascribed to low performance of the Left Front government while he spoke at length about its successor's achievements as there are many such deeds, Trinamul Congress legislator Mr Paras Dutta said. The words and deeds of chief minister Mamata Banerjee do not match, Mr Subhas Nasskar of RSP said. During her trip to the Sunderbans, there was no mention of giving a job to the member of a family who had given land to build embankment damaged by cyclone Aila, though she had promised it earlier. sns

GJMM awaits 27 March Sen Committee meeting

GJMM awaits 27 March Sen Committee meeting

20 March 2012

statesman news service
SILIGURI/MALDA, 20 MARCH: Hoping that the GTA stalemate will end with the prompt submission of the land verification report by the Shyamal Sen Committee, the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) leadership is now looking forward to the meeting convened by the state home department in Kolkata on 27 March.
The meeting is likely to decide the schedule of the land survey involving the Terai-Dooars region. Apart from home secretary GD Goutama, administrative officials of the two districts ~ Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri ~ and retired justice Shymal Sen will attend the meeting. The GJMM leadership expects formal notification on the matter will be issued after the meeting. Another objective of the scheduled meeting is to seek fund from the state finance department to conduct the land survey.
According to senior GJMM leader LB Pariyar, who is also a member of the committee, the two district magistrates will constitute official teams to begin spot verification for 300-odd moujas across the Terai-Dooars region and the teams would submit reports to the Sen committee. “We are looking forward to the study report which will prove vital for transferring lands into the GTA jurisdiction. We hope the district administrative officials would complete the survey in about a month,” Mr Pariyar said.
State Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad president Birsa Tirkey said his outfit would not obstruct the land survey. “But our activists will be present during the survey in large numbers at every spot to prevent manipulation of figures and the like. We will highlight the fact too that incessant migration from across Nepal is changing demographic equations in the region against the interests of the indigenous communities,” he said. When asked about the security of the team members, the inspector general of police, north Bengal, Mr Sanjay Singh, said: “We have not received any official communication as yet. We will take action at the right time.”

GTA is first step to Gorkhaland: BJP

GTA is first step to Gorkhaland: BJP

19 March 2012

statesman news service
NEW DELHI, 19 MARCH: Senior BJP leader and MP from Darjeeling, Mr Jaswant Singh, today described the recently set up Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) as “the first step towards the achievement of Gorkhaland” provoking strong reactions from Left leaders Mr Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) and Mr Basudeb Acharia (CPI-M) who said people of West Bengal would oppose any bifurcation of the state.
“The Gorkhaland territorial administration (GTA) is the first step towards the achievement of Gorkhaland, but they cannot jump to Gorkhaland. So, let this Gorkhaland Administration be built up,” Mr Singh said in the Lok Sabha participating in the discussion on the motion of thanks to the President’s address.
Stating that Darjeeling Hills is a “highly strategically important area”, the former Union minister urged the government to understand the “logic” of contiguous areas. “This is my appeal to the Trinamul members that if a committee has been formed to study as to what are the contiguous areas, then recognise the logic of that committee. Determination of contiguous areas must be included,” he said.
The Trinamul Congress floor leader and the Union minister of state for health, Mr Sudip Bandyopadhyay, confirmed that a committee has been set up by the state government. The panel is headed by former Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Mr Shyamal Sen.
“The Committee has placed the report and the Union home minister (P Chidambaram) has the idea about what sort of report has been tabled,” he said adding that the chief minister, Miss Mamata Banerjee, is sincerely working to resolve the issues.  Mr Acharia said the people of Bengal are against the division of the state. He was supported by Mr Gurudas Dasgupta of CPI. The Left members also had an  exchange of words with some Trinamul members.
Mr Jaswant Singh, however, said he is “not suggesting any bifurcation of Bengal”.
He said a section of Gorkhas has been granted tribal status but others have not and urged the government not to divide the Gorkhas into tribals and non-tribals. He also urged the finance minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, to provide a “start-up” fund for the Darjeeling Hills.

GJMM decides to boycott GTA poll

GJMM decides to boycott GTA poll

19 March 2012

SILIGURI/KOLKATA, 19 MARCH:  In a significant political move,  the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha leadership has decided to boycott the GTA election if the state government moves forward with the election process.
A senior party leader based in the Terai region, Mr Shankar Adhikari, today said they would not allow the state government to conduct the GTA election until the land dispute is settled.
Political observers are of the view that it would be difficult for the state government to move forward with one of signatories of the tripartite GTA agreement having backed out. Asked to comment, the GJMM general secretary, Mr Roshan Giri, said: “I do not know whether it is feasible or not. But our stance is clear-no election till the land dispute is settled.”
Meanwhile, chief secretary Samar Ghosh said at Writers’ Buildings that the government is committed to holding poll in the Darjeeling Hills and that everything would be done as per the agreement.
Seemingly disappointed with the Trinamul-led state government’s rigid stance on GTA area inclusion, the GJMM MLAs are reported to have asked the party president, Mr Bimal Gurung, to allow them to resign. sns

Tea planters see no sunny side

Tea planters see no sunny side

16 March 2012

SILIGURI, 16 MARCH: Indian tea planters were disappointed watching the General Budget 2011-12 today as nothing was announced for them despite repeated appeals to the Central government for the development of the tea sector.

The advisor associated with the Indian Tea Planters’ Association, Mr Amitangshu Chakraborty, said: “Despite several reminders to the Centre nothing has been reflected in the Budget which was tabled before Parliament. We have not found a single word for tea industry in today’s Budget.”

“Several proposals were sent to the Centre from various corners but we don’t know why it has not been considered in the Budget,” said Mr Chakraborty. “We are looking forward to the upcoming state budget. We are also expecting something better from the state,” he added.

The small tea-growers were also disappointed following the General Budget. The Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers’ Associations (CISTA) president, Mr Bijay Gopal Chakraborty, said: “We had proposed to issue plantation credit card, crop insurance and adequate fund for setting up Small Tea Growers’ Development Directorate in north Bengal. But there is no news for those proposals in the Budget.” It may be noted that the Small Tea Growers’ Development Directorate has been proposed for north Bengal earlier.

Mr Chakraborty said: “The small planters would try to avail agricultural loan facilities with minimal interests following proposals in the budget today.”

Planters here have been demanding waiver of salami on lands for tea plantations and tax exemption on various heads for tea industries and looking forward to the upcoming state budget. sns

GJMM says no to GTA polls till Terai, Dooars included

GJMM says no to GTA polls till Terai, Dooars included

16 March 2012

KOLKATA/SILIGURI, 16 MARCH: The GJMM is sticking to its demand that new areas of the Dooars and Terai be included under the GTA before elections to the body are held; the state government is refusing to comply. 
“Now there is a stalemate," said GJMM media secretary Harka Bahadur Chhetri. 
GJMM representatives and state government officials met at Writers' Buildings today in Kolkata. The GJMM leaders later also met chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
“No election can be held in the Hills without including the areas in Dooars and Terai within the GTA. The GJMM's one and only demand is that the state government must ensure this before holding elections," said GJMM general secretary Roshan Giri, who was accompanied by the MLAs of Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong and Kalchini.
Chief secretary Samar Ghosh, however, categorically ruled out the fulfillment of the GJMM's "one and only demand," saying the state government will follow the tripartite agreement that was signed by the GJMM, the Centre and the state in July.
Following the GJMM leaders' meeting with the chief minister, Mr Giri said Miss Banerjee had asked them to wait until the high-power committee headed by former Allahabad High Court chief justice Shyamal Sen submits its report. Mr Giri said the GJMM wants the committee to expedite the submission of the report.
The determined state government is expected to notify the election rules within next few days. The GJMM is planning to "take a final decision on the next course of action at the central committee meeting on 18 March," according to Mr Chhetri.  The Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha is also asking for a nominated Gorkhaland Territorial Administration to handle things until the election is held. The state ignored that demand, Mr Giri said. The GJMM is already sore with Trinamul for not meeting their demand of nominating their representative to the Rajya Sabha. sns

Halt in Bhutan currency transaction affects trade

Halt in Bhutan currency transaction affects trade

14 March 2012

ALIPURDUAR, 14 MARCH: The Bhutanese government's crackdown on the use of its currency by Indians has severely jolted trading in the Dooars.
The Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan in an 8 March circular ordered the closure of all deposit accounts in the names of non-resident foreigners by 15 March, and limited the release of Indian rupees in cash to Bhutanese nationals via commercial banks to Rs 10,000 per day, and Rs 50,000 per month per person. A considerable part of trade is conducted in the Bhutanese currency in the region, owing to the open-border trade and absence of currency exchange counters. The Bhutanese ngultrum being pegged at par with the Indian rupee made private trade easier, particularly in the Indian towns bordering Bhutan.
Mr Prasenjit Dey, secretary of the Alipurduar Chamber of Commerce and Industries, said business in the Dooars, in general, had slumped by 40 per cent. "The loss is greater in towns bordering Bhutan," Mr Dey said. "Here, the fall is around 80 per cent. We have already drawn the attention of the Jalpaiguri district authority and even of the Union finance minister."
"This, on one hand, has left Indian traders in the region with a huge amount of Bhutanese currency which cannot be exchanged and, on the other, it has led to a shortage in Indian currency in the region,” a traders said. sns

GTA Act enforced

GTA Act enforced

14 March 2012

KOLKATA, 14 MARCH: The Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) Act came into force today with the state government issuing the requisite notification though the clause which repeals the Darjeeling Gorkha Autonomous Hill Council Act, which has been kept on hold for the time being till the formation of the GTA as an elected body.
 The DGAHC Act of 1988 will be repealed once the elections to the GTA are completed and the new body is formed.
According to officials of the home department while drawing up the Bill a provision was kept to allow certain clauses to come into force at later dates. This was done to allow the DGAHC to continue functioning till the formation of GTA.
 The state government will also notify the rules for conducting elections to GTA tomorrow. Once the rules are notified the state government will start the delimitation process and then announce the date for holding elections. The run-up to the elections are expected to be completed in two months time.
Meanwhile, acceding to the request made by the chief minister, the Prime Minister, Mr Manmohan Singh has approved the extension of the service tenure of the chief secretary, Mr Samar Ghosh by another six months. The department of personnel and training (DoPT) will now issue the necessary order following which the state government will come out with a matching order for Mr Ghosh's extension. Mr Ghosh who was slated to retire on 31 March will now do so on 30 September. sns

Climate frowns on tea cultivation

Climate frowns on tea cultivation

12 March 2012

SILIGURI, 12 MARCH: Dry weather and temperature fluctuations in the Hills, the Terai, and the Dooars are threatening north Bengal's tea industry.
The tea planters fear that if this weather continues for even a few more days, the spring's first flush production, which is the premium crop, will be adversely affected.
"Tea plantations need heavy shower for at least two days right now," said a Dooars tea plantation manager, Mr Rajesh Kumar Rungta. "If the present climate condition continues the premium production will reduce to 2-3 per cent."
Siliguri Tea Board deputy director K K Bhattacharya said this kind of damage to the premium crop could impact the tea price. “Sprinkle irrigation can save only plantations: it cannot save the crop and its quality," he said.
Also, irrigation increases costs for planters, said Mr Ranjit Datta, secretary of the Tea Association of India's north Bengal branch. "The tea plantations are under tremendous pest attack due to lack of rain. In order to save the tea plants some planters have started irrigation," Mr Datta said.
“Planters are bearing additional production cost for irrigation," he said. "Planters who do not have irrigation system are facing problem to manage the situation." Unfavourable weather conditions have affected the tea industry in north Bengal since 1999. Planters are now depending on the good will of the rain god ~ they have so far failed to reach out to him directly. “How can we appeal to the god for a heavy shower to overcome the prevailing weather condition?" asked a planter. sns