GTA Bill at present under inter-ministerial consultation
Amitava Banerjee, HT, Darjeeling, January 09, 2012:The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Bill is at present under inter-ministerial consultation. Following a green signal from the ministries, the Bill will require an assent from the President of India.
With the Darjeeling Hills steeped in a separate state agitation launched by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha since 2007, several rounds of talks between the Government and the GJM ensued in the signing of a tripartite agreement between the Centre, State and the GJM for the formation of an autonomous administrative body dubbed the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) on July 18, 2011. A GTA Bill was passed in the West Bengal Assembly on September 2, 2011.
A Review Committee comprising of Central, State and GJM representatives had also been constituted to review the progress regarding the formation of the GTA. The first meeting of the committee had been held on September 12, 2011 in Kolkata. The second meeting was held in Delhi on Monday.
While B Bahamati, Additional Secretary, Union Home Ministry represented the Centre; GD Gautama, State Home Secretary represented the West Bengal Government; GJM General Secretary was represented by GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri. Anil Verma, Administrator, Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) also attended the meet.
On the current status of the Bill, it was stated that the Bill is under inter-ministerial consultation with comments awaited from 16 ministries. "The comments are expected to come in within January 16. The Bill will then be sent to the President for her assent" remarked Giri.
West Bengal and DGHC representatives stated that the State has already sent in project proposals for the Rs. 200 Crore annual Additional Central Assistance to the Centre. The Memorandum of Agreement talks of an additional Central Assistance for three years at a tune of Rs 200 Crore per year.
Giri demanded the power to recruit Group C and D staff; transfer of School and College Service Commission in the GTA and the recruitment of Gorkhaland Personnel (GLP) in police and paramilitary forces. "I was informed in the meeting that the Government is already working in this direction" added Giri. Incidentally the demands raised by the GJM have already been agreed upon in the Memorandum of Agreement including recruitment of "Gorkha youths" in paramilitary and armed forces.
All the three parties agreed to expedite matters for the early formation of the GTA. The territory issue however remains contiguous with the GJM pressing for the incorporation of Gorkha dominated mouzas of Terai and Dooars areas of the Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri Districts in the GTA.
A joint committee has been constituted comprising of representatives from all the three sides. The committee headed by former Justice Shyamal Sen is studying the ground realities on the territory issue and will be handing in a report. The committee started work by seeking public opinion on the matter and will soon be conducting a ground survey. However it is a time taking process, the joint committee on territory has stated.
टास्क फोर्सले भावि कार्यक्रमको घोषणा ग-यो - गोर्खाल्याण्डको ब्लू प्रिन्ट दिल्लीमा सार्बजनिक गर्ने
टास्क फोर्सका अध्यक्ष रेभरेण्ड् डा एनोसदास प्रधानको अध्यक्षतामा सम्पन्न सभामा सुखमान मोक्तान, आर मोक्तान,बी एम प्रधान, अभागोलिका लक्षमण प्रधान, छेवांग भोटिया, क्रामाकपाबाट जेबी राई, गोबिन छेत्री, एल एम लामा, गोरानिमोबाट दावा पख्रिन, टिका खाती, आदिको बिशेष उपस्थिति रहेको थियो। 
राजेश शर्मा, जयगांव, १० जनवरी । आज भारत भूटान सिमामा अवस्थित् फुन्छोलिंग भूटानको इण्डीया हाउस कल्बमा भारतीय राजदूतवासद्वारा सातवा हिन्दी दिवस पालन् गरियो । यस हिन्दी दिवसको अवसरमा प्रमुख अतिथिको रुपमा भारत भूटान मित्र संगठनका सचिव गुन्डे थिन्ले एंव काउनसेलेट जनरल जितेन्द्र कुमार शर्मा थिए । आजको हिन्दी दिवस कार्यक्र्ममा भारतीय हिन्दी राष्टीय भाषामा स्थानीय बिध्यार्थि एंव सिमा रक्षकहरुले हिन्दी भाषामा कविता एंव गान प्रस्तुत गरे एंव निवध प्रतियोगिताको आयोजन पनि गरिएको थियो । हिन्दी दिवसको अवसरमा संकल्प राज, सम्भोवी, रुचि अग्रवाल, आदिल्रे हिन्दीमा कविता एंव वक्तव्य पेश गरे । उक्त कार्यक्रमका संचालन भाईस काउन्सेलेट जनरल डिएन तिवारीले गरेका थिए।
डी के वाइबा, कालिमन्यूज, कालेबुंग, 10 दिसम्बर: छुट्टै राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्डको आन्दोलनलाई अघि बडाउँन गोर्खाल्याण्ड टास्क फोर्सले भावी रणनीतिको घोषणा गरेको छ। भारतीय गोर्खा परिसंघको सक्रियतामा गठन भएको गोर्खाल्याण्ड टास्क फोर्सको आज यहाँको हिलटप स्थित गोरानिमो कार्यालयमा मह्त्वपूर्ण सभा सम्पन्न भयो।
टास्क फोर्सका अध्यक्ष रेभरेण्ड् डा एनोसदास प्रधानको अध्यक्षतामा सम्पन्न सभामा सुखमान मोक्तान, आर मोक्तान,बी एम प्रधान, अभागोलिका लक्षमण प्रधान, छेवांग भोटिया, क्रामाकपाबाट जेबी राई, गोबिन छेत्री, एल एम लामा, गोरानिमोबाट दावा पख्रिन, टिका खाती, आदिको बिशेष उपस्थिति रहेको थियो।सभामा 8 जनवरीको दिन टास्क फोर्सको सिलग़डीमा भएको कार्यक्रमबारे चर्चा परिचर्चा गरेर भावी रणनीति तय गरिएको छ। यसै क्रममा गोर्खाल्याण्ड राज्य निर्माणको निम्ति टास्क फोर्सले ब्लू प्रिन्ट तयार पार्न एउटा ड्राफ्टिग कमिटि गठन गरेको छ । टास्क फोर्सको उप समिति रहेको उक्त ड्राफ्टिग समितिको सयोजक टिका खाती अनि अन्य पाँच जना सदस्यहरु क्रमैले एस बी जिम्बा, आर मोक्तान, जेबी राई, सुखमान मोक्तान, बी एम प्रधान रहेका छन। उक्त टास्क फोर्सले छुट्टै राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति ब्लू प्रिन्ट तयार पार्ने भएको छ अनि उक्त ब्लू प्रिन्ट आगमी बजेट सेसनमा दिल्लीमा सर्बजनिक गर्ने भएको छ।
छुट्टै राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्ड गठनको निम्ति भारत भरिका मानिसहरुलाई बताएर कसरि सहमती ल्याउँन सकिन्छ भन्ने बिषयमा कुराकानी भएपछि आगामी अप्रेल महिना सम्मको कार्यक्रम तय गरेको छ। टास्क फोर्सले केवल गोर्खाल्याण्ड मात्र सोंच्ने गरेको बताउँदै केवल गोर्खाल्याण्ड राज्यको निम्ति मात्र आन्दोलनलाई अघि बडाउँने टास्क फोर्सका अध्यक्ष एनोसदास प्रधानले बताए। तिनले यसै क्रममा पुन: एकचोटि जीटीए गोर्खाल्याण्ड राज्य गठनको निम्ति बाधा सृजना भएको जनाए। बिशेष जीटीमा मोर्चाले सम्झौता गरे पछि दिल्लीमा सांसद र मंत्रीहरुलाई गोर्खाहरुको समस्या समाधान भयो भनेर गलत प्रचार गरेको कारण टास्क फोर्सले यसलाई राज्य निर्माणको बाटोमा बाधा सृजना भयो भनेर बताएको तिनले थप बताए। गोर्खाल्याण्ड भारतभरी छरिएर बसेका गोर्खाहरुको राष्ट्रिय र राजनैतिक सुरक्षाको मुद्दा रहेको बताउँदै यो राष्ट्रिय राजनैतिक सुरक्षाको मुद्दालाई कुनै पनि ब्यवस्थाले समधान गर्न नसक्ने प्रधानले दाबी गरे। तिनले यसै क्रममा टास्क फोर्सले यो समस्यालाई समाधान गर्न बिभिन्न स्थानका मानिसहरु लगायत बिभिन्न दलका नेताहरुसित सम्पर्क स्थापना गर्ने कार्यको थालनी गरेको बताए।
अर्कोतर्फ भारतीय गोर्खा परिसंघका सचिव सुखमान मोक्तानले सभामा चर्चा गरेर अप्रेल महिना सम्मको निम्ति टास्क फोर्सले कार्यक्रम तय गरेको बताउँदै उक्त कार्यक्रमहरुको घोषणा गरे। तिनले भावि कार्यक्रमहरुको घोषणा गर्दै जनवरी महिना भरि तराई- डुवर्स, दार्जीलिंग, सिलगडीका बिभिन्न राजनैतिक दलका मानिसहरु लगायत बिभिन्न संघ संस्था अनि बुद्धिजीविवर्ग सित सम्पर्क स्थापना गर्ने बताए। यसरी नै फरवरी महिनामा पुर्वाचंल- पश्चिमांचलका बिभिन्न स्थानहरुमा टास्क फोर्सका प्रतिनिधीहरुले भ्रमण गरेर त्यहाँका सांसद, मंत्री आदि संग भेट गरेर गोर्खाल्याण्ड राज्यको औचित्य बुझाएर समर्थनमा ल्याउँने कार्य गर्ने बताए। यसै क्रममा फरवरी महिनामा नै ति सम्पर्क स्थापना भएका मानिसहरु लगायत अन्यभाषी बुद्धिजीविहरुलाई लिएर कोलकतामा सेमिनारको आयोजना गर्ने बताए। यसरीनै मार्च महिनामा सिलगडीमा सेमिनार अनि दिल्लीमा बजेट सेसनको अवधी धर्ना र सेमिनारको आयोजना गर्ने टास्क फोर्सको कार्यक्रम रहेको जानकारी दिए।
सोहि समयमा सांसद मंत्रीहरुलाई भेटेर गोर्खाल्याण्डबारे संसदमा आवाज उठाईदिनको निम्ति कुराकानी गर्ने जनाए। त्यसै समय टास्क फोर्सको उप समिति ड्राफ्टिग कमिटिले तयार पारेको गोर्खाल्याण्डको ब्लू प्रिन्ट सार्वजनिक गर्ने मोक्तानले बताए। यसरी नै अप्रेल महिनामा भने दार्जीलिंगमा टास्क फोर्सले सेमिनारको आयोजना गर्ने तिंनले थप जनाए। उक्त चार महिनाको कार्यक्रम समापन भएपछि टास्क फोर्सको एउटा समिक्षा सभा बसेर आगमी दिनको रणनीति तय गर्ने तिनले थप जनाएका छन।
टास्क फोर्सको आज सम्पन्न बैठकमा आएका क्रामाकपा केन्द्रिय समितिका उपाध्यक्ष जे बी राईले गोर्खाल्याण्डको कुरा लिएर दिल्ली पुग्दा त्यहाँका नेताहरुले जीटीए थापेर गोर्खाहरुको समस्या समाधान भयो भन्ने बुझेको कारण अब पुन जीटीएले गोर्खाहरुको समस्या समाधान भएको छैन भनेर बुझाउँनुपर्ने अवस्था सृजना भएको कारण यो बाधा भएको बताए। बिगत दिनमा गोर्खाल्याण्डको आन्दोलन चलिरहेको समयमा सबैले गोर्खाहरुको समस्या गोर्खाल्याण्डले समाधान हुन्छ भन्ने बुझेको तर जीटीएम सम्झौता गरे यता भने यसको राष्ट्र भरीनै गलत प्रचार भएको कारण गोर्खाल्याण्ड माग्ने दलहरुलाई बाधा पुगिरहेको तिनले दाबी गरे। यसै क्रममा राजनैतिक चिन्हारी र राष्ट्रिय सुरक्षाको निम्ति गोर्खाल्याण्डको गठन हुनपर्ने माग गरे।
फुन्छोलिंग भूटानमा राजदुतवासद्वारा हिन्दी दिवस पालन्
GJM leaders meet Chidambaram over swift formation of GTA
Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders met Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram here on Monday and requested him to expedite the process for the formation of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
ANI, January 10, 2012, New Delhi : Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders met Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram here on Monday and requested him to expedite the process for the formation of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
Gorkha Janmukti Morcha General Secretary, Roshan Giri, after the meeting told the media here that various issues related to GTA were discussed in the review meeting between the leaders.
"Today was the meeting of review committee and in this our Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) and discussions were done on each and every issues listed in the Memorandum," said Giri.
"Now in this, the main is the involvement of Terai and Dooars in GTA and three meetings of the High Powered Committee have taken place and now the next meeting is on May 18. So, we have requested the Home Minister to expedite the process. Now, the matter will be taken up by the Home Ministry of Government of West Bengal," he added.
Giri further said that issues like inclusion of reserve forest in GTA and recruitment procedure of the youth in paramilitary; police and army were also taken up with the Home Ministry.
"Second issue is to involve the reserve forest in GTA, so in this case Additional Secretary Home Affairs had a meeting with Ministry of Forest and they are still taking up the issue. So Ministry of Forest is waiting for the comments of the government of West Bengal that what government of West Bengal will have to say about it," said Giri.
" And thirdly, the most important thing is that the youth of GTA should be recruited in the paramilitary, police and army, so as far as paramilitary is concerned, the home ministry is said that there will be no problem in the recruitment procedure in paramilitary as the department is under Home Ministry," he added.
The meeting was seen important for the leaders of GJM, as they feel that the Central Government took too long to implement the agreement despite several reminders.
"So, we want that the High Powered Committee should expedite the process of GTA and include Terai and Dooars into GTA during the elections," said Giri.
A renewed demand for a separate Gorkhaland region, which would include Darjeeling and some contiguous areas of Jalpaiguri District, has created fresh turmoil over the past few months.
The Gorkha population in West Bengal is estimated to be around a million.
GJM wantsd ST status for Gorkhas
TNN, Jan 10, 2012: NEW DELHI: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) on Monday demanded Scheduled Tribe status for all Gorkhas living in Darjeeling Hills area, recruitment of Gorkhas in central armed police forces and immediate release of central funds promised for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
These demands were placed by the GJM at a tripartite meeting here with the central and West Bengal governments.
"We want that Gorkhas living in Darjeeling should be given ST status," GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said after the meeting.
He said detailed plan estimates worth Rs 93 crore for carrying out development works was submitted to the central government and a representation was given to release the funds at the earliest.
The money is part of the Rs 200 crore package the Centre announced for the development of Darjeeling Hills and its adjoining areas. A tripartite draft memorandum of agreement on Darjeeling was signed in July for creation of the new hill council GTA.
Mumbai marathon for Gorkha ‘identity’
RAJEEV RAVIDAS, TT, Kalimpong, Jan. 10: A group of Gorkhas has decided to take part in the Mumbai International Marathon on January 15, not exactly to give other participants a run for their money but to highlight the “identity crisis” faced by the community in the country.
Twenty-two runners, 14 of them from the Darjeeling hills, will take part in the marathon wearing T-shirts embossed with the slogan “We are Gorkhas and proud to be Indians. Jai Gorkha, Jai Hind”.
The campaign is the brainchild of Rosni Rai, a Pedong resident based in Mumbai, where she works as a legal executive in a private firm. Rai, an amateur marathon runner, said she thought of participating in the run as part of a course she was pursuing in Mumbai.
“The course requires me to do a project that is close to my heart and will benefit my community. Through the run, I want to highlight the identity crisis we Gorkhas are facing in our country,” she said.
Of the 22, three are non-Gorkhas. “The non-Gorkhas in the team are my friends who have come forward to help me in the campaign,” said Rai.
While 17 people will take part in the half-marathon of 21km, the rest will try the “dream run” of 6km.
“All 21 runners have been training very hard. In fact, such is their enthusiasm that I have to tell some of them to stop training so hard,” said Rai.
The amateur runner who had participated in many marathons all over the country said the other objective of the campaign was to encourage young people from her community to take to running.
“I want them to take up long-distance running seriously. Six runners from the hills are very strong and can complete the half-marathon between one-and-a-quarter hours and one-and-a-half hours. If these runners are given proper guidance and training, they will be able to compete with the best in the world,” she said.
The 14 runners from the hills left New Jalpaiguri for Mumbai on train this evening. Premika Rai, a businesswoman from Kalimpong, said they were all excited to make the trip. “I have trained very hard according to the training schedule provided to me by Rosni. This will be my first half-marathon.”
Saurav Banerjee, a volunteer teacher from Pedong, said he had been taking part in running competitions since his school days. “But the Mumbai event will be the biggest of them all. It will be a dream come true for me. Apart from the running, the marathon will be special for me because it will allow me to lend my voice in support of the grievance of the Gorkhas.”
Gorkha girls to participate in Mumbai marathon
TNN | Jan 11, 2012,DARJEELING: Twenty-four-year-old Grace Rai is among the 22 Gorkha girls who will participate in the Mumbai marathon on January 15, wearing tee shirts that say, "We are Gorkhas and proud to be Indians".
"We Gorkhas have an identity crisis. The Mumbai marathon is a huge platform and we can reach out to the world," Rai said.
"Like the Kenyans and Ethiopians, who dominate long distance runs, people from the Hills too have great stamina and endurance due to the terrain we live in," she remarked. Rai, an employee in the sports department of Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, had come fourth in the Maharashtra marathon in 1999.
"Since then I have only run in a few local events. This shows the kind of enthusiasm and support that marathon generates in the Hills," lamented Rai. But she believes that with good training and financial support the Hills could produce good runners.
"It is a dream come true for me to compete with the best marathon runners both nationally and internationally. Moreover, it would give me a learning curve," said Rai.
On being asked about her chances of winning, she said, "Winning is always great but my main goal is to expose the hidden talents of the Hills."
Rai recollected that she took up marathon running on the advice of one of her teachers. "I took it seriously in class V when a teacher of my school advised me to run long distances because of my endurance," said Rai. But she rues the fact that sports isn't given due recognition in the Hills.
"The last major event that I participated in was the Maharastra marathon in 1999 where I came fourth in my category. Since then I have only run in few local events; this shows the kind of enthusiasm and support that marathon generates in the Hills," lamented Rai. But she believes that with good training and financial support the Hills could produce good runnersExcept for few fellow runners and friends who garlanded her with 'khadas', Rai, an employee in the sports department of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), cut a lone figure as she prepared to board a vehicle for Siliguri, to catch her train for Delhi later on Tuesday evening. She would be accompanied by her husband Anthony on the trip. Rai does not have a trainer but is coached by her husband.
"It is a dream come true for me to rub shoulders with the best marathon runners both nationally and internationally. But the more important fact is that it will be learning curve," said Rai. On questions of a realistic chance to win the marathon, she pointed out, "Winning is always great but my main goal to participate is to expose the hidden talents of the Hills that usually doesn't come to the fore due to lack of support."
Mamata to lead crusade in north - Trinamul gets ready to make party presence felt on Congress
TT, Siliguri, January 10: Mamata Banerjee will kick off a campaign here next month to bolster the fortunes of Trinamul across north Bengal, traditionally considered the bastion of the Congress.
Trinamul sources said the kick-off would coincide with the North Bengal Festival to be inaugurated here in the second week of February by the chief minister. Mamata is expected to make some major announcements for the region then, they said.
“Since the Congress has decided to put hurdles on our path here, the chief minister herself has taken the initiative to spread the message of our party in north Bengal,” said Gautam Deb, the minister for north Bengal development. “The idea is to make the Congress realise the changing political scenario here and not cling to the belief that north Bengal is their territory.”
The relation between the allies has not been the best in recent times. Earlier this week, Mamata had dared the Congress to leave the state government.
Deb said Trinamul leaders would sit with Mamata in Siliguri to give a final shape to the strategy to make her party’s presence felt in the region, similar to what was done so successfully in south Bengal. The party has also decided to bring in MP Subhendu Adhikari, who helped Trinamul turn the tide in Nandigram.
“We have successfully demonstrated during the Assembly polls that we matter in north Bengal and we will build on that,” a Trinamul leader said.
Deb said the party’s campaign would cover the entire north Bengal, from Malda to North Dinajpur. Of the three Congress MPs from the region, two are from Malda, where the zilla parishad too belongs to the party. North Dinajpur is the home turf of Deepa Das Munshi, a known Mamata-baiter. Deepa is the Congress MP from Raiganj, where college principal Dilip Dey Sarkar was beaten up by Trinamul activists triggering widespread condemnation.
“Booklets would be distributed about the achievements of Trinamul and rallies would be held,” Deb said.
But a Trinamul leader cautioned: “We have also been told to keep in mind the sensitivities of the Congress supporters so that we do not upset them. People in Malda and North Dinajpur have largely been voting for the Congress for many years.”
The first task on the agenda, a Trinamul leader said, was to highlight the programmes that the chief minister had announced for north Bengal. For starters, Mamata has increased the grant for the North Bengal Development Council from Rs 40 crore to Rs 200 crore.
She has also started the process of setting up a chief minister’s secretariat in the region.
“On a national level, by preventing the Centre from going ahead with the Teesta treaty with Bangladesh the chief minister has successfully demonstrated how much north Bengal matters to her,” Deb said. “We intend to explain all this and make it clear to the people the extent to which our leader is willing to go for them.”
Another Trinamul leader added: “Can the state Congress match this? It is their national leadership that was about to sacrifice the interests of north Bengal. The Congress was not willing to consider the interests of the farmers of north Bengal.”
A Trinamul leader said there were issues of concern to north Bengal that had not been addressed by the Congress leaders so far. For instance, the leader pointed out, the problem of river erosion is threatening to change the contours of Malda.
“The district has sent two MPs to Parliament but the erosion continues unhindered,” a Trinamul leader said. “Mausam Noor might have suddenly woken up to that but where was the Congress till Trinamul became a threat looming over that party?”
North Dinajpur district Congress president Mohit Sengupta countered this by saying: “Trinamul is desperate to increase its base in north Bengal. It is not interested in the region, but wants to make political capital out of this backward area.”
Request to stop flag use
TT, Jaigaon, Jan. 10: The Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad today submitted a memorandum to the subdivisional officer of Alipurduar asking him not to allow John Barla and Sukra Munda to use flags of the outfit and that of the Progressive Tea Workers’ Union at a rally on January 12.
The rally will be organised by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-backed Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union and the PTWU, the tea front of the Parishad. Barla and Sukra were expelled from the Parishad in December.
Garden plea
TT, Jaigaon: Workers of the closed Dalsinghpara tea estate submitted a memorandum to the joint block development officer of Kalchini on Tuesday asking him to take steps to reopen the garden. They also demanded regular supply of drinking water and electricity on the estate that had been closed since January 4.
Beware of that unknown missed call
TNN, Jan 11, 2012, KOLKATA: Think before you ring back after missing a call from an unidentified number to your cellphone. It could have been from a racket and a call-back would come at a premium rate, sometimes as high as 200 a minute.
A part of the amount you pay will be deposited in the accounts of the fraudsters. The hi-tech telecommunication technology that was developed mainly for public services has turned into an easy money-making device for fraudsters.
This is how it works. The scammers hire a premium-rate number from a telecom provider and then give missed calls to unsuspecting people. As the latter call back, they pay a higher charge and a part of the money goes to the account of the scammer who hires the premium number. The fraud, which started nearly a decade ago in Europe and western countries, has hit India, including Kolkata, from the beginning of the year. It is also known as the 'Wangiri Fraud' and originated in Japan in early-2000. 'Wangiri' literally means 'one ring and cut'.
Over the past week, several Kolkatans have received missed calls from numbers that start with +22455. Among them is a university student. "Apparently, it looks like a Mumbai number as the city's STD code is 22. I have several friends in Mumbai and the call came late on January 1. Without any suspicion, I called back and the woman who answered said in Hindi that the number belonged to a Mumbai-based cellphone company. She started telling me that my cellphone number was among the lucky winners of a draw and I would be awarded a cellphone by the company. She also asked for my address," said the student. He claimed the woman spoke for around eight minutes and when the call ended, he realized that he had been charged 400 for it.
The student is not alone. Several others have received missed calls from similar numbers that start with +22455 and were charged 50 to 100 or even 200 per minute for the call back. Cellphone service providers in the city fear that the number of victims may be in the thousands.
Clueless subscribers called up their cellphone service providers who clarified that the call had been made to international premium-rate numbers and the best way to avert such fraud was to not call back to these numbers. Probe revealed that some fraudsters sitting abroad had been making missed calls to Indian cellphone users randomly with the help of a database. They have hired a few international premium rate numbers (IPRN) which cost little.
The IPRN service providers offer a lucrative rate for their rental services. Premium Telco is such an IPRN provider which offers $.08 for every incoming call to the hired number.
According to telecom experts, such IPRN providers receive 700 to 1,000 calls every day. For police, it's a 'salami fraud' which suggests that the fraudsters are apparently getting a nominal amount, but swindle a hefty sum at the end of the day. A senior city police officer claimed that some people are even getting threat calls. He believes that the calls were routed through a Voice over Internet Protocol ( VoIP) system. With the Internet Protocol (IP) remaining masked most of the time, it is difficult to trace the country of origin.
With the number of frauds through such IPRN increasing, European countries have already taken stern action against scammers and legal help to prevent fraud. In August, 2010, the London Metropolitan Police rounded up nine fraudsters for a similar crime. Their network was active in the Middle East and South East Asia. Now, scammers are proffering IPRN numbers based in countries like Latvia, Guinea, East Timor and some African countries where the law is not stringent enough.
DC (special), detective department, Kolkata Police, Murlidhar Sharma, said he was aware of the problem. "But we are yet to get any complaint in Kolkata. If someone has been a victim, they should contact the police," said Murlidhar. Telecom experts, however, believe that the fraudsters might very well be sitting in India. "They communicate in Indian languages, which suggests that the calls were routed to India. An Indian fraudster can also hire a series of such premium numbers," said an expert.
The racketeers hire a premiumrate number from a telecom service provider and then give missed calls to unsuspecting people As you call back, you end up paying a higher charge and a part of the money goes into the account of the scammers In Kolkata, most of the fraud calls start with the number +22455, making people think it's a call from Mumbai, whose STD code is 022 The fraud originated in Japan in 2000 where it is called 'Wangiri Fraud'. 'Wangiri' means 'one ring and cut'. A single call to this number may cost you up to Rs 200 a minute Thousands may have been duped in Kolkata With the calls being routed through a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system, it is difficult to trace the country of origin But since the fraudsters talk to victims in Hindi, it's apparent that the racket is entrenched in this country, too.
Mumbai marathon for Gorkha ‘identity’
RAJEEV RAVIDAS, TT, Kalimpong, Jan. 10: A group of Gorkhas has decided to take part in the Mumbai International Marathon on January 15, not exactly to give other participants a run for their money but to highlight the “identity crisis” faced by the community in the country.
 |
| Some of the runners before their departure for Mumbai at NJP on Tuesday. Picture by Kundan Yolmo |
The campaign is the brainchild of Rosni Rai, a Pedong resident based in Mumbai, where she works as a legal executive in a private firm. Rai, an amateur marathon runner, said she thought of participating in the run as part of a course she was pursuing in Mumbai.
“The course requires me to do a project that is close to my heart and will benefit my community. Through the run, I want to highlight the identity crisis we Gorkhas are facing in our country,” she said.
Of the 22, three are non-Gorkhas. “The non-Gorkhas in the team are my friends who have come forward to help me in the campaign,” said Rai.
While 17 people will take part in the half-marathon of 21km, the rest will try the “dream run” of 6km.
“All 21 runners have been training very hard. In fact, such is their enthusiasm that I have to tell some of them to stop training so hard,” said Rai.
The amateur runner who had participated in many marathons all over the country said the other objective of the campaign was to encourage young people from her community to take to running.
“I want them to take up long-distance running seriously. Six runners from the hills are very strong and can complete the half-marathon between one-and-a-quarter hours and one-and-a-half hours. If these runners are given proper guidance and training, they will be able to compete with the best in the world,” she said.
The 14 runners from the hills left New Jalpaiguri for Mumbai on train this evening. Premika Rai, a businesswoman from Kalimpong, said they were all excited to make the trip. “I have trained very hard according to the training schedule provided to me by Rosni. This will be my first half-marathon.”
Saurav Banerjee, a volunteer teacher from Pedong, said he had been taking part in running competitions since his school days. “But the Mumbai event will be the biggest of them all. It will be a dream come true for me. Apart from the running, the marathon will be special for me because it will allow me to lend my voice in support of the grievance of the Gorkhas.”
Gorkha girls to participate in Mumbai marathon
TNN | Jan 11, 2012,DARJEELING: Twenty-four-year-old Grace Rai is among the 22 Gorkha girls who will participate in the Mumbai marathon on January 15, wearing tee shirts that say, "We are Gorkhas and proud to be Indians".
"We Gorkhas have an identity crisis. The Mumbai marathon is a huge platform and we can reach out to the world," Rai said.
"Like the Kenyans and Ethiopians, who dominate long distance runs, people from the Hills too have great stamina and endurance due to the terrain we live in," she remarked. Rai, an employee in the sports department of Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, had come fourth in the Maharashtra marathon in 1999.
"Since then I have only run in a few local events. This shows the kind of enthusiasm and support that marathon generates in the Hills," lamented Rai. But she believes that with good training and financial support the Hills could produce good runners.
"It is a dream come true for me to compete with the best marathon runners both nationally and internationally. Moreover, it would give me a learning curve," said Rai.
On being asked about her chances of winning, she said, "Winning is always great but my main goal is to expose the hidden talents of the Hills."
Rai recollected that she took up marathon running on the advice of one of her teachers. "I took it seriously in class V when a teacher of my school advised me to run long distances because of my endurance," said Rai. But she rues the fact that sports isn't given due recognition in the Hills.
"The last major event that I participated in was the Maharastra marathon in 1999 where I came fourth in my category. Since then I have only run in few local events; this shows the kind of enthusiasm and support that marathon generates in the Hills," lamented Rai. But she believes that with good training and financial support the Hills could produce good runnersExcept for few fellow runners and friends who garlanded her with 'khadas', Rai, an employee in the sports department of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), cut a lone figure as she prepared to board a vehicle for Siliguri, to catch her train for Delhi later on Tuesday evening. She would be accompanied by her husband Anthony on the trip. Rai does not have a trainer but is coached by her husband.
"It is a dream come true for me to rub shoulders with the best marathon runners both nationally and internationally. But the more important fact is that it will be learning curve," said Rai. On questions of a realistic chance to win the marathon, she pointed out, "Winning is always great but my main goal to participate is to expose the hidden talents of the Hills that usually doesn't come to the fore due to lack of support."
Mamata to lead crusade in north - Trinamul gets ready to make party presence felt on Congress
TT, Siliguri, January 10: Mamata Banerjee will kick off a campaign here next month to bolster the fortunes of Trinamul across north Bengal, traditionally considered the bastion of the Congress.
Trinamul sources said the kick-off would coincide with the North Bengal Festival to be inaugurated here in the second week of February by the chief minister. Mamata is expected to make some major announcements for the region then, they said.
“Since the Congress has decided to put hurdles on our path here, the chief minister herself has taken the initiative to spread the message of our party in north Bengal,” said Gautam Deb, the minister for north Bengal development. “The idea is to make the Congress realise the changing political scenario here and not cling to the belief that north Bengal is their territory.”
The relation between the allies has not been the best in recent times. Earlier this week, Mamata had dared the Congress to leave the state government.
Deb said Trinamul leaders would sit with Mamata in Siliguri to give a final shape to the strategy to make her party’s presence felt in the region, similar to what was done so successfully in south Bengal. The party has also decided to bring in MP Subhendu Adhikari, who helped Trinamul turn the tide in Nandigram.
“We have successfully demonstrated during the Assembly polls that we matter in north Bengal and we will build on that,” a Trinamul leader said.
Deb said the party’s campaign would cover the entire north Bengal, from Malda to North Dinajpur. Of the three Congress MPs from the region, two are from Malda, where the zilla parishad too belongs to the party. North Dinajpur is the home turf of Deepa Das Munshi, a known Mamata-baiter. Deepa is the Congress MP from Raiganj, where college principal Dilip Dey Sarkar was beaten up by Trinamul activists triggering widespread condemnation.
“Booklets would be distributed about the achievements of Trinamul and rallies would be held,” Deb said.
But a Trinamul leader cautioned: “We have also been told to keep in mind the sensitivities of the Congress supporters so that we do not upset them. People in Malda and North Dinajpur have largely been voting for the Congress for many years.”
The first task on the agenda, a Trinamul leader said, was to highlight the programmes that the chief minister had announced for north Bengal. For starters, Mamata has increased the grant for the North Bengal Development Council from Rs 40 crore to Rs 200 crore.
She has also started the process of setting up a chief minister’s secretariat in the region.
“On a national level, by preventing the Centre from going ahead with the Teesta treaty with Bangladesh the chief minister has successfully demonstrated how much north Bengal matters to her,” Deb said. “We intend to explain all this and make it clear to the people the extent to which our leader is willing to go for them.”
Another Trinamul leader added: “Can the state Congress match this? It is their national leadership that was about to sacrifice the interests of north Bengal. The Congress was not willing to consider the interests of the farmers of north Bengal.”
A Trinamul leader said there were issues of concern to north Bengal that had not been addressed by the Congress leaders so far. For instance, the leader pointed out, the problem of river erosion is threatening to change the contours of Malda.
“The district has sent two MPs to Parliament but the erosion continues unhindered,” a Trinamul leader said. “Mausam Noor might have suddenly woken up to that but where was the Congress till Trinamul became a threat looming over that party?”
North Dinajpur district Congress president Mohit Sengupta countered this by saying: “Trinamul is desperate to increase its base in north Bengal. It is not interested in the region, but wants to make political capital out of this backward area.”
Request to stop flag use
TT, Jaigaon, Jan. 10: The Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad today submitted a memorandum to the subdivisional officer of Alipurduar asking him not to allow John Barla and Sukra Munda to use flags of the outfit and that of the Progressive Tea Workers’ Union at a rally on January 12.
The rally will be organised by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-backed Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union and the PTWU, the tea front of the Parishad. Barla and Sukra were expelled from the Parishad in December.
Garden plea
TT, Jaigaon: Workers of the closed Dalsinghpara tea estate submitted a memorandum to the joint block development officer of Kalchini on Tuesday asking him to take steps to reopen the garden. They also demanded regular supply of drinking water and electricity on the estate that had been closed since January 4.
Beware of that unknown missed call
TNN, Jan 11, 2012, KOLKATA: Think before you ring back after missing a call from an unidentified number to your cellphone. It could have been from a racket and a call-back would come at a premium rate, sometimes as high as 200 a minute.
A part of the amount you pay will be deposited in the accounts of the fraudsters. The hi-tech telecommunication technology that was developed mainly for public services has turned into an easy money-making device for fraudsters.
This is how it works. The scammers hire a premium-rate number from a telecom provider and then give missed calls to unsuspecting people. As the latter call back, they pay a higher charge and a part of the money goes to the account of the scammer who hires the premium number. The fraud, which started nearly a decade ago in Europe and western countries, has hit India, including Kolkata, from the beginning of the year. It is also known as the 'Wangiri Fraud' and originated in Japan in early-2000. 'Wangiri' literally means 'one ring and cut'.
Over the past week, several Kolkatans have received missed calls from numbers that start with +22455. Among them is a university student. "Apparently, it looks like a Mumbai number as the city's STD code is 22. I have several friends in Mumbai and the call came late on January 1. Without any suspicion, I called back and the woman who answered said in Hindi that the number belonged to a Mumbai-based cellphone company. She started telling me that my cellphone number was among the lucky winners of a draw and I would be awarded a cellphone by the company. She also asked for my address," said the student. He claimed the woman spoke for around eight minutes and when the call ended, he realized that he had been charged 400 for it.
The student is not alone. Several others have received missed calls from similar numbers that start with +22455 and were charged 50 to 100 or even 200 per minute for the call back. Cellphone service providers in the city fear that the number of victims may be in the thousands.
Clueless subscribers called up their cellphone service providers who clarified that the call had been made to international premium-rate numbers and the best way to avert such fraud was to not call back to these numbers. Probe revealed that some fraudsters sitting abroad had been making missed calls to Indian cellphone users randomly with the help of a database. They have hired a few international premium rate numbers (IPRN) which cost little.
The IPRN service providers offer a lucrative rate for their rental services. Premium Telco is such an IPRN provider which offers $.08 for every incoming call to the hired number.
According to telecom experts, such IPRN providers receive 700 to 1,000 calls every day. For police, it's a 'salami fraud' which suggests that the fraudsters are apparently getting a nominal amount, but swindle a hefty sum at the end of the day. A senior city police officer claimed that some people are even getting threat calls. He believes that the calls were routed through a Voice over Internet Protocol ( VoIP) system. With the Internet Protocol (IP) remaining masked most of the time, it is difficult to trace the country of origin.
With the number of frauds through such IPRN increasing, European countries have already taken stern action against scammers and legal help to prevent fraud. In August, 2010, the London Metropolitan Police rounded up nine fraudsters for a similar crime. Their network was active in the Middle East and South East Asia. Now, scammers are proffering IPRN numbers based in countries like Latvia, Guinea, East Timor and some African countries where the law is not stringent enough.
DC (special), detective department, Kolkata Police, Murlidhar Sharma, said he was aware of the problem. "But we are yet to get any complaint in Kolkata. If someone has been a victim, they should contact the police," said Murlidhar. Telecom experts, however, believe that the fraudsters might very well be sitting in India. "They communicate in Indian languages, which suggests that the calls were routed to India. An Indian fraudster can also hire a series of such premium numbers," said an expert.
The racketeers hire a premiumrate number from a telecom service provider and then give missed calls to unsuspecting people As you call back, you end up paying a higher charge and a part of the money goes into the account of the scammers In Kolkata, most of the fraud calls start with the number +22455, making people think it's a call from Mumbai, whose STD code is 022 The fraud originated in Japan in 2000 where it is called 'Wangiri Fraud'. 'Wangiri' means 'one ring and cut'. A single call to this number may cost you up to Rs 200 a minute Thousands may have been duped in Kolkata With the calls being routed through a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system, it is difficult to trace the country of origin But since the fraudsters talk to victims in Hindi, it's apparent that the racket is entrenched in this country, too.
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