Parties unhappy with Malda ZP’s performance

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 23 JUNE: Not only the common people or Opposition parties but a section of Congress workers too are unhappy with the role and performance of the Congress-led Malda Zilla Parishad and English Bazaar Municipality.

Though a section of leaders close to the South Malda MP tried to draw his attention to the issue, another strong group branded these leaders as "conspirators". The South Malda MP, Mr AH Khan Choudhury, is also the district Congress president.

Finally, a weaker section of the leaders in the Congress District Committee was held liable for conspiracy against the Congress leaders, giving rise to a factional feud. Shocked leaders finally took the help of a senior journalist and requested him to point out the ‘poor’ performance of the English Bazaar Municipality and Malda zilla parishad in a press conference called by the South Malda MP last Sunday. During the press conference, a section of journalists categorically exposed the present ‘poor’ performance of the Congress-led civic bodies, including the Malda zilla parishad.

“Is the Malda zilla parishad functioning here? Nobody knows the details of its performance. The sabhadhipati, chief of the district, has not contacted the Press regarding the zilla parishad's ongoing work. Other office bearers have not displayed their performance in their respective fields," one journalist said.

Initially, the Malda MP was taken aback. He finally said: “You are correct... I must look into the matter.”

Since then, the powerful group has shown signs of embarrassment, particularly the members of the monitoring committee who were responsible for evaluating the performance of the Malda zilla parishad.

It may be noted that the district Congress president Mr AH Khan Choudhury had formed a monitoring committee to guide the sabhadhipati, Mrs Sabina Yeasmin, and evaluate the performance of the civic body. One of the members of the monitoring committee was Mr Narendranath Tiwari, who is also the chairman of the English Bazaar Municipality.

“Malda zilla parishad is performing well. Within a year, the board had faced problems concerning executing many works, due to the Model Code of Conduct imposed for two Assemblies by-polls in Malda and for the general election,” said Mr Narendranath Tiwari.

The English Bazaar Congress MLA Mr Krishnendu Choudhury has regularly pointed out the poor performance of the English Bazaar Municipality.

The Congress leaders in Malda zilla parishad have failed to overcome the objections raised by government officials concerning various schemes where norms have been violated. A group of strict government officials of the Malda zilla parishad, including the additional executive officer Mr Kajal Banerjee, are monitoring all things strictly, even the tendering process. The Malda zilla parishad does not have a district engineer. The post has been lying vacant for many years and a retired man is occupying the post on a contractual basis and has failed to perform under the scanner of the executive officials.

Dept takes up embankment repair work, finally

MALDA, 23 JUNE: The irrigation department in Malda has finally taken up repair work on a 1.5 km long dwarf embankment on the left bank of the river Ganga in Kaliachak II for flood protection. A total of Rs 1.5 lakh has been allotted for this work.

It may be noted that in the absence of a ninth retired embankment - which was proposed three years ago but is yet to built due to protest by villagers - the dwarf embankment is the last defence line of flood protection in the erosion prone zone at Panchanandapur and Sakurullahapur zone in Kaliachak II.

The irrigation officials fear that if the monsoon comes in this week the repairing and strengthening work will be hampered because it is completely an ‘earth work'. “Rain will damage and wash away new soil to be dumped on the present layer,” they said.

The executive engineer of the irrigation department in Malda, Mr Soumen Misra, said: “Before the general election we sent a proposal to the district administration requesting them to take up the work through a scheme under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. The district or block administration can take up jobs under the NREGA after the election notification, but still nothing has been done.”

“We could not take up the job due to the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct for the general election and so decided to propose to the administration to repair and strengthen the dwarf embankment under the NREGA. Our engineers agreed to provide technical support to the block authorities for this job,” Mr Misra disclosed.

“Finally, I was forced to give a work order to contractors on Friday to do the job,” he said. Besides, the irrigation department has taken up an emergency project for the construction of another dwarf embankment at the confluence point of the Ganga and Kosi rivers at Kesharpur in Bhutni Diara, an island, under Manikchak block.

“If the present circuit embankment located at Kesharpur is eroded away in the coming monsoon, we will have to build another 300m long dwarf embankment to stem the flood water. At present, the distance between the bank line and the present circuit embankment is nearly 50m at Kesharpur point,” said Mr Misra. ;SNS

Flush out Maoists from Lalgarh : Day V

West Bengal has sought more Central forces to flush out Maoists from Lalgarh

Belpahari have complained of excesses committed by security personnel

I won't say anything. I have my reasons: CM

The Centre banned the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) as a terrorist outfit but the communist ruling West Bengal government is in dilemma over its execution for the state when battle with Maoists at Lalgarh is going on with the help of Central forces. The chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee, asked whether the state would implement the order, did not comment when his party leaders Prakash Karat, Sitaram Yechuri and Biman Bose were against banning. Bhattacharjee said: “I won't say anything. I have my reasons.”

The West Bengal government has said it will look into the legal implications of the Centre's ban to ascertain if it was binding on Bengal, newspaper reported. Chief secretary Ashok Mohan Chakrabarti said legal experts were being consulted. “The CM will discuss the Centre's decision with his Cabinet colleagues,” he said.

The Left Front has rejected chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s suggestion that the state government was “giving a serious thought” to the idea of banning the outfit. It may be pointed out that Bhattacharjee had told the media in Delhi on 20 June that Chidambaram had advised him to ban the CPI-Maoist and that he was seriously thinking about it.

Tribals of Chakadoba and Siarbenda in Belpahari have complained of excesses committed by security personnel, media reported. It was learnt that some people were playing cards outside a shop at Chakadoba on Sunday when BSF jawans while patrolling the area severely beat them up on the plea that they violated the Section 144 earlier imposed in the Belpahari police station area. When the group protested, the jawans reportedly ransacked four shops and 10 houses. They even beat up and kicked the womenfolk. The condition of one of the women "assaulted" ~ Rajani Tudu ~ was said to be critical.After one jawan was assaulted with a tangi, three people were arrested. Police chief Manoj Verma denied any knowledge of the incidents.

Life in Binpur, Belpahari, Jamboni, Gopiballavpur, Jhargram, Lalgarh and Nayagram block areas in West Midnapore was paralyzed yesterday. Despite patrolling undertaken by the security forces panic-stricken villagers did not even venture out of their homes.

West Bengal has sought more Central forces to flush out Maoists from Lalgarh. The fifth day of the government offensive was not marked by any forward movement of the security personnel from their base camps. Home secretary Ardhendu Sen has said that the state had sought more Central forces but did not give a figure. Praveen Kumar, DIG (Midnapore range), met CRPF officers at Lalgarh Ramkrishna Vidyapith. Senior officers remained tightlipped about the discussions held. Even the Cobra force, which had joined the offensive in the Jhitka forest near Lalgarh on Saturday, did not move out of its camp in the past two days. Kumar said security personnel were treading cautiously and sincerely. Apparently, six companies (about 600 personnel) of CRPF and four companies (about 400 jawans) of BSF are currently in reserve

Police are paying particular attention to the 33km-long Bhadutala-Lalgarh Road. Every vehicle taking the road is checked. They even arrested two persons near Bhadutala yesterday on the suspicion of their having links with the Maoists.

Normal life in Bankura, Purulia and Midnapore West was affected as six Maoist cadres were arrested from two separate locations in Bankura and Burdwan and a landmine was detected on railway tracks between Biramdih and Nimdih stations in Purulia. Train services in Purulia-Chandil section in Adra division of South Eastern Railways were suspended.

Police arrested Sukdeb Murmu and Ranjit Hembram, both allegedly assigned by Maoists to blow up a police vehicle in September 2008, from two separate villages in Memari area of Burdwan.

District police have started a combing operation in Birbhum’s three Maoist infested areas after receiving a tip-off that some Maoist cadres have gone to Lalgarh to assist their colleagues there. Vigil has been intensified after Maoist posters had been found from the Visva-Bharati campus in Santiniketan.

As relief camps are being set up by the Trinamul Congress and the CPI-M in violence-torn Lalgarh areas, political gain seems to top the leaders’ agenda, newspaper reported. A visit to some such relief camps across Lalgarh and Salboni areas revealed that local leaders manning the camps are busy blaming their rival party.

Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakrabarti said 500 metric tons of rice and other relief material would be distributed among the distressed Lalgarh residents.

After 16 days, queue for rice

ZEESHAN JAWED

Lalgarh, June 22: A serpentine queue formed outside the Binpur I block office this morning as some 700-800 villagers arrived to collect their rations.

The block office, 1km east of Lalgarh police station, reopened today after the forces secured the area yesterday. The office had been closed for 16 days and all its officials had left the area as violence escalated and roads were dug up.

“All of us came back yesterday. We are going to start all the development activities from today,” said block development officer Sourav Banik.

The first task of the office, which caters to 1.5 lakh people, this morning was the distribution of rice.

The office, which has received 10 tonnes of rice to be disbursed as special gratuitous relief, handed 6kg free to each villager.

Hundreds arrived at the block office this morning carrying utensils, jholas, torn saris — anything they could carry away the rice in. Men, women and children formed long queues from 9am to 4pm.

“A panchayat member told us they would distribute rice from the block office. I immediately picked up a jhola and set out, taking my two-year-old daughter along,” said Bharati Murmu, who had walked the 3.5km from Rija village.

The villagers had to write out an application on plain paper with their name and the name of their village. They produced it at the godown to receive the rice that would ensure regular meals for the first time in days. “The markets, even the weekly bazaar, have been closed, and we have no money anyway. We have been eating just one meal a day. This 6kg of rice will mean meals at least for the next three to four days,” said Sangeeta Das, who lives in Rija with her husband and three daughters.

Most of those who came were from villages the police have been able to reach. Although the office caters to all of Lalgarh, none came from the areas beyond the Lalgarh police station that are still to be secured by the forces.

“We know that many people inside the villages are without any food. We will be working with the gram panchayat members and try to send rice inside the villages,” said a senior district official. “We will also try and purchase the sal plates and cups the villagers make so they have an income.”

The block office is trying to arrange for clothes to be dis- tributed among the children and to stock up the Lalgarh primary health centre.

But the block office has problems of its own, the most crucial being the shortage of cash. With banks closed, all the money being spent now — for instance, to hire people to distribute the rice and write the applications for the illiterate among the villagers — is coming out of the block officials’ own pockets.

“We have asked the government for some money but we don’t know when it will arrive,” a senior district official said. “It’s not safe to send money from outside,” he added, referring to the possibility of the cash being looted by the Maoists on the roads.

State, FBP wrangle over anti-erosion work

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 22 JUNE: The Farakka Barrage Project (FBP), a Central government initiative, has taken up anti-erosion work in three places along the bank of the Ganga in Malda district out of six vulnerable points identified by the state irrigation officials.

The FBP has also sent a proposal to the district administration for the state irrigation department to take up anti-erosion work in the remaining three places identified by them as the most “vulnerable to erosion”.

The irrigation department in Malda has, however, declined the proposal.

The Malda DM, Mr Sridhar Ghosh, had urged the FBP to look into the problems of erosion and to start proper anti-erosion work on the left bank of the Ganga to save the present embankments from flooding, based on the reports of the irrigation department.

In its reply to the DM, the FBP officials intimated the status report of ongoing anti-erosion work along the left bank of the Ganga. They informed the DM that they had taken up three projects, following the go-ahead from the technical advisory committee. They also maintained that if the state irrigation and waterways department thinks that the works are imperative, it should take up anti-erosion work in the three remaining “vulnerable” places.

The irrigation department in Malda had advised the district administration that the FBP should take up anti-erosion work at all six vulnerable points on the bank of the Ganga. The executive engineer of the irrigation department in Malda, Mr Soumen Misra, had declined the proposal.

“I have informed higher authorities about the proposal but they have not agreed to accept it, because the area is completely under the jurisdiction of the FBP, a Central government agency, and we can not take up any job there,” said Mr Soumen Misra.

The state government had extended the FBP’s jurisdiction after handing over another 32 km to Farrakka Barrage on the left bank of the river in Malda following the request of the then Union water resources minister Mr Priya Ranjan Das Munshi.

According to Mr Misra, the remaining places where the FBP did not take up the work ~ Gopalpur to Domhat in Manikchak block, Sultantola and its downstream and Shivmandir in Kaliachak II block ~ are vulnerable and the existing embankments could be damaged if the project is not initiated.

Pressure mounts for station's renovation

MALDA, 22 JUNE: District leaders across the political spectrum in Malda are taking initiatives for restructuring Khaltipur railway station.

Apart from the Left Front constituents, the Opposition Congress and the Trinamul Congress are also putting pressure on the Union rail ministry over the matter. The demands include a computerised reservation centre and stoppage of important trains moving through this station.

The CPI-M will stage a Rail Roko as part of same demand on 2 July. The date has been fixed keeping in mind the presentation of the rail Budget by the new railway minister Ms Mamata Banerjee.

Announcing the agitation programme, Kaliachak-based CPI-M leaders, including the party MLA, Mr Biswanath Ghosh, said they would pressure the railway ministry to take up the much awaited renovation of the particular station.

Interestingly, the South Malda MP and former Kaliachak MLA Mr AH Khan Choudhury has included the renovation demand of the Khaltipur railway station in his 14- point charter of demands recently submitted to the Union railway minister.

Earlier, the former Trinamul Congress district president, Mr Dulal Sarkar, raised the Khaltipur railway station renovation issue while leading a deputation to the party chief on 13 June in Kolkata.

Even the Forward Bloc blocked railway track at Khaltipur station just after Miss Mamata Banerjee took charge.

Apart from the political pressure being mounted the Kaliachak Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce has also been in the forefront of demanding prompt renovation of the station. ;SNS

Headlines June 22, 2009

"If crisis of food and water emerge, more people will move elsewhere"

"The state government aims to reopen health centres, schools and ration shops in the area to regain confidence of local people"

"CRPF personnel, during raids, used the ponds as toilet, thus polluting the water, which is used for drinking purposes”

No major incidents of retaliation from Maoists were reported till yesterday evening. Deployment of joint forces throughout the 14-km stretch between Pirakata and Lalgarh continued yesterday after the joint forces reopened the gates of Lalgarh police station and set up their base camp. The operation is being delayed due to tactical reasons. “We are trying our best to gain people's confidence”, a senior officer in charge of the operation of the joint forces said.

The Centre has sounded an alert to five Naxalite affected states to take “precautionary and pre-emptive” measures. Maoists called 48 hours strike from today over the ongoing operations in Lalgarh. The alert by the home ministry based on Intelligence reports was specifically for Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal.

Union home minister P Chidambaram issued a statement asking politicians, people and NGOs to stay away from the conflict area in Lalgarh. “The situation in Lalgarh is sensitive and continues to be tense beside the CPI (Maoist) call for a strike”, media reported quoting Chidambaram. “Security forces must carry on their work without distraction. Hence, I appeal to all citizens, especially political leaders, NGOs and others not to go to the conflict area,” Chidambaram said.

The chief secretary A M Chakrabarti urged ministers and intellectuals to stay away from the troubled area Lalgarh as it is tough to ensure proper security for them. He also assured that innocent villagers would not be harassed by the security forces. The chief secretary said that forces would move to the remote areas after sanitising areas like Lalgarh, Binpur, Pirakata and Sarenga. “The state government aims to reopen health centres, schools and ration shops in the area to regain confidence of local people”, Chakraborti said. “Those who have been driven out from their houses or forced to leave their villages would be provided relief,” he said.

The state government also asked Maoists and PSBPC (Police Santras Birodhi Public Committee) members to surrender and help restore normality at Lalgarh and its adjacent areas.

Seven CRPF jawans, who fell sick due to a heat wave, were treated in Lalgarh and later shifted to the Army hospital in Kalaikunda. One of their jawans was taken to Midnapore hospital after he fell sick.

Three persons, suspected to be Maoists, were arrested from Goaltore area yesterday. Fresh trouble erupted in the Belpahari area, where local tribals were engaged in a minor clash with CRPF personnel.

“CRPF personnel, during raids, used the ponds as toilet, thus polluting the water, which is used for drinking purposes”, local people said. The locals yesterday protested and a clash broke out. A CRPF jawan was injured after being hit by an axe, prompting the force to resort to a lathi-charge.

Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee attacked the Congress for not having consulted her before sending forces to crack down on Lalgarh Maoists, media reported. Banerjee said: "The Congress should trust the Trinamul and not the CPI-M which is more dangerous than the poisonous cobra.”

Without naming Trinamul Congress, 16 Left MPs have written to the Prime Minister informing that some members of the Union Council of Ministers were reportedly proceeding to the affected areas and making public comments “which are adversely complicating the operations against the Maoists”.The letter came following some reported statements by certain ministers and Trinamul leaders against the joint operations by state police and central paramilitary forces.

Exodus of villagers from Lalgarh in the wake of the Maoist insurgency in Lalgarh, is actually helping police forces whose sole objective is to flush out Maoists from the area. A newspaper reported today.

Police officers are of the opinion that if the exodus continues, Maoists will soon find themselves confined to Lalgarh and hence would easily be trapped. Officers carrying out the operation feel that since villages bordering Jharkhand remained sealed, Maoists will not be able to flee. “Our strategy is to dissociate Maoists from common people,” said a senior state police officer.

“If fear is instilled in the minds of the common people, they would soon start moving out of their villages which will help us in spotting Maoists,” a newspaper reported quoting a senior state police officer.

“The spate of violence in Lalgarh in the last three days has triggered fear among the people,” he said. According to him, more than 10,000 people of Lalgarh have already moved out of their homes in the last three days following the gun battle between Maoists and security forces. “It is essential to distinguish between them and Maoists. We have kept some ways open to help common people move towards Jhargram,” the officer said. Around 50,000 people live in villages that the PSBPC had captured with the help of the Maoists. “If crisis of food and water emerge, more people will move elsewhere,” the officer said.

CPI (Maoist) leader Koteshwar Rao alias Khishanji had appealed to Intellectuals to visit Lalgrah and “witness the atrocities committed by security forces in the name of police operation”. A team of Intellectuals from Kolkata including noted film director Aparna Sen, theatre personalities Saonli Mitra and Kaushik Sen yesterday held a meeting with villagers and members of the Police Santras Birodhi Public Committee (PSBPC), in an effort to resolve the Lalgarh conflict. The Intellectuals, however, failed to meet Maoists leaders including Kishanji.

“We have heard instances of police personnel dragging women out of their homes and beating them up. We sincerely appeal to the state government and Maoists to observe ceasefire till 14 July,” Aparna Sen said. Aparna Sen and other intellectuals appealed to both the state government and the Maoists to put down arms.

Union ministers of state Sisir Adhikary and Mukul Roy defied the state government warning and entered Salboni. They were allegedly thwarted by groups of CPI-M supporters. They would submit a report to the Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee. “In the name of flushing out Maoists, the state government is allowing CPI-M cadres to regain ground in the tribal belt," Adhikary said. They have camped in West Midnapore to campaign against police atrocities and provide relief to the affected villagers.

Naxalites affiliated to the Andhra Pradesh based Chandra Pulla Reddy faction yesterday staged a rally in Burdwan’s Raniganj town protesting against the ongoing operation in Lalgarh. The CPI-ML faction has a stronghold in Raniganj coalfields from where it operates Iftu, ~ its labour front, in a number of coalmines under the Eastern Coalfields. Sunil Pal, state general secretary of the faction said: “It’s total anarchy. The state has been unleashing terror in Lalgarh and its surroundings. In the name of flushing out Maoists, the central forces and the state police is harassing the common people”.

Tension sparked off on the Visva-Bharati (V-B) campus yesterday after seven Maoist posters were found by locals and students in three different areas of Santiniketan. The posters called on the locals to be aware of the alleged police atrocity that was going on in Lalgarh and its adjoining tribal villages for the past four days.

New steps to curb Malda erosion

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 21 JUNE: In a recent letter to the Union finance minister Mr Pranab Mukherjee, the south Malda MP Mr AH Khan Choudhury, has urged him to allot funds to check erosion on the banks of the Ganges from Dhulian in Murshidabad to Rajmahal, covering the areas of Manikchak block in Malda district under his parliamentary constituency. He requested the Union minister to sanction the fund in the next budget to be placed in the Parliament.

Mr Khan Choudhury said the Farakka Barrage Project, a central government unit, which is in charge of executing all the anti-erosional works here, is unable to carry out its responsibilities properly due to lack of staff.

"I will talk to the higher authorities about these problems," he said.

To serve the interest of the people in Malda, the south Malda MP, has also sent 14 points charter of demand to the union railway minister Ms Mamata Banerjee, a few days ago. Mr Khan Choudhury has demanded two inter-city express trains from Malda town station.

According to him, an inter-city express from Malda to New Jalpaiguri is absolutely essential, considering long awaiting demands of the people here along with another inter-city express from Malda to Sealdah.

Apart from this, Mr Khan Choudhury asked for a direct connecting train between Malda and New Delhi and another direct train from Malda to Ajmir Sarif.

Mr Khan Choudhury demanded the renovation of Khaltipur station in Kaliachak, with computerised reservation counter and stoppage of some important trains.

He claimed that the Khaltipur station will be more viable commercially because many people from Kaliachak area either have to come to Malda town station or New Farakka station to travel by a train.

Mr Khan Choudhury also demanded electricity in rail-routes up to Malda town station so that locomotives can run with the help of electricity.

Presently locomotives which run on diesel, can not run fast, the south Malda MP admitted.

Speaking to The Statesman he also expressed his desire to be a member in Dr Manmohan Singh government's cabinet. “We have placed our demands to appropriate authorities. I am hopeful that they will look into the matter but every thing is depending on the high command and party”, Mr Khan Choudhury said.

The joint operation to flush out Maoists : Day III

Headlines June 21, 2009

The chief minister's assertion

evoked a strong reaction from Trinamul chief Mamata Banerjee. She said that her party activists would hit the streets in 48 hours unless Bhattacharjee withdraw their allegations linking the Trinamul with the Maoists. Bhattacharjee said he knew the Trinamul Congress had “strong links” with the Police Santras Birodhi Public Committee that is supported by Leftist ultras and its leader Chatradhara Mahato was part of the Trinamul Congress.

Upset over allegations and supposed ‘disclosure’ of links between the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamul Congress and the hard-line Maoists group in West Bengal, the Centre has directed its Intelligence agencies to probe the matter even as Trinamul Congress leaders were in denial mode, newspaper reported. Trinamul Congress leaders have denied the charges outright.

Security forces succeeded in reaching Lalgarh police station yesterday eight months after tribals under the banner of the Police Santras Birodhi People's Committee began a police boycott over alleged atrocities. "The hundred per cent operation is yet to be completed. It may take days, even weeks to do this”, said the DIG (Midnapore Range) Praveen Kumar told reporters outside Lalgarh police station.

Maoists set off a powerful land mine in the Kadasole jungle injuring at least four policemen. The district administration claimed last night that six Maoists have been gunned down in encounters with security forces during the day. Maoist leader Koteswar Rao alias Khisanji has denied this. The mine, planted on the road, exploded when the policemen were removing a tree. When other policemen came to their rescue, more than 50 Maoists fired at the cops injuring two more jawans. Jawans of the state and central forces fired back. The shoot-out continued for a few hours.

Maoists also fired at security forces from the direction of Goaltore last evening around 7.30 p.m . Later, security forces recaptured some villages from the Maoists and set up camps. Another police team ~ comprising jawans of six companies of CRPF and two companies of State Armed Police ~ left for Lalgarh police station from Bhimpur around 7 p.m. Meanwhile, PSBPC members ransacked and set on fire the CPI-M office at Baita. They also torched the home of a CPI-M leader Sanatan Pal.

The Police Santras Birodhi Public Committee (PSBPC) struck at Khoyerpahari ~ barely 5 km from Sarenga in Bankura yesterday afternoon, demolishing a culvert, when the combined Central paramilitary forces were returning to their base camp at Gargaria High School.

Union minister of state for rural development, and Trinamul MP Sisir Adhikari charged that a Trinamul leader has been killed in police firing near the Kadasole jungle.

The chief secretary AM Chakrabarti has ruled out the possibility of any dialogue with the Maoists. He said that the Maoists had gathered huge cache of arms and ammunitions. Police are trying to build contact with local people to unearth them.

The state has asked for more Central forces and steps have been taken to restore infrastructure in the area.

A CRPF jawan Nabakanta Roy died of heat stroke and several others fell ill during the operation yesterday.

The CPI-M central committee has backed the West Bengal government’s efforts to use “both political and administrative measures” to free Lalgarh from Maoist gangs, and to ensure the rule of law. The committee said that since March this year 53 party cadres were “mercilessly butchered.”

West Bengal Left Front chairman Biman Bose told reporters that the proposal to ban the Maoists in the state would be discussed in the state Left Front. The chief minister, who met the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the home minister P Chidambaram yesterday told reporters in Delhi that 18 of the state’s 241 blocks were affected by Maoist violence. The CM said the home minister had asked the state government to ban the Maoists and, “we will have to give it a serious thought”.

The joint operation to flush out Maoists from their latest sphere of influence in Lalgarh has left the local economy and education system in shambles, newspaper reported. People like Mihir Das and Tarun Mandal, who eight months ago had been coerced to support the Police Santras Birodhi Public Committee (PSBPC) lest their livelihood be adversely affected, are now a frustrated lot. The prospect of losing a livelihood is staring them in the face. Agriculture, biri manufacturing and saal leaf-plate weaving have been adversely hit in the area. Shops have closed down and people are clueless about their future. Food stocked in households too is fast running out. Ration shops in these areas have stopped stocking up on food supplies and have put up their shutters. Many seem to be leaving the place they had lived in for generations.

Series of power cuts continue…

MALDA, 19 JUNE: While mercury is gradually soaring, making it more uncomfortable for the residents in the district, there is no relief from the continuous power cuts that could come as a respite to them amidst the prevailing sultry conditions.

The rate of power cuts has increased since Wednesday. There was a power cut for seven hours yesterday when electricity went off in the morning and residents had to bear the heat till late in the night. Even today, the residents of English Bazaar experienced power failure for more than two hours in the morning.

Despite the Regional Meteorological Office's forecast, there was no rain in the district till yesterday afternoon.

Power went off at 1.35 pm and resumed after three and-a-half hours on Thursday. There was a power cut again which continued for more than two hours late in the night. It was disrupted at 9.30 pm and there was no electricity till midnight..

Last night residents had to go through an unbearable situation due to these long hours when power supply was disrupted. There was not even a breeze to provide relief from the sultry conditions.

“We are helpless because power cut is beyond our control. We simply execute central (load dispatch) decision. Power cuts continue for more than three hours even in Kolkata. Not only English Bazaar town, but also of the district is also facing power cut at the same time,” said Mr DK Mondal, the divisional manager of state electricity distribution company in Malda. Families, are buying inverters for emergency power supply so that they can run the fans in their homes to get relief from the sultry situation.

Cong activists assault Left candidate

MALDA, 19 JUNE: The CPI-M English Bazaar local committee leaders staged a protest meeting in Ward no 11 this evening, after the CPI-M candidate for the municipality by-polls, scheduled on 28 June, was allegedly assaulted by a group of Congress workers.

On the basis of the complaint lodged by the CPI-M candidate Mr Dilip Choudhury, English Bazaar police arrested four persons including a CPI-M supporter today. A team of police personnel was deployed to maintain law and order in view of the mounting tension running in the area.

The CPI-M alleged that one shop, belonging to the candidate's brother had been set on fire last night. "When Mr Chowdhury arrived at the spot this morning he was beaten up by a gang of Congress-backed miscreants,” alleged a local CPI-M leader Mr Indrajit Mitra.

The Congress leaders including the Congress candidate for the particular ward, Mr Atul Singha, denied CPI-M's allegations. ‘The charge of Congress complicity in the incident is baseless.

The CPI-M is trying to unleash tension as part of its policy of scaring away the voters from the coming bypoll,” the Congress leaders counter alleged.

Operation Lalgarh Day-II

Headlines June 20, 2009

Faced with stiff resistance, the state government has been forced to ask for more Central forces to flush out Maoists from Lalgarh. Chief secretary Asok Chakrabarti, said in Kolkata that the state has asked for more Central forces.

Five companies of Central forces had arrived and later six more companies of BSF have reached the state. The joint force set up their base camp at Bhimpur High School ~ 8.7 kilometres from Lalgarh where top police and CRPF officers discussed operational strategies.

Two police men were injured in a landmine blast near Pirakata Bazaar during operations to flush out Maoists.

To avoid confrontation authorities temporarily suspended their operation when armed with primitive weapons thousands of PSBPC supporters, mostly women and children, blocked a road last evening. They shot arrows at policemen. Gun-wielding youths, faces covered with towels, were seen leading the mob.

Santrash Birodhi Public Committee (PSBPC), backed by armed Leflist ultras, recaptured some areas from the security forces. Maoists and PSBPC members also recaptured Kulidaha, Malida and Pirakuli. Camps of the State Armed Force have been set up at Malida, Kulidaha and Pirakuli.

Though leaflets  were air-dropped in Lalgarh urging villagers not to help the Maoists , policemen are facing human barricade during marching towards Lalgarh from Goaltore base camp. Armed with bows and arrows, thousands of people blocked their way when the forces reached at Pingboni. Three companies of BSF jawans will join the force at Pingboni today.

Movement of forces to Lalgarh suffered a jolt with PSBPC supporters blowing up the bridge on Kangsabati River at Amkola in Binpur. The Dherua-Lalgrah Road, Sarenga-Lalgarh Road and Sarenga-Chandrakona Road were also blocked with trenches and tree trunks.

Two motorcycle-borne Maoist cadres fired at a police party at Kulidaha yesterday afternoon, sparking off a gun-battle that lasted for more than an hour. No one, however, was injured.

Two more land-mine blasts occurred near Lalgarh police station last night, and Maoists fired several rounds targeting the police station. No casualties were reported.

One unit of the CoBRA Force came to Bhimpur High School, but later went back to Midnapore. A senior CRPF officer said: “CoBRA Force will start operations if the Central and state police forces face tough resistance from Maoists.”

A red alert has been sounded in all four Maoist infested police station areas of Purulia district in view of the police operations in Lalgarh.

Senior police officers also carried out a survey of the terrain from the helicopter yesterday.

Two journalists covering the operation were accosted by PSBPC members led by a Maoist leader, Bikash, at Pirakuli. Maoist cadres reportedly fired eight rounds in the air and snatched their mobile phones. The scribes were let off after half an hour.

“We appeal to the journalists not to follow the police teams as operation is going to be tough in the next few days and it would be very risky for them” the state home secretary Ardhendu Sen, said at Writers’ Buildings.

The government has sent relief materials for villagers who were driven out from their homes in Binpur by the PSBPC.

The Maoists, meanwhile, held a secret meeting with PSBPC leaders at Debagram High School on Thursday night, newspaper reported. Top Maoist leader Koteshwar Rao alias Khishanji, said that they won't back out until people's rule is established. “We won't be cowed down even if more forces are brought in,” he told reporters at Chhoto Pelia in Lalgarh last night.

Koteshwar Rao alias Khishanji has also appealed to Mamata Banerjee to ask the Centre to withdraw forces from Lalgarh as the Maoists had supported her movement against the CPI-M-police sponsored terror in Nandigram.

The Centre has asked the Maoists in Lalgarh area of West Bengal to lay down arms and come for talks. Home minister P Chidambaram said he endorsed the appeal of West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to the Maoists and the tribals to come for talks.

The CPI (Maoist) is not banned in West Bengal as in other states. “We think they should be banned in West Bengal,” Chidambaram said.

Senior leaders of the CPI (Maoist) who had been camping at Lalgarh for the past few months, have already left the area after police operations began, newspaper reported quoting IB officials. They said “The Maoists have brought in squads from Jharkhand and Orissa to augment their West Bengal unit. Action squad members from three state units are camping in Lalgarh and adjoining areas. The senior leaders of the outfit will brief them about how to go about it. But they themselves will not engage the security forces. The time is not ripe for them to engage in direct combat as inputs suggest that their objective is to strengthen their cadre base in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh”.

Medical waste racket: New evidence found

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 18 JUNE: Following the arrest of two members of medical waste recycling rackets, police investigation further revealed that the racketeers had collected medical waste from Malda district hospital. Investigating officers recently examined the register of the district hospital and found that the batch numbers of the medical waste matched those in the hospital records.Police arrested the two racketeers after discovering three temporary godowns close to the district hospital on 11 June where a huge amount of used syringes and plastic saline bottles were collected and stored. The duo got bail from the court, and police are continuing the investigation, using information gained through their interrogation. The chief medical officer of health in Malda, Dr Srikanta Roy, said: “The police did not inform me about their views after the investigation. No-one had informed me that police had checked the register of the district hospital and found a match with the batch numbers of the medical waste.” Though the CMOH had issued an inquiry order and asked the hospital superintendent to furnish the inquiry report relating to the possible negligence of staff, no report has been tabled before the CMOH. To stop the recycling of medical waste, the CMOH has issued a fresh order to nursing staff to dispose of syringes using a cutter after their use.

Trinamul nominates district president

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 18 JUNE: Finally, the Trinamul chief Ms Mamata Banerjee has nominated a new district president for Malda district. Mr Goutam Chakraborty, former Congress leader, MLA and Malda zilla parishad sabhadhipati, will take the position.

The outgoing district president, Mr Dulal Sarkar, will hold a meeting with block presidents on Sunday, and officially hand over the post. At a meeting with district leaders in Kolkata, Miss Banerjee disclosed her desire to change the leadership in Malda and yesterday the matter had been finalised.

Mr Sarkar, the outgoing district president, arrived in Malda today. Mr Charkraborty, who is also vice-president of the state Trianamul Congress, is planning to come to Malda tomorrow. It may be noted that, a few days back, youth Trinamul Congress leaders were divided over the issue of presidential selection, .leading to a clash breaking out between two groups at Malda Town Hall during a conference.Mr Dulal Sarkar said: “The clash was not related to the selection of district president. Mr Nirmal Karmakar, another leader, was assaulted by another group following a financial transaction. Mr Karmakar borrowed money but he did not repay it on time.” “I introduced Mr Chakraborty (Goutam-da) as district president. Mamata-di has inducted me in the state secretariat body,” said Mr Sarkar.

Mr Goutam Charkraborty did not comment, saying: “I will hold a Press conference in Malda soon and will talk to the Media then.”

On the other hand, Mr Dulal Sarkar, said: “In Malda, North Dinajpur and Murshidabad, so-called Congress belts, we run our party organisations following the understanding made between the two parties before the Parliament elections. In south Bengal, the Trinamul organisation is gradually developing beyond that of the Congress day by day. But it is very difficult to develop party organisations in Malda and adjoining districts.” “It's difficult to strengthen the Trinamul Congress because CPI-M workers, who have been using their party for their own selfish reasons, are now coming over to the Trinamul side, again only to fulfil their vested interests. We are hesitating to accept them at present,” Mr Sarkar said.

Operation Lalgarh and its nature

The 300 CRPF men and 100 district riot police began their march from Pirakata at 4pm yesterday. The troops had advanced 8km to Bhimpur — almost halfway to Lalgarh — by 6.30 pm. When dusk fell the forces decided to push back 2km and halt for the night by the roadside at Koima. Police forces had to face two more human walls. Tear gas and lathis took care of the resistance. A small crowd blocked the road in Bhimpur and was driven away easily. Policemen entered homes, searching for suspects and beating up anyone who came their way.

“You have two minutes to disperse. Else, you’ll face action,” additional superintendent of police (Jhargram), Subhankar Sarkar, bellowed into a microphone, peering at the “human shield” of 2,000 villagers a little ahead of Malida village, media reported.

Five women fell into the paddy fields after being beaten by the police. “There were no policewomen. We were beaten up by the policemen. Many fell unconscious”, said Lakshmi Soren, 40. There are, however, no reports of serious injuries, officials said.

The force had to remove several tree trunks by the time it faced the human shield at Malida. When the two minutes were up, the police fired a few shots in the air and lobbed over 50 tear-gas shells. As the smoke began to sting their eyes, the villagers began breaking up.

The decision to launch the operation Lalgarh came at a meeting on Wednesday between home secretaries Ardhendu Sen, state police chief Sujit Sarkar and district officials at the West Midnapore police lines. Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee stamped his approval when Sen reported to him after returning from Midnapore.

The nature of the operation is expected to change once the security forces inch closer to Lalgarh. The real strongholds of the Maoists in Lalgarh are interior villages like Kantapahari and Ramgarh. The two villages are around 7km and 11km, respectively, from Lalgarh town. A meeting on demarcating the areas of operation was held in Kolkata yesterday.

The Cobra force was not pressed into service yesterday.

A team from Kolkata police, headed by joint commissioner Ranvir Kumar, will join the forces in Lalgarh.

Indian Air Force helicopters will be deployed for the police march towards Lalgarh for “casualty evacuation” from today. Chopper will carry the injured, if any, of both sides to hospitals.

“A full-fledged attack can result in bloodshed. So, we cannot launch it when the chief minister is not around,” a senior officer of the action squad said.The chief minister is expected to meet the Prime Minister today when he can tell Manmohan Singh that “action” has started.

“We are open to discussions but not at this stage with such a lot of violence being carried out (by the Maoists). Also, all the unauthorised weapons have to be flushed out from the area. That is our priority now”, said top official of the state government.

A CPM activist and three members of an anti-Maoist resistance group abducted Wednesday night were found dead on Thursday in Goaltore. The four were identified as Badal Ahir, 55, Dubraj Soren, 53, his son Dasharath, 35, and brother Chaitanya, 40. Their throats had been slit, heads smashed and bones broken. The four had been buried in a field half-a-kilometre from their homes in Pingboni village, which is about 35km from Lalgarh, where police and central forces have started an operation this afternoon against the Maoists. The seven murders within 48 hours has the CPM top brass in West Midnapore worried.

Members of the People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities, which led the Lalgarh protest, last night raided the CPM’s Dahijuri branch committee office in Binpur, 5km from Jhargram town. About 700 tribals armed with bows and arrows broke all the furniture inside the one-storey office, then piled them outside and set the heap ablaze. No complaint has been lodged against anyone, said a police officer

A newspaper reports: Mamata Banerjee apparently felt embarrassed with Kishanji, chief of the rebels’ armed wing in Bengal, Jharkhand and Orissa, and his Lalgarh deputy Bikash saying on TV that the Maoists had fought together with Trinamul in Nandigram, and adding that Trinamul and the CPM were “two sides of the same coin”. The Trinamul Congress chief was silent on Lalgarh through the day, telling reporters who had gathered at her home: “I am busy with the railway budget.” Party sources said Mamata was tight-lipped out of annoyance with the Maoists. “In Nandigram, we had fought (together) with Trinamul under the banner of the BUPC (Bhoomi Uchchhed Pratirodh Committee)…. I want Mamata to come out with a clear stand on it (the Lalgarh operation),” Kishanji told a TV channel.

A BSF jawan whose battalion was supposed to go to Lalgarh to take part in the anti-Maoist operation was found dead at the force’s base camp in Kharagpur yesterday. Local police are not clear whether 28-year-old Somu Singh from Jharkhand committed suicide. He is said to have died while cleaning his rifle. Whether the bullet that pierced his chest got fired accidentally is being probed.

Embankments: Locals may launch movement

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 17 JUNE: The “Bhaluka Bandh Banchao Committee”, an apolitical organisation of locals, is contemplating staging another agitation to press the administration to repair the embankments at Fulohar in the northern part of Malda district before the onset of monsoon.

The committee members would hold a meeting tomorrow to chalk out the details of the agitation. They have already drawn the attention of the district administration to the necessity of taking up anti-erosion work to protect the embankments at Bhaluka Bazaar.

The North Malda MP, Miss Mausam Noor, recently visited the spot and spoke to the committee members. She reportedly assured them that she would do everything to convince the Centre and the state government to take preventive flood measures.

“Malda being a flood prone district, large swathes of land have been eroded at the bank of Fulohar at Bazitpur in Ratua-I and Bhaluka Bazaar in Harishchandrapur, adding to the flood threat,” she said, pointing out that the dyke may be breached if a spell of torrential rain occurs in the area.

According to Mr Ajit Saha, a Bandh Banchao Committee member, the administration seemed indifferent to the developing danger. “Neither the Farakka Barrage Project nor the state's irrigation department have taken up any plan on the matter. The dyke under Harishchandrapur-II block seems precarious in at least two places,” he complained.

Drive to bring dropouts back to school gets delayed

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 17 JUNE: To reduce the proportions of dropouts from the primary and secondary level, the state has asked all districts to launch a special drive for the admission of children and young people left out of the education system.

The drive was to occur between 16 and 23 June, but the programme is not being implemented here. The obvious reason is the ongoing summer vacation.

The district project officer, Mr Sarba Shiksha Abhijan (SSA), Mr Chinmay Sarkar, said: “Though the state project director (SSA) has asked that a special drive be launched between 16 and 23 June, the programme has been deferred because of the ongoing summer vacation.”

“We have decided to launch the same programme between 8 and 15 July after the end of the summer vacation in all secondary and primary schools," Mr Sarkar said.

According to the direction of the government, Malda district held a meeting on the subject on 5 June at the district level. The BDOs have held similar meetings at block level to ascertain and identify dropout students and initiate a move to get them re-admitted into schools.

The BDO has directed that meetings be held at gram panchayat level beginning 15 June. The members of the gram panchayat will hold meetings at gram sansad level between 16 to 30 June to ascertain the number of children and young people of school age, who have missed out of education in their villages.

Following the process, the district administration will monitor the present number of dropouts in the district and take initiatives to bring them back to their schools. The district magistrate will report online to the state fortnightly. The reporting is planned to be completed by 15 September, before the Puja.

In Malda, many students leave their studies between class V and VIII to go to other states with relatives in search of jobs. Many then return home as migrant labourers, owing to poverty.

Life imprisonment

MALDA, 17 JUNE: The fast track (fifth) court in Malda today sentenced three persons including a soothsayer to life imprisonment for murdering a seventy year old tribal woman branding her a ‘witch'. The incident took place at Almatpur village in Gazole in January 2003. SNS

Four persons injured

MALDA, 17 JUNE: Four persons including a woman were injured in a clash between BSF jawans and villagers at Kalaibari under Habibpur police station area last night. The conditions of two of them - Mr Tarun Mandal and Mrs Rina Mandal, admitted at the Malda district hospital are stated to be serious. But no police complaint have been reported yet.SNS

Infected garlic from China stirs up trouble

Statesman News Service

MALDA 16 JUNE: The customs department in Malda today dropped the process of destroying infected garlic, that were being imported to India from China illegally, after villagers’ strongly protested against it.

Though the district administration had provided a burning ghat owned by the state government on the bank of Behula in Old Malda for the destruction of the infected garlic, hundreds of locals protested and did not allow the customs department to quarantine the fungus-infected garlic.

Identifying the seized garlic as infected by harmful (exhaustive) fungus, the plant quarantine departmental officials claimed that: “This Chinese produce may badly affect agriculture activities in India”.

At present, the administrative and customs officials are in search of barren land on which to quarantine the garlic.

Following the directives of the Central government, the assistant commissioner of customs in Malda had informed the entire matter to the district administration, seeking barren land to quarantine the siezed garlic.

As the land and land reforms department selected land, it was decided that on 16 June, in presence of the district administrative officials, police, senior officials of the customs, officials of the plant quarantine department and public representatives, the infected garlic would be burnt and buried properly at the burning ghat.

“Nearly 300 villagers resisted our staff and labourers when they started initial work to ready the place for quarantine. The local panchayat pradhan, who was supposed to be invited there during the quarantine process for certification, has already submitted a memorandum so that we can not quarantine the garlic there. The police, administrative officials and others failed to pacify the irate mob on Sunday,” said Mr AK Ghosh, assistant commissioner, customs, in Malda.

According to Mr Ghosh, the border security force seized 19.3 quintal garlic produced in China on 18 May and later handed them over to the customs department. Following Central government directives, the customs officials collected samples and sent them for laboratory test to the plant quarantine department, a Central government unit under the ministry of agriculture.

The experts of the plant quarantine department informed the customs officials that the seized garlic was not ‘fit for human consumption’ and could not be auctioned.

“Identifying the garlic as infected by harmful (exhaustive) fungus, the plant quarantine officials suggested that we quarantine the garlic as soon as possible,” said Mr A K Ghosh, the assistant commissioner of customs in Malda.

The district administration and customs officials are still trying hard to arrange alternative land for its proper destruction.

The assistant commissioner yesterday met the deputy inspector general of BSF Malda sector seeking his cooperation to complete the quarantine process of the seized garlic.

Mr AK Ghosh said the DIG BSF Mr PS Tomar has agreed to issue a no objection certificate if the district administration wants to use land along the India-Bangladesh border which is at present under the custody of the BSF.

Meeting to arrest medical waste recycling trade

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 16 JUNE: To stop medical waste recycling trade rackets in the district, the sabhadhipati of Malda zilla parishad, chairman of English Bazaar and chief medical officials of health held a meeting on Saturday and adopted some strict resolutions for the development of the health service.

Discussing the matter with the chief medical officer of health, the sabhadhipati of Malda zilla parishad, Mrs Sabina Yesmin, convened an urgent meeting on this issue, when police arrested two people after the discovery of three temporary godowns, close to the district hospital, on 11 June, where a huge amount of used syringes and plastic saline bottles were collected and stored.

According to the CMOH, Dr Srikanta Roy, the chairman and officials of the English Bazaar municipality admitted that the problem was caused by them, due to lack of their own autoclave sterilizer, which cannot dispose risky medical wastes collected from various nursing homes. “The civic body chief wants to dispose of medical waste properly, but they are helpless. They assured to look into the problem seriously and bury risky medical waste properly as much as possible, within their capacity,” said Dr Roy.

The Statesman reported last week: “The English Bazaar municipality collects all medical waste, including risky waste, from nursing homes and dumps it in a small vat, located at Chandan Park in ward No 25. Every morning, rag pickers collect waste like syringes and other plastic items from the vat and sell them to local agents, who use the nearby godowns for the trade of such items.” Though there was a standing order for a cutter to destroy needles and syringes so that they can not be recycled, another fresh order has been issued and the nursing staff have been asked to destroy them after injection, the CMOH, Dr Roy said. “This instruction ought to be followed strictly. There will be no mercy if it is violated,” added Dr Roy.

Inordinate delay in rly project

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 15 JUNE: The “Bengal to Bengal” railway project from Gazole to Gunjaria near Islampur via Itahar in North Dinajpur within the North-eastern Frontier was conceived during the tenure of former railway minister, Mr ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury. The project is yet to be materialised.

Trinamul Congress chief, Ms Mamata Banerjee, too had sanctioned funds for conducting surveys for the implementation of the project. All efforts have, however, turned futile in the last five years.

The NF railway division had also given out tenders for digging land along the proposed area, which were later withdrawn in March, earlier this year.

A senior official of the engineering department of the NF railway division in Malda said the state government did not have enough land for the project because of which the tenders were withdrawn.

Mr TK Sharangi, special land acquisition officer said the railway authorities did not inform them of land acquired for the project.

"They should have sent us proposals for land acquisition but we did not receive any such plans from the NF railway division," he said.

Deputy chief engineer, Mr SP Yadav, was not available for comment. A senior staff said over the telephone he was in the Katihar divisional office at Bihar.

Meanwhile, Ms Banerjee came to power as the Union railway minister following which people and politicians of North Dinajpur took fresh initiative to revive the project.

The district Intuc president, Mr Narendranath Tiwari, said despite surveys, regarding the project, having begun earlier railway authorities dropped the plan and decided to pull out their offices from Malda.

The District Trinamul Congress president, Mr Dulal Sarkar has meanwhile submitted a series of proposals regarding railway projects including Rajdhani express via Malda once a week and an underpass at Rathbari railway gate at English Bazaar.

He also proposed stoppage for various trains at the Khaltipur railway station in Kaliachak, computer reservation counter, modernisation of Malda railway hospital and renovation of the Malda railway park.

Security an issue in Ramkeli

MALDA, 15 JUNE: The 500 years old Vaishnavite fair, Ramkeli began today in English Bazaar near Gour. The fair is organised to commemorate the arrival of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in this holy place on Jaishtya Sankranti in the fourteenth century. The six-days fair has drawn thousands of people, especially monks from across the country to perform several rituals.

The fair being organised by some local committees, is close to the India-Bangladesh border. Despite the vulnerable location, security measures at the fair are not up to the mark. Provisions for basic amminities for pilgrims are also missing. Neither are there any health service centres nor arrangement of safe drinking water and toilets.

Condition of the road connecting NH 34, from Sustani to Gour, too is bad.

The fair is visited by many women every year, who come here to submerge the ashes of their ancestors. For thousands of such women too, there are no security measures. ;SNS

Mysterious death

MALDA, 15 JUNE: One Pratap Chakraborty (30), a security guard of a nationalised oil company, died under mysterious circumstances in Naryayanpur this morning. Police recovered the body and sent it for post mortem. SNS

Two commit suicide

MALDA, 15 JUNE: A 27- year -old woman, Mankhushi Biswas and her five year old son Sujan died in a local healthcentre under Bamongola police station last night after reportedly consuming poison. SNS