Demands galore await Mamata

In Malda, the Malda Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce (MMCC) has called an emergency executive committee meeting on Monday to draft an appeal to Miss Mamata Banerjee for the development of railway communications across the country from Malda town stations. “We will send our letter on Monday to Miss Mamata Banerjee after adopting a resolution in the executive council meeting. Our first demand is to run Rajdhani Express via Malda town station thrice a week which is at present running via Katihar in Bihar”, said Mr Jayanta Kundu, district secretary of the MMCC. “Secondly, we will demand a train which will pass through Malda town station and passengers from this station will be able to go to Mumbai directly,” he added. ; SNS

Row over fee hike spirals

MALDA, 21 MAY: The district inspector of school (secondary) will take stern action against the managing committees and head of the institutions if they do not return excess fees to the students, which have been collected from them violating a government order.

“More than 80 per cent of schools and madrassas have collected excessive admission fees from the students violating government direction in this district. A few members’ elected body cannot adopt a resolution to collect excess admission fees from the students ignoring the government's education policy. Such managing committee's decisions go against the state's education policy,” said Mr Chinmay Sarkar, the district inspector of school (secondary). It may be noted that the government has directed to take admission fees of Rs 63 from each student in the rural belt and Rs 78 from each one in the urban belt. But the school authorities have been demanding sums of Rs 200 to Rs 250 from each student.

Recently, students and guardians backed by various students’ organisations started a movement across the district and lodged complaints with the DI of schools. In many places students locked up schools, confined teachers within schools, blocked roads and beat up teachers on this issue.

“We have issued an order to all school and madrassa authorities not to take excess admission fees violating the government's instructions and asked some alleged school authorities to return the excess amount to the students. If they do not return the excess money received within one month and students lodge further complaints against the school, necessary steps would be taken,” said Mr Sarkar. “If school authorities continue to claim excess tuition fees, we shall report to the board against the headmaster of that school, and will suggest to dissolve the managing committee from where the complaint has been lodged,” Mr Sarkar said.

According to him, the state government's policy is to provide education to children free of cost. The Backward Class Welfare (BCW) department is providing Rs 250 for buying books for SC and ST students every year. Each student (belonging to general and backward classes) is getting Rs 250 for the buying of books every year from the Sarba Shiksha Mission's funds. For this reason, the managing committee or headmaster cannot charge excess admission fees from the students in the name of development funds for the school. ;SNS

Anti-erosion steps to protect Indo-Bangla border fencing

MALDA, 21 MAY: The irrigation department in Malda has finally decided to take up permanent anti-erosion measures at Khutadaha and Bat-tali in Bamongola on the bank of the river Punarbhaba for the protection of fencing along the India-Bangladesh border.

A total of Rs 12 crore has been allotted for the anti-erosion work on the bank of the Punarbhaba, according to the executive engineer of the irrigation department Mr Soumen Misra. Following the request of the Border Security Force the district administration decided to take an initiative to save the remaining part of the fence in that area, and took up the ‘temporary’ nature of the current anti-erosion work with the help of irrigation department.

“We have planned to float a tender for Punarbhaba anti-erosion work before Puja, and we would be able to begin anti-erosion work on a permanent basis from November at Khutadaha and Battali covering a two km stretch, separately. We also need to take up temporary measures to stem the erosion at vulnerable spots along the India-Bangladesh border during monsoon this year to save the existing fencing,” said Mr Misra. ;SNS

CPI-M, Cong yet to announce candidates for ward 11 by-poll

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 21 MAY: After the debacle of losing two Malda Lok Sabha seats, the CPI-M will contest against the Congress again in a by-poll of ward no 11 in English Bazaar Municipality (EBM) on 28 June.

It may be noted that the South Malda MP Mr AH Khan Choudhury had got a 767 leading margin in terms of votes from ward no 11 over his nearest CPI-M candidate Dr Abdur Rzaaque in the Parliamentary election. Neither the CPI-M and the Congress have finalised the name of their candidates to be fielded in ward no 11.

After the murder of Biswanath Guho, councillor of ward no 11, no by-polls were conducted over the last year. Guho was the vice-chairman of the EBM and he was also district president of the Intuc. At present, the Congress leaders are facing difficulties in choosing a candidate out of 16 applicants including the family members of Guho.

The town Congress president has received two applications from Guho's family including his daughter.

The English Bazaar MLA, Mr Krishnendu Choudhury, who is in Delhi today, said over the phone:

“We shall nominate one candidate out of 16 contenders shortly. But we are not in a position to nominate a family member of Guho”.

The CPI-M leader in English Bazaar town, Mr Indrajit Gupta, said: “Mr Shymal Chakraborty has come to Malda to review the post poll situation. Within a few days we

will announce the name of our candidate to contest from ward no 11”.

“The Congress candidate for South Malda LS seat bagged more votes from two minority people dominated polling stations in ward no 11. In this election minority people had decided to vote for the Congress for security reasons, preventing the BJP from forming the Central government,” Mr Mitra said.

Malda Cong divided on miniserial berth issue?

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 19 MAY: Controversy seems to have become a constant companion of the Congress in Malda. First, there was the issue over candidature, and now the debate over ministerial berths.

The common demand in the district is for at least one ministerial berth, but the choice of candidate is divided. While one section wants Miss Mausam Noor of North Malda in the UPA ministry, another desires Mr AH Khan Choudhury of South Malda.

Several representations on the subject have been faxed to the AICC, in support of both Miss Noor and Mr Khan Choudhury.

A group of general secretaries of the Malda Congress, including the chief election agent of the South Malda MP, is trying hard to project Mr AH Khan Choudhury.

They even went to the extent of urging the media to support a berth for Mr Khan Choudhury.

Other senior Congress leaders ~ notably Mr Mostaque Alam, Mr Hassan Ali Shah and Mr Ashraful Biswas ~ said they were seeking a ministerial berth for Mr AH Khan Choudury as a successor to ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury.

They suspect that if Miss Noor is accorded a ministerial berth she would have to play second fiddle in the ministry. “We do not want window dressing for Malda, we want an effective person as minister,” the leaders said.

The issue has effected a division in the Chhatra Parishad too, with one group faxing an appeal to Delhi yesterday demanding a ministerial berth for Miss Noor.

Besides the CP, there is much popular demand for Miss Noor's inclusion in the ministry.

“She is young, educated and from the minority community. She is ideal ministerial material,” said one Malda resident.

Murder case accused taken to court sans police escort

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 19 MAY : The Malda jail authorities today brought an under-trial in a murder case from North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Darjeeling district without police escort and produced him to the fifth fast track court in Malda with the help of jail guards ~ violating government instruction.

“To abide by the court order we had to take this ‘risk'. We had not been able to produce that under-trial in the court on the last two dates proposed, due to non-availability of police escort,” said Mr CR Gharia, superintendent of the jail. Malda Court had issued a show cause notice to the superintendent of Malda when he failed on two occasions to produce the accused in court, as the under-trial was undergoing treatment at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital.

Finally, the court asked the jail authorities to produce the accused on 19 May and the jail authorities brought the under-trial, Mr Chinmay Basu ~ an accused in connection with a murder case ~ by engaging jail guards due to the non-availability of police personnel in the district, despite several reminders to the police department seeking police escort.

The jail super had also been show caused by Alipurduar Court in Jalpaiguri when he failed to produce another accused in time, who was arrested in connection with a KLO link and lodged in Malda Jail ~ again due to non-availability of police escort.

Again, to comply with the court's order the Malda jail authorities have finally decided to produce the accused in connection with KLO activities on 21 May in Alipurduar court without police escort.

Though the superintendent of Malda Jail sought police escort from the Jalpaiguri and Malda police, due to the elections, no police escort was available. “We generally provide police escort to the jail authorities based on their requirements and the availability of the police force. However, it is the responsibility of the jail authorities to produce the accused in court,” said Mr KL Tamta, IG North Bengal.

CPI-M mourn bad results

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 18 MAY: The district CPI-M leaders are disappointed after reviewing polling station-wise, given the ‘bad results’ of their party candidates in each Assembly segment of Malda district, compared with previous records.

In English Bazaar town the CPI-M candidate Dr Abdur Razzaque has obtained a leading margin only from one ward out of 25. Only the ward no 24, a Red bastion, has been able to show a leading margin but it could not retain the previous records.

In English Bazaar Assembly segment under the South Malda Parliamentary constituency, the Congress candidate Mr AH Khan Choudhury has obtained 78,591 votes and the CPI-M candidate Dr Abdur Razzaque got 54,990 votes. The CPI-M leaders detected that the Congress candidate Mr AH Khan Choudhury bagged a leading margin of nearly 20,000 from English Bazaar town out of 23,601 margin of votes recorded in English Bazaar Assembly segments. After the debacle the CPI-M cadres have reported to senior leaders that due to forcible collection of subscriptions from members of various CPI-M and LF backed associations in various sectors including teachers (secondary and primary) and government employees (to meet election expenses) was one reason why people were being frustrated and did not cast vote in favour of the CPI-M candidates here. A large section of people belonging to non-government sectors including daily wage earners have gone against the state government due to the announcement of 30 per cent increment of the salaries of government and semi-government employees just before election. The majority of people belonging to the working group in other sectors did not get any financial benefit from the government before the elections.

A large section of contractors in the electricity department in Malda belonging to the CPI-M's association were inactive due to the forcible collection of subscription from them by a few leaders of the Citu. They also alleged that the Citu leaders did not deposit the exact amount of collected money to the party. The people belonging to the Above the Poverty Line group were sentimental and went against the state government's decision to provide materials only to the people belonging to Below the Poverty line through public distribution system just before elections.

The government did not have a policy for APL people and did not provide sugar at a subsidized rate. The APL people get only kerosene from the PDS.

Except Habibpur Assembly constituency, the CPI-M candidates did not get leading margin from the Assembly segments from where the CPI-M and FB MLA were elected in Malda district. They are Harishchandrapur, Ratua, Old Malda, Gazole, Kaliachak, Manikchak Assembly segments.

Self introspection?

RAIGANJ , 18 MAY: The leaders of the Left Front in North Dinajpur are concerned as the CPI-M candidate of Raiganj Parliamentary seat Mr Bireswar Lahiri was defeated by Congress candidate Mrs Deepa Das Munsi by a huge margin from previously Left-dominated Assembly segments like Islampur, Karandighi , Chakulia and Kaliyaganj. A section of CPI-M leaders believe that the majority of minority voters did not cast their votes for the CPI-M.

One of the members of the CPI-M district committee Mr Anirudhdha Bhowmick said: "This year the majority of minority voters of all seven Assembly segments did not cast their votes for the CPI-M.

Very soon we will have a Left

Front meeting at the district level where our demerits will be discussed and the reason for defeat traced." SNS

Anti-incumbency

SILIGURI, 18 MAY: The Darjeeling district Left Front appears satisfied with the poll results in the four Assembly segments in the plains of the Darjeeling Parliamentary constituency. “The Front has done reasonably well in these segments - the ferocity of the anti-incumbency torrent notwithstanding,” the district Left leaders claimed. The CPI-M state committee member and the Left candidate for the high voltage constituency, Mr Jibesh Sarkar, said that the Front had garnered nearly half of the votes cast in the four Assembly segments. “This is a creditable achievement when juxtaposed with the stridency of the anti-incumbency undercurrent sweeping across the state,” he said. The FB district secretary Mr Smritish Bhattacharya said that the Front would have fared better in the plains had the CPI-M reached out to the people. SNS

FB leader killed in poll violence

MALDA, 18 MAY: A Forward Bloc leader Arabinda Mandal (37) was killed in a post poll result clash at Chari-Anantapur village under Baishnabnagar police station yesterday. The FB has held the Congress responsible for the crime.

Post poll result clashes have broken out at three different places in Malda since yesterday. Violence began yesterday at Chari-Anantapur between supporters of the Left and the Congress. According to the police, Arabinda was struck on the head by a lump of rock and died. According to the Malda SP Mr Satyajit Bandyopadhyay, police raided the village but could not arrest the culprits as the attackers fled their homes.

The FB district general secretary Mr Ajit Saha said: “About 20 Congress supporters attacked our supporters and injured Arabinda. They continued striking him after he fell down, so killing him. The FB would organise a protest rally at Chari-Anantapur on Thursday and demand the arrest of the culprits.”

In another incident, more than five persons were injured in a clash between Congress and CPI-M supporters at Dahapara. ;SNS

Cong sweeps away red bastions

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 17 May: The traditional red bastion of Gazole Assembly segment in North Malda parliamentary seat is suffering from a huge setback as heavyweight CPI-M candidate Mr Sailen Sarkar was defeated by the Congress candidate Miss Mausam Noor.

The party leaders condemned the people as having "silently betrayed Mr Sarkar". The party has decided find out the cause of the ‘surprising’ result in the Assembly segment, where Miss Noor bagged 64,308 votes. Mr Sarkar obtained 61,335 votes, though the CPI-M had set a target of a leading margin of at least 25,000 votes.

According to CPI-M party sources, records show that in 1967 and '69 the CPI-M had suffered similar setbacks.

In Habibpur Assembly segment, another former red citadel, Mr Sarkar bagged only 5,556 votes. Besides Habibpur, Mr Sarkar failed to obtain a leading margin at six other Assembly segments. Even in Ratua Assembly segment, from where Mr Sarkar was elected twice as MLA and became minister for the state government, Miss Noor obtained 73, 320 votes, while Mr Sarkar, minister for state parliamentary affairs and environment, won only 57, 503 votes.

In Harishchandrapur, Chanchal and Ratua, where more than 65 to 67 per cent people belong to the minority community, Miss Noor was able to obtain a greater margin than her nearest CPI-M candidate.

Mr Ambar Mitra, the chief election agent of Mr Sarkar, could not explain the reason behind such 'surprising' results.

It was expected that the Malda MP and Congress contesting candidate Mr AH Khan Choudhury would win from the South Malda parliamentary seat but Congress workers had not predicted the extent of his leading margin, at 1,36,280 votes.

The CPI-M candidate Dr Abdur Razzaque bagged only 3,07,097 votes in total.

Family rece on for ministerial berth

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 17 MAY : Speculation runs deep in Malda as to whether MP Miss Mausam Noor from North Malda or Mr AH Khan Choudhury from South Malda will receive the ministerial berth. Two more MPs are also in the race - Mrs Deepa Das Munshi from Raiganj in North Dinajpur and Mr Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from Berhampur in Murshidabad.

In considering his relatives for the post, the Malda Congress is naturally recalling the late ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury, who had been Union minister from 1980.

Before general elections, the All India Congress Committee observer Mr Intekhab Alam told media persons in a Press conference that Mr AH Khan Choudhury expected to win and become minister here.

Another group of Congress leaders are discussing Miss Mausam Noor's prospects for induction into the cabinet, pointing out that she is a young MP belonging to the minority community.

However, to avoid any family controversy between Miss Noor and her uncle Mr AH Khan Choudhury over the decision, district Congress leaders are not discussing the issue officially.

Security stepped up for peace after vote count

MALDA, 15 May: The Malda police administration has decided to step up vigilance in some sensitive areas, particularly around the North Malda Lok Sabha seat to avoid post-counting violence.

“We have identified some sensitive areas across the district which might suffer from post-counting violence and so have decided to step up vigilance in those areas from tomorrow,” said the Malda SP Mr Satyjit Bandyopadhyay. “Some areas in Ratua, Chanchal, Harishchandrapur blocks in North Malda are vulnerable. I will hold a teleconference with the inspector in-charge and officer in-charge of all police stations this evening and alert them to the requirements,” the SP added.

Anti-cataract programme to be re-launched

MALDA, 15 May : The district health department has plans to re-launch a programme in the first week of June introducing eye screening camps across the district to counteract cataract.

The objective of the programme is to identify local people suffering from cataract and eradicate the disease, through operations in base camps introduced at various locations in the district by the health department.

Last year, doctors had covered patients from 40 gram panchayats. According to deputy CMOH II Dr Halder, the district health department had set up base camps in Chanchal-I, Bamongola, Habibpur, Manikchak and Kaliachak-III blocks.

The programme was suspended for some time, but plans are being made for a re-launch, with an objective to cover the remaining 106 gram panchayats out of the total 146 in this district. The plans have been submitted to the chief medical officer of health for approval.

The health department would set up and organise the camps, enlisting the help of paramedical staff to identify and register persons suffering from cataract.

“After the identification of sufferers, they will be approached and offered treatment in the base camps where doctors will examine the problem and take necessary steps,” said Dr D Haldar.

An average of three to four per cent of people in Malda district are suffering from cataract. ; sns

Now, speculations begin...

Statesman News Service

MALDA, May 14: Speculation runs deep in the North and South Malda constituencies over the possible winners. With a day left until election results, anticipation is high among the supporters of the various political parties.

Going by the people's choice, Miss Mausam Noor of the Congress seems to be the favourite from the North Malda seat, although the Left disagrees. “By our estimate, Mr Sailen Sarkar of the CPI-M should win the North Malda seat by at least 15,000 votes,” claimed Mr Ambar Mitra, CPI-M district secretariat member. Mr Mitra, who is also Mr Sarkar's election agent, added: “We may lose the South Malda seat but the margin would come down from that of the last elections.”

The Congress camp is upbeat about Miss Noor. “The CPI-M's calculations regarding North Malda will not come true as the people of the constituency have cast votes in favour of Miss Mausam Noor. It is expected that she would win the seat by a margin of one lakh votes or more,” claimed Mr Sanjib Chakraborty, a resident of English Bazaar town.

The CPI-M's calculations are different. They feel that Miss Noor would lead in five Assembly segments of North Malda, but the red bastions of Gazole and Habibpur would ultimately give the CPI-M the advantage. The CPI-M also believes that the Congress candidate from South Malda Mr AH Khan Choudhury would lead at Mothabari and Manikchak Assembly segments of the Lok Sabha seat, but that the CPI-M candidate Dr Abdur Razaaque would make up for the loss at English Bazaar, Farakka and Samserganj - the last two segments being in Murshidabad district.

Though the English Bazaar Congress MLA Mr Krishnendu Choudhury and others said that Mr Khan Choudhury would win the seat by over 40,000 votes, the CPI-M claim that Mr Khan Choudhury would face a tough fight, as the BJP would secure a certain percentage of votes in both constituencies.

Observers to keep closer tabs on counting process

MALDA, May 14: Following the new counting process formulated by the Election Commission, the round wise announcement of results for Lok Sabha polls will be delayed sometimes, the Malda district magistrate Mr Sridhar Ghosh said today.

The district election officials under the leadership of the returning officer (RO) will announce round wise results of polls, after receiving consent from the Central observer. According to the district magistrate Mr Sridhar Ghosh, lots of additional counting observers have been appointed who will keep records of counting separately in each table, where the district election officials will count polled votes recorded in EVMs. There will be more than 14 counting tables for each Assembly segment. Each table will count one EVM. First round results will be finalized after adding all first round results of seven Assembly constituencies for one parliamentary seat. The micro-observers will liase between the additional counting observers and Central observers.

The Central observers will recount any two EVMs out of 14 to verify the results counted by the election officials under the leadership of the RO. After ascertaining the correctness of the counting by the general election officials, the Central observers will give the nod to the RO for the announcement of results. The observers will re-examine the counting process in each round and will give the nod to the RO for the declarations of round wise results. The district magistrate Mr Ghosh said that preparations have been completed with full security arrangements. The counting for North and South Malda seats will be held at Malda Polytechnic and Malda College respectively.

Report on crop loss yet to be submitted

MALDA, May 13: Though the Malda district magistrate, Mr Sridhar Ghosh, had asked the principal agriculture officer (PAO) to submit a detailed report on the estimated loss of crops due to the recent drought and storms in the region, the report is yet to prepared.

The principal agriculture officer in Malda, Mr Ranjit Kumar Das, said: “The Malda sub-divisional officer (agriculture) had been asked to prepare a detailed report and estimate the loss in agriculture due to the recent natural calamities. He is currently working over the report. It would take time to prepare it, after the field study is completed.” “We had faced a drought due to lack of rain that had damaged the Boro crop in the Barind belt in Malda. But in Chanchal sub-division, in the northern part of Malda, there has been no such adverse reports. The storm which lashed Malda a few days ago did not affect the agricultural sector. We had submitted a preliminary report to this effect to the district magistrate,” Mr Das said. However, the district horticulture department had estimated a loss of more than Rs 14 crore in mango cultivation due to the storm in the first week of May, and mango cultivation had been further effected by the heavy rains and storm last night. “The horticulture department will soon be able to report the estimated loss in mango cultivation, due to the storms in this district,” he added. According to the agriculture department, the district received 2.6 mm rainfall on 12 May and an average of 30.6 mm rainfall on 13 May. The English Bazaar block has received 25.3 mm rainfall since last night. The temperature has fallen from 41 degrees C to 32 degrees C today. According to the PAO, Mr Das, the district received an average of 140 mm rainfall from January to May, but this year the district had not received adequate rain. At present, the shortfall of rain is more than 90 mm. “We have received applications from the farmers, where their Boro paddy cultivation had been affected due to lack of rain and proper irrigation. We need to verify the ‘complaints’ on the spot,” Mr Das argued. n SNS

Students’ body stir against assault

Statesman News Service

MALDA, May 13: Protesting against the alleged assault on students of All India Democratic Students’ Organisation and All India Students’ Association by Congress supporters, members of the organisations brought out a rally at Gazole today. The student organisations had been agitating against the admission fee hike imposed by the Hazi Naku Mohd Uchcho Vidyalaya authority at Gazole when the incident occured.

Two AIDSO student leaders, Mr Bhabesh Mandal and Mr Ranjit Roy, were injured in the attack and admitted to Gazole Hospital.

The agitation had begun on Monday with AISA supporters blocking the state highway for over two hours at Bidrohi More demanding a rollback of the hiked fee. A meeting on the issue was fixed today, but the situation became worse, with news spreading that a group of students had attacked the headmaster of the Hazi Naku Mohd Uchcho Vidyalaya.

“The Congress leaders mobilised a group of people to spread the rumour and, under its pretext, attacked the agitating student leaders of the AISA and AIDSO,” alleged the CPI-ML leader, Mr Mrityunjay Das.

The Congress leadership has denied the allegation against its supporters. “It is true that a section of the agitators had attacked the headmaster of the Hazi Naku Mohd Uchcho Vidyalaya, Mr Kali Sadhan Roy. They were resisted by students of the school and fled. However, no Congress supporter is involved in the hostilities,” claimed Malda district Congress vice-president Mr Masadur Rahaman.

Malda farmers to attend inter-state agricultural fair

Statesman News Service

MALDA, May 12: A team of 12 people have been selected from Malda district to take part in the Inter State Agriculture and Horticulture Fair (Sangam), 2009 at Pragati Maidan in Delhi this month.

The fair, organised by the National Horticulture Board (NHB), will take place from 22 to 24 May. A few months ago, officials of the NHB came to Malda and selected 12 people related to the mango business. The district horticulture department is now training them for paticipating in the fair.

The National Horticulture Board will bear travel costs and other expenses for the farmers, who have been selected from Sujapur in Kaliachak and Amrity in English Bazaar. A few entrepreneurs involved in the production of mango and litchi byproducts have also been selected to take part in the fair.

The objective of this fair is to ‘promote and develop taste preference in fruits and vegetables,’ in the domestic market and abroad and to create awareness among farmers and producers through interaction at the fair.

The district mango development officer, Mr SN Khara, said: “Farmers will not be able to present mature mango in the fair because it takes place too early for Malda's mango season. But we have decided that farmers will present Lakshmanbhog and Golapkhas mango at the fair.”

“The farmers will be able to present the local variety of litchi, called guthi. Another popular litchi variety, Bombai, will unfortunately still be immature on 22 May,” he said.

Silk reeling centres to get motors , deterring child labour

Statesman News Service
MALDA, May 11: To stop the recruitment of child workers in silk reeling centres, the sericulture department has decided to provide motors to small traders who run silk reeling and spinning units and manually engage child workers in the Kaliachak block of Malda district.

“We noticed that most of the small traders engage child workers to manufacture silk yarn. We set up 10 motors in different reeling centres last year as an experiment and the response was positive from the small traders”, claimed the deputy director, sericulture department in Malda, Mr. Subrata Das.

“This year we have a target to provide 100 motors to the small traders who manufacture silk yarn at a subsidized rate. The beneficiaries would have to pay Rs. 2,500 for the motors and the department would bear the rest of the cost for setting up the motors. Each installation would cost around Rs. 10,000”, Mr. Das added.

The department has also planned to build separate rearing houses for the production of silk cocoons. The project cost of each separate rearing house is Rs. 50,000. The farmers would have to pay labour costs of Rs. 25,000 and the state government would finance the remaining cost.

According to Mr. Das, 435 families have been selected for the project in the district. Most small farmers rear silkworm in their dwellings in unhygienic conditions. The objective of the project is to separate the rearing houses from the swellings to save the silkworm from various diseases.

The department has further decided to change its police of providing financials assistance for setting up big spinning and reeling centres in the district due to the labour crisis. The projects estimating Rs.10 to 12 lakh have been identified as sick units.

“The local labourers prefer to go out of the state for better remuneration and local entrepreneurs do not get sufficient workers to run the spinning and reeling units. We want to set op small spinning and reeling units for manufacturing silk yarn where seri-farmers’ family members would themselves work and beat the scarcity of labour problem”, the officials said. (END)

PHE survey reveals district-wide drop in underground water level

Statesman News Service

MALDA, May 11: The public health engineering department in Malda has completed a survey to discover the present position of the underground water level across the district during dry spells.

The objective of this survey is to ensure that hand pump tube wells are sunk in the future, in consideration of the water level in dry spells, in order to meet drinking water crises.

Due to continuing dry spells, many tube wells have become defunct across the district, including in municipal areas. Though the district had received rain eight days ago, the situation remains unchanged due to the heat wave over the last six days.

“In almost all wards, residents are facing a water crisis. We are setting up hand pump tube wells to help people facing acute water crises,” said Mr Dulal Sarkar, vice-chairman of the English Bazaar Municipality.

PHE's survey revealed that the water level has gone down at least 20 ft below the normal level in all blocks.

According to the survey report, the normal underground water level was previously 50 ft in Bamongola block area, but at present its level is measured at 70 ft.

In Gazole, where the underground water level is usually 48 ft in depth, at present the level has gone down to 69 ft.

Similarly, residents of Habibpur are collecting waters from 56 ft underground, where the normal level is 40 ft.

On the bank of the river Mahananda, the situation of Old Malda block has also worsened, with the underground water level dropping from 28 ft to 58 ft.

In Harishchandrapur-I and II blocks, the normal water level is 23 and 30 ft but at present the underground water level is 35 and 50 ft respectively.

In Chanchal-I and II blocks the normal water level is 32 and 30 ft respectively, which has dropped to 54 and 52 ft due to the lack of rain.

In Ratua-I and II blocks, the PHE has recorded the present level of underground water as 50 and 60 ft in depth, where underground water is normally available within 25 and 35 ft in the respective blocks.

“We have sent the detailed report to the higher authorities of the PHE. We expect that a fresh order will come for the re-sinking of tube wells which have become defunct,” said Mr Swapan Maitra, executive engineer, PHE, Malda.

Communal tension persists in Gazole

Statesman News Service

MALDA, May 10: Tension between the Hindu and Muslim communities continued in Gazole and Ratua block areas, despite police patrolling and promulgation of Section 144 of the CrPC.

Long-brewing communal tension had been sparked off recently when a Hindu marriage procession had passed a mosque in Gazole, prompting a group of Muslims to complain about the noise. Antagonism was heightened last Friday, leading to a scuffle at a Hindu temple in Gazole during Friday prayers.

The Malda SP Mr Satyajit Bandyopadhyay today held a meeting with the political parties at Gazole police station to restore normalcy there. It was decided that all political leaders would visit the area tomorrow.

Police have arrested nine persons from both communities since Friday night in connection with rioting, provocation, and attacking police. However, political leaders alleged that police have not arrested the ringleaders who had provoked communal tension by forming small armed groups and attempting to attack other groups. Police did not disclose information concerning any specific communal encounter since the scuffle on Friday.

Malda police have already set up police camps in the region and the rapid action force (RAF) is patrolling 24 hours. During the meeting, the political parties have demanded the setting up of one more police camp in the area.

The Malda district magistrate Mr Sridhar Ghosh has instructed all block development officers to remain in station and urged the political leaders to prevent people from creating further trouble.

Malda district administration yesterday promulgated Section 144 CrPC in 10 moujas of Gazole and Ratua blocks, banning groups of more than four from congregating in public places. The Malda sub-divisional officer Mr Prakash Pal said: “The prohibitory order will continue until normalcy is restored. Police picketing and patrolling in the sensitive areas will continue until further orders.”

In the most sensitive areas, people are staying home, markets remain closed, and shops are shut in the evenings. Farmers, frightened to leave their homes, are facing problems in harvesting their Boro paddy cultivation on the banks of the Srimati and Mahananda rivers here. Boro paddy is cultivated on hundreds of acres of land here on either side of National Highway-81.

It may be noted that tribals had once been in control of several of the temples in Ratua and Gazole, during a period marked by peaceful coexistence between the Hindus and Muslims. Now there are very few tribals remaining in the two blocks. In Gazole, the majority of temples are currently controlled by persons from Bangladesh.