Alternative land to free Gour Banga University of encroachers

MALDA, Nov. 11: Councillors of English Bazaar Municipality belonging to the Congress, Trinamul Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party today selected a vacant land at Mahespur for relocation of more than 40 families from the area earmarked for the construction of a boundary wall and building of the University of Gour Banga.

Yesterday, all family members backed by Congress, Trinamul Congress councillors, prevented the officials and police from working on the university building, for which nearly 30 acres were allocated. The district magistrate Mr Sridhar K Ghosh finally summoned the civic body officials yesterday and requested them to execute the resolution adopted at an all political party meeting held on Friday for shifting the encroachers from the university land and extended 48 hours more time to clear encroachments. The Trinamul Congress councillors of ward no. 2, Ms Sumala Agarwal said: “We are always in favour of the interest of the University and we had agreed to shift the families living in the university land. But we decided to resist police and government officials yesterday because a group of CPI-M workers forced and threatened them on Sunday night to vacate the land”. Since morning the Congress, Trinamul Congress and BJP led English Bazaar Municipality (EBM) started earmarking another plot of vacate land at Mahespur for shifting shanties from university land in ward no. 2.

The overseers of the EBM, has demarcated 300 square feet areas for each family there and arranged basic amenities including drinking water sources for the dwellers in newly ‘encroached’ areas in the same ward no. 2.The Congress councillors Mr Asish Kundu said: “A total of 43 families have been enlisted as BPL category in last municipal survey and they have voters’ ID card. We have to provide them rehabilitation with basic amenities before eviction drive. We wanted time from the administration for their resettlement”. The EBM officials said the entire area would be vacated by tomorrow and the land would be free for organising the programme of foundation laying ceremony for the construction of University of Gour banga campus. n SNS

Teachers told to give up cards

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Nov. 10: Following the instruction of the director of school education, the district inspector of schools (secondary) in Malda has recently asked all newly appointed school and madrassa teachers to ‘surrender’ their employment exchange card soon to his office.

This order aims to erase their names from the register of employment exchange and to reduce the number of registered unemployment in the state.

In the order of the district inspector of schools, it was stated that if teachers appointed in the school, following the recommendation of the school service commission, did not submit their employment exchange cards, the district inspector of schools would not approve their appointment in schools. Following the order more than 50 teachers have already submitted their employment exchange cards to the office of the DI to get approval of their appointment in schools. It may be noted that the director of employment, Mr SK Bhattacharya, had requested the commissioner of school education on 16 November, 2006 to send employment exchange identity cards of the candidates who have joined and would join as assistant teachers in the non-government and government aided educational institutions.

The director of school education had forwarded the letter of the director of employment to all district inspectors of schools on 19 February, 2007.

The district inspector of schools in Malda Mr Chinmay Sakrar said: “Another order would be issued to teachers who are working in schools since 1998 following the recommendation of the SSC and they would be asked to surrender their employment exchange card at the time of submission of their ‘salary bill’ to the office of the DI”. “If they do not submit their employment exchange card their salaries must be held up,” he added. From 1998 to 2005, a total of 64,503 teachers were appointed in secondary school and madrassa following recommendation of SSC.

Eviction drive hits roadblock

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Nov. 10: The Malda district administration has been faced difficulties to evict encroachers from the land earmarked for the University of Gour Banga in English Bazaar town today and decided to keep the matter on hold for the time being.

The district magistrate had held an all-party meeting last week apprehending trouble on this count and succeeded in having a resolution adopted to the effect that more than 40 families would vacate the land by Sunday.

It was also decided that after Sunday, if they refused to vacate the land following the notice issued by the district administration, the police would take action to evict the encroachers in accordance with the order of the district magistrate. But, when the police went to the spot this morning the encroachers backed by the local political leaders belonging to the Congress and Trinamul Congress resisted the attempts and police finally returned.

A disappointed district magistrate Mr Sridhar K. Ghosh said that the dubious game being played on the matter was distressing. “In the all- party meeting held last week the political leaders have agreed to cooperate with the district administration as far as the eviction is concerned. But now, unfortunately they have started inciting the encroachers to hold on the encroached land,” he said.

“Nearly 43 families have been dwelling upon this land illegally and they would have to vacate it at the earliest earmarked for the University,” the district magistrate said. The chief minister is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the upcoming university on 16 November.

In an all-political party meeting, the district magistrate Mr Sridhar K Ghosh requested leaders to find out another place for shifting them when the Congress, Trinamul Congress and RSP leaders had demanded rehabilitation of those families before eviction drive.

The encroachers, on the other hand, alleged today that the CPI-M workers had threatened them last night to vacate the land immediately.

Suspected Maoist held for rioting

MALDA, Nov 10: The Malda police arrested Rahatullah Haque alias Ramen last night after an interrogation ~ that began on Saturday and ended before he was arrested ~ and produced him in the court today.

Police picked up Ramen, as a suspected Maoist activist, from a place under Malda police station on Saturday and placed him in police custody for interrogation.

Forty-year-old Rahatullah Haque, a resident of Khokra village under Harishchandrapur police station in northern part of Malda, was an active member of Maoists’ peasant wing and police had arrested him a few years back.

Following the blast in the ministers’ convoy near Salboni in Midnapore West and in view of the chief minister's approaching Malda visit, the police picked up the suspected Maoist activist to force out of him any sabotage plan.

But police, in course of the interrogation, had failed to procure any evidence in support of Ramen's involvement in any plan. Police were embarrassed when a section of media highlighted the detention without any evidence.

Police finally decided to arrest him last night on charges of rioting in Harishchandrapur area during the formation of Gram Sansad a few weeks ago.

When asked the Malda SP, Mr Satyajit Bandyopadhayay refused to comment on the matter. n SNS

Free uniforms for girl madrasah students in Malda

MALDA, Nov. 9: The state minority affairs minister, Mr Abdus Sattar, hailed the state government's programmes for the improvement of Muslim women while announcing free school uniforms for girl madrassa students today. “We have already sanctioned Rs 20 crore for implementing the Women's Empowerment Scheme with the help of several self-help groups,” the minister said. He was addressing a programme at Malda college auditorium, organised by the West Bengal Minorities Development and Finance Corporation, for distribution of free uniforms to the girls studying at madrassas in the district. The minister today announced that the state government would provide uniforms to girl students in madrassas up to class VIII from now on. Apart from uniforms, other education and sports-related items were distributed among the madrassa students. The state Minorities Development and Finance Corporation today disbursed term loan sanctioning letters among the minority people here. Mr Sattar said the loan amount of Rs 80.85 lakh was distributed among 196 beneficiaries today. “So far in the district a loan amount of Rs 10.91 crore has helped around 3,000 people to become professionally self-reliant,” he said. Mr Sattar further claimed that the state government had allotted Rs 346 crore in current fiscal year for the development of madrassa education. Addressing the programme, the newly appointed district magistrate Mr. Sridhar K Ghosh assured that the district administration would go out of its way to assist people belonging to the minority community in Malda. n SNS

Malda DM attempts to solve railway job dispute

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Nov 9: With communal tension brewing over employment at Gour Banga railway station, the Malda district magistrate tried to resolve the dispute before the chief minister's visit to the area on 15 November.

The district magistrate Mr Sridhar K Ghosh today held a meeting with the railway officials and panchayat representatives encouraging them to maintain peace between villagers belonging to two different communities competing for jobs at Gour Banga railway station in English Bazaar.

In a bid to curb the communal hostility, the district magistrate has asked the railway officials to suspend the loading and unloading work till the matter is resolved.

Mr Ghosh said the local panchayat officials had been asked to prepare a list of labourers, above 18 years of age, from both communities.

According to Mr Ghosh, 1100 labourers would be enlisted for the loading and unloading jobs at Gour Banga railway station.

Around 300 to 400 labourers are required daily, according to the railway officials. It is also decided that enlisted labourers would start work from 21 November.

National Education Day goes unheeded

MALDA, Nov. 7: Though all secondary schools and madrassas in Malda have been asked to observe the 11 November as the National Education Day, no such instruction has so far reached the primary schools in Malda district.

It is learnt that the Malda district inspector of schools (Secondary) Mr Chinmay Sarkar has asked all the heads of the secondary institutions and the madrassas in Malda to observe the birth anniversary of India's first education minister Mr Abul Kalam Azad as the National Education Day. Eyebrows were raised across the district as to why no such instruction has been sent to the primary educational institutions.

On 31 October, the DI secondary in Malda, had issued an order saying: “The central government has decided to observe 11 November, 2008, the birthday of Moulana Abdul Kalam Azad as National Education Day every year.”

The DI has also requested the head of the institutions to organise seminars, symposia, essay writing competition, workshops and rallies with banners, cards and slogans on the importance of education and the nation's commitment to education for all and sundry.

When asked the chairman of the district primary school council in Malda, Mr Uttam Sarkar said that they had not yet received any intimation from the district education officials regarding the National Education Day. n SNS

Meet to focus on Dalit alleviation

MALDA, Nov. 7: The Vice-Chancellor of University of Gour Banga (UGB), Prof. Surabhi Banerjee, today inaugurated a UGC sponsored two day seminar on ‘Social inequality and Dalits in India: The changing scenario’ organised by the department of political science of Malda women's college.

Principal of the Malda women's college, Dr Chaitali Chattaraj, said that since 62 years of independence the Dalits have remained an ‘excluded’ group in the caste dominated Indian society. “We must nurture with care the growing aspirations among the educated Dalits as an effective means to assimilate them in the national mainstream,” she said.

The V-C of the UGB, Prof. Surabhi Banerjee elucidated how the Dalits were still being denied access to higher education. “We should develop an inclusive education policy in 11th five year plan keeping in mind the objective of Dalit empowerment,” she said. She disclosed that the running of the new university was far from being a smooth sailing.

“Yet in time to come the university would gain eminence,” she hoped.

Several research scholars, academicians, experts in political science from the universities of Jadavpur, Calcutta, Burdwan and North Bengal are expected to present their papers in course of the seminar. n SNS

Four months to implement an 'urgent' order ?

MALDA, Nov. 6: Though the order of the joint secretary to charge no fees from Children with Special Needs (CWSN) in any form during any academic session was issued on 16 June this year to be implemented immediately, the district inspector of schools (secondary), Mr. Chinmay Sarkar, forwarded the order copy to all the district schools on 31 October.

In the order, the joint secretary wrote: “The question of payment of fees by the CWSN to various schools has been brought to the notice of the department. After careful consideration of the matter the Governor is pleased to declare that henceforth no school should charge fees from children with special needs”.

As part of the programme of integrated education for all disabled students, the district inspector of schools (secondary) in Malda instructed all the government sponsored and aided schools not to charge any fees from Children with Special Needs (CWSN) in any form during any academic session.

According to a survey report collected by the government officials, disabled population in the state comes around 2.30 per cent the figure being a little higher than the national average of 2.13 per cent. n SNS

Fake currency seized

MALDA, Nov. 6: Concerned over the recent increase in the circulation of fake notes, the district police have planed to launch a special drive along the border after a joint meeting with the Border Security Force officials. The drive would make the people residing along the border aware of the fake currency circulation and how to stop it, the officials hoped. The Border Security Force stopped a local man along the border in Kaliachak area and seized fake currency worth Rs 25,000, all in Rs 500 denomination from his possession last night. The BSF handed him over to police. It may be mentioned that acting on a tip off the Malda police had nabbed a man called Matiur Sheikh from Kotwali village and seized fake Indian currency woth Rs 1 lakh, all in Rs 1000 notes, from his possession on Tuesday. n SNS

Malda SP blames PWD for not utilising fund

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Nov. 5: The Malda SP Mr Satyajit Bandyopadhayay has expressed unhappiness over the role of public works department (PWD) in this district for failing to utilise a fund of Rs 30 lakh allotted for the construction of a new building in English Bazaar Police Station (EBPS) premises.

Mr Badyopadhayay blamed the PWD officials for the delay in the execution of the project and has given them an ultimatum for the construction of the building. According to Malda SP: “The Central government is always ‘threatening’ us for not using the funds on time. The fund was allotted in 2005-06 under the BADP (border area development project) for EBPS.

“Even the central government has told us that it would adjust unutilised fund (allotted for EBPS) with the fresh allotment for police department under BADP,” Mr Bandyopadhayay said.

The executive engineer of PWD in Malda, Mr S Das, admitted that his department, since the tenure of his predecessor, could not have finalised the project due to technical reasons though a tender had been also floated.

Mr Das argued that the police department had also wasted time in selecting lands in the EBPS premises and the building design had been changed.

“Finally it has been decided that a new three storied building would be constructed at the present location within the existing police station,” he said adding that: “I know that the new Malda SP is so unhappy with us. I urged him to speak to our chief engineer about the matter”.

Interestingly, based on the soil test report, the PWD engineer changed the construction design, increasing in the process the estimated cost of the three-storied building. The executive engineer Mr Das said: “The market price of materials has increased and the present cost of the building has been estimated at Rs 67 lakh,”

Mr Das also said that he was going to Kolkata today to finalise the proposed project. “If the police department could arrange Rs 27 lakh more we would be able to start the construction work after completing some formalities,” he said.

Civic body plans Rathbari road extension

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Nov 5: The English Bazaar Municipality (EBM) has decided to start extension of the station road from Rathbari to near Malda Town Station.

The road will be named after the late ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury, the former Malda MP and the Congress and Trinamul Congress-led civic body plans to install a statue of the leader at Rathbari connecting five point-crossing of NH 34.

The chairman of the civic body Mr Narendranath Tiwari said a decent amount has been allotted to the electricity department for shifting the present electrical poles for expansion of the road.

The construction of the two-way road will start after the electricity department shifts electrical poles on either side of the road.

According to the civic body, a rehabilitation project has been formulated for the enlisted traders who were evicted when the flyover was constructed.

The municipality will also launch a special drive to demolish encroachment on either side of the road. Some buildings, which have narrowed the present road, will be taken down soon, Mr Tiwari said.

A total of Rs 75 lakh has been allotted for the construction of the two-way road. Besides its own fund, the civic body has collected funds from the Malda MP, MLA, Uttar Banga Unnayan Parishad and Malda Zilla Parishad.

Malda MP's brother plans to contest polls

MALDA, Nov. 4: Mr Abu Naser Khan Choudhury, elder brother of Mr AH Khan Choudhury, the Malda MP, has expressed his willingness to contest from North Malda parliamentary constituency in the next Lok Sabha election. Mr Choudhury said he was ready to contest if the Congress High Command approved his candidature. “We have already sent a proposal to the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh requesting him to contest from the ‘safe seat’ in northern part of Malda in coming parliament election. If he agrees to contest we would do our best to have him elected,” he said. “But as things stand now the political scenario remains uncertain. In case the PM or any other high profile Congress leader does not enter the fray from here, I am willing to contest provided the Congress president Mrs. Sonia Gandhi approves my nomination,” Mr Choudhury saidMr Naser Khan Choudhury had contested in Malda parliamentary seat against his elder bother and Congress stalwart late ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury some years back. Yet, following ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury's death, the family members closed ranks in desperation to maintain the family grip in the district. Mr AH Khan Choudhury is all set to contest from the South Malda parliamentary seat in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. n SNS

Civic body survey to track tax evaders

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Nov. 4: The English Bazaar Municipality (EBM) has decided to conduct survey in residential complexes where several flat owners do not pay taxes to the civic bodies. The civic authorities have decided to allot ‘sub holding number’ to each flat so that they are compelled to pay taxes. In English Bazaar town there are more than 100 residential complexes where huge number of flats do not have holding number and the flat owners do not pay property taxes. The chairman of the EBM, Mr. Narendranath Tiwari, said previous broad had planned to enlist flat owners officially but it is yet to be implemented. “Now we have planned to enlist all flats allotting a sub holding number during the survey which is going on to verify information furnished by the building owners for the assessment of property taxes according to the guideline of central valuation board,” Mr. Tiwari said. In August, the EBM had urged the all residents to furnish detailed information about their residential buildings and commercial complexes in a prescribed form to enhance property taxes. According to engineering section of the EBM, the team has started the survey work from Ward number 1 and it would take more time to complete the entire area of the EBM comprising 25 wards. The entire process would take time and the new system will be executed and implemented in 2010-11, said the chairman Mr. Tiwari. “The revised property taxes would be finalized after hearing the building owners,” he added.

MZP tender rejected

MALDA, Nov. 4: The newly appointed Malda district magistrate, Mr. Sridhar K. Ghosh, today cancelled a tender floated by the Malda Zilla Parishad (MZP) for flouting government guidelines.

The engineering department of the MZP had taken up more than 20 road schemes with an estimated cost of Rs. 3.62 crores under the BADP (border area development project). The Malda DM Mr Ghosh said: “I have cancelled the tender because government guidelines have not been maintained for this tender. The MZP would start tender process afresh”. The Sabhadhipati of MZP Mrs. Sabina Yeasmin said: “We have decided to cancel the tender for technical faults”. n SNS

HIV patient kills self out of depression

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Nov. 3: A patient suffering from HIV/AIDS committed suicide today by jumping before a speeding train in English Bazaar town, police and relatives said. The victim has been identified as Kesto Singh (35), a resident of Krishnapally, of English Bazaar town in Malda district.

Kesto, a taxi driver, had been suffering from fever for the past six months and finally been admitted to the Malda district hospital where doctors confirmed that he was suffering from HIV/AIDS. He was under treatment at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri. Owing to ill health he had not been in a position to continue his work as a driver. The family remained tensed due to growing financial crisis. Incidentally, his wife left home with their five months old son three months back.

Singha, the victim's brother had been suffering from depression since he was affected with AIDS. “The domestic problem had aggravated his mental condition,” he said. With news of the suicide, the district social welfare department decided to check the health condition of the deceased's wife and son as preventive measures. The district chief medical officer of health Dr Srikanta Roy said that he would look into matter. The Malda GRP recovered the body from behind the railway track this morning but no suicide note was found. Sources said that hundreds of poor people in Malda suffering from HIV/AIDS are being forced to go either to Kolkata or Siliguri for free treatment. There is no free treatment facility in the district.

L F backs primary teachers' rally

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Nov. 3: The Left Front backed four organisations for primary teachers jointly took out a rally in English Bazaar town today and staged a demonstration in front of the district inspector of schools (primary).

The leaders of the primary teachers submitted a deputation to the DI (primary) demanding immediate solution of PTTI (Primary Teachers Training Institute) row including seven other demands.

The leaders pointed out that the future of thousands of the trained teachers, appointed in primary schools since 1995-96 session, had become uncertain following the recent High Court order on the matter.

“If such situation continues the primary education system would crumble down," the leaders said.

One of the leaders said that around 300 students from the district who had received admit card prior to sit in the scheduled final examination were idle with no avenue left for them at present.

"We do not have any idea about NCTE (National Council for Teacher Education). Both state and central administrations are responsible for the present crisis,” said Mr Tapan Chaki, district secretary of Sara Bangla Prathamik Shikshakh Samiti.

The CPI-M backed primary teachers’ organisation leader, Mr Sadhan Pal demanded that the government should continue paying salary to the primary teachers.

Malda CPM plans alternative programmes for CM's tour

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Nov 2: The Malda CPI-M is contemplating an alternative political programme for chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on 16 November in case the CM is barred from laying the foundation stone for University of Gour Banga due to imposition of model code of conduct for the Assembly by-election in Sujapur.

Both the district administrative officials and the CPI-M leaders are expecting that the notification for by-election in Sujapur Assembly constituency would be announced before 16 November. The district officials are reported to have been informed yesterday by the election office in Kolkata that the by-election notification might be issued any day after 10 November.

As per the model code of conduct, once the by-election notification is issued no official inauguration can take place.

Meanwhile, the chief minister is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the upcoming University of Gour Banga in English Bazaar on 16 November. Apart from this, the CM is scheduled to address the state conference of the WEBCUTA (West Bengal College and University Teachers’ Association) in Malda College during his proposed two-day Malda visit. According to the district officials, the CM could attend the state conference of WEBCUTA. “It is principally a political programme,” the sources said.

The CPI-M's district secretary Mr Jiban Moitra today said the party was contemplating alternative programmes for the CM in view of the possible postponement of the university foundation programme “Mr Bhattacharjee may be invited to attend another political programme on the same day. The programme would be worked out in time,” he said.

The foundation stone laying ceremony for the upcoming university had been postponed earlier due to notification of Kharba by-elections in Malda.

No order to stop primary teachers' salaries yet

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Oct 31: The chairman of the district primary school council in Malda, Mr Uttam Sarkar, said today the government has not yet issued any order to stop salary for the primary teachers who were appointed as trained teachers in the last few years.

The DPSC chairman acknowledged that hundreds of teachers are worried about their "uncertain future" following the Calcutta High Court declaration of 138-odd primary teachers’ training institutes in West Bengal illegal.

“A rumour is being spread like wildfire that their salary would be stopped and they will be sacked later,” he said. Since 2004 hundreds of trained teachers were appointed in this district who secured their degrees from primary teachers’ training institutes which are presently illegal. “If we follow the High Court verdict, their salary should be stopped and their appointment would be cancelled. But the council does not receive any such government order for execution,” Mr Sarkar said.

In Malda, state government's Sovanagar primary teachers’ training institute could not manage accreditation from the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). A team from NCTE in Bhubaneshwar came to the Sovanagar primary teachers’ training institute and suggested some changes to achieve the accreditation after expressing dissatisfaction over the present infrastructure of the institute. The NCTE had said the main gate of the institute is narrow, it should be extended so students can move out in case of any fire incident within the institute, an education official said.

Thousands of candidates had completed training from this institute in the last few decades and they are working in many primary schools.

Such trained teachers are worried about their fate and hoping for a positive decision following a media report that the Centre promised to find a solution when school education minister Mr Partha De met Union human resource development minister Mr Arjun Singh in New Delhi yesterday. Chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had also requested the external affairs minister Mr Pranab Mukherjee to resolve the row.

Soothsayer arrested for witch-hunt

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Oct. 31: Acting on a tip off, a soothsayer (Janguru) Bishnu Seal was arrested from his residence located under Chakulia police station in North Dinajpur last night on charges of witch hunting.

This is being considered as a great breakthrough on the part of the Malda police as the soothsayer, allegedly responsible for several witch-hunting cases in the district as well as in the north Bengal region, had been evading police for a long time. Gazole police is still on the look out for a woman soothsayer who is supposedly in South Dinajpur at present.

Sources said that police had rescued three people including a woman belonging to Paharia community from the clutches of a group of locals at Kotwali who had hatched a plan to kill them after branding them as ‘witches’ on 27 October.

Villagers collectively attacked the residence of Nagen Pahari, Rabi Pahari and Shanti Pahari after they were identified as ‘witches’ by the soothsayer Bishnu Seal. Police have traced Bishnu going by the information collected while interrogating a number of people detained in connection with the recent witch hunting case at Kotowali. Police produced Bishnu Seal in the court today and appealed to remand him for at least five days for more interrogation to get details about his network in north Bengal.

Commenting on the matter the inspector in charge, English Bazaar police station, Mr Bipul Majumdar said that people from far flung areas in the north Bengal region had been accustomed to consulting Bishnu on domestic problems. “He kept exploiting the gullible, uneducated tribal people and amassed a huge wealth in the process,” he said.