Bandh paralysed life in hills...GJM attacked GNLF supporters- 1injured-1arrested in Bijanbari... Vehicles attacked in NH31A ... GJM supporters in Dooars arrested

A damaged vehicle of Sikkim

A poster pasted in a Car

KalimNews: 96 hr strike called by GJM paralysed the hills and some parts of North Bengal. 
In a clash between GNLF and GJM supporters in Pulbazar Police station of  Bijanbari one Dipak Subba was seriously injured. According to a information received GJM supporters of Relling Busty came to Pulbazar and attacked GNLF supporters with Khukuri. They also torn away GNLF flags. During the attack Dipak was seriously injured. Later he was admitted in the local Bijanbari Hospital and had 12 stitches on his head. Pulbazar Police arrested Satish Pokhrel of GJM in this connection.

GJM supporters pasting posters in 

vehicles

GJM supporters tried to block the NH31A in the morning by felling trees and placing boulders near Rangpo but police cleared the road made the way clear for vehicular movement. Vehicles of Sikkim in the morning were escorted by Bengal police from Rangpo to Siliguri. Atleast 5 vehicles were attacked by unknown miscreants and damaged. Window screens of vehicles were smashed but no injury was reported by the passengers. GJM supporters stopped some vehicles and pasted posters requesting the Sikkim people to support the demand of Gorkhaland. Police were seen escorting and patrolling in the NH31A but the force was not adequate. 
In Dooars police arrested GJM picketers and cleared the NH31C near Kalchini.

Deserted Main Road of Kalimpong

ANI, Kolkata:Normal life in Darjeeling came to a halt on Wednesday as the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) began the first phase of shutdown.
Streets in Darjeeling, as well as sub-divisions of Kalimpong and Kerseong wore a deserted look and shops remained shut as GJM activists marched on roads, shouting slogans for the creation of Gorkhaland.
Activists also blocked various parts of the National Highway 55 by burning tyres, and disrupting vehicular traffic completely.
GJM activists said that the demand for a separate state was genuine and older than the demand for Telangana.
"We have declared a shutdown for the fulfilment of our demand. Our demand is older than the demand for Telangana," said Sankar Adhikari, GJM convener.
Roshan Giri, the General Secretary of GJM, had announced on January 6 that a 25-day long shutdown would be enforced in Darjeeling.

Teesta Bridge on NH 31A

According to Giri, the members of the Central Committee of GJMM would also hold a 'fast unto death' strike, slated to begin from February 16.
"The Central Government must clear its stance on the Gorkhaland issue. It has been our demand and is intrinsically linked with the people's aspirations. 99 percent of people in this region want a separate state.
The government must clarify its position on the matter. We do not have any option but to protest through democratic means. This is why, the region would be closed down and following this, our party leaders would fast unto death," 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.

Patrolling  Police in NH 31A near Kalimpong

The four issues obstructing the interim authority are territorial jurisdiction, its authority to manage the regional tea gardens, the selection of its members and a description of the councils legislative powers.

At the fifth round of tripartite talks in New Delhi, the GJM had agreed to the constitution of an interim council by 2011 prior to the creation of a separate state.
The Gorkha population in West Bengal estimated to be around a million have demanding a separate state.

GJM Picketers at Kalimpong

Face n Facts.com, Siliguri: Life came to a grinding halt in the three hill sub-divisions-Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong--here today following the GJM-sponsored 96-hour bandh demanding a separate Gorkhaland.
The bandh call was aimed at putting pressure on the Centre to make its stand clear on the issue of a separate Gorkhaland state comprising the hills and certain areas contiguous to it in the north Bengal plains.

Chitrey  14 km away from Kalimpong

The shutdown came on the heels of the Srikrishna Committee report on the Telengana issue being made public recently.
''The bandh has been total and complete in three sub-divisions. No untoward incident has been reported so far,'' Additional Superintendent of Police, Anup Jaiswal said.
The lifeline of Sikkim-NH 31, however, remained outside the purview of the bandh in accordance with the Supreme Court order.

GJM Assistant General Secretary Binoy Tamang said the outfit will again resume the bandh from Januray 18-25 and later from January 29-February 12.

Sikkim bound vehicles in NH 31A

Picketers were seen at different spots near NH 55 and tyres were burnt to stage blockades.
The hill outfit will also stage a hunger strike led by Bimal Gurung and Roshan Giri from February 16.
Meanwhile, Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad (ABAVP) protested against the bandh citing a law and order problem.
''Hundreds of additional forces were deployed. Rapid Action Force District Combat Force and the State Armed Police have been deployed in different areas to prevent outbreak of an untoward incident,'' Inspector General of Police, North Bengal, Ranvir Kumar said.

NHPC LOW DAM PROJECT, SINGTAM

CBI is never known to be impartial:SDF

Prashant Bajgain, Haalkhabar.com, Gangtok, January 11: Doubting impartiality in the CBI investigation against the state chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling and twelve others sitting and former ministers on a FIR filed by Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC) at CBI few months ago, ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party today said that they will be conducting investigation on SPCC labeled allegations in their own level by an independent enquiry commission.
Addressing a press meet at the capital, SDF spokesperson Bhim Dahal said that the CBI at present is under the scanner of the SDF as it is acting low in non bona fide manner and thus sense is in collusion with SPCC president Nar Bahadur Bhandari.
Dahal informed that in a request made by CBI to the state chief secretary, TT Dorjee, for approving investigation upon alleged SDF men the later asked the probe agency to give relevant details so the request could be examined. In reply to that, the CBI refused to entertain Dorjee and claimed that the allegations set up is based on source information and nothing further.
“CBI mild approach towards state chief secretary indexes that it is being used by SPCC and further the central congress party against the state government”, he underlined.
Speaking in same line, Lok Sabha MP, PD Rai said that CBI is never known to be impartial and is known to act at the instance of and behest of the ruling party in the centre as can be seen from its changing stands in the cases of other national political leaders like Mayawati, Mulayam Singh and Lalu Prasad Yadav.
“Central party only targets the opposition party leaders, never which of the ruling party in the Centre. CBI is a tool in the hand of the central government”, he tagged.
It is to be mentioned that the state assembly today announced an inquiry commission upon the corruption charges of chief minister and twelve others appointing retired judge of Sikkim High Court, RK Patra as its head.
“The opposition congress party has been repeatedly making politically motivated and fabricated allegations against the chief minister ever since SDF came to power in 1994. Thus the enquiry commission is adopted to make fair investigations upon labeled charges”, he mentioned.

BJP came up with fresh allegations of corruption

Prashant ajgain, Haalkhabar.com, Gangtok, January 10: Even as the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party has been brushing all corruption charges in SDF regime, Bharatiya Janata Party state unit today came up with fresh allegations of corruption.
Speaking to news men, BJP state unit Secretary Padam Sharma underlined corruptions in state government quoting the mismanagement of centrally sponsored fund in the state Khadi board.
Referring to a High Court of Sikkim hearing on a petition of a Khadi board employee RP Sharma, BJP secretary today informed mismanagement in the centrally sponsored fund allotted for the natural dye project at Sikkim.
“RP Sharma moved to High Court of Sikkim with a case which in turn highlighted the mismanagement of aforesaid fund almost amounting to 30 lakhs”, he tagged.
It is to be mentioned here that the central government at a seminar of Science and Technology held at Dehradun in 2009 sanctioned state Khadi board with Rs 1.50 crore in order to set up a natural dye project with Kalo Banmara (natural dye ingredient).
The very seminar was participated by RP Sharma, but when the project was to be implemented Khadi board removed him from the post of Project in-charge and appointed else.
Greatly annoyed with the act, RP Sharma moved to court seeking justification which in turn fuelled the development in the present episode.
Further, Padam Sharma also informed that the Khadi board appointed one JT enterprise for the project and in turn sanctioned Rs 30 lakhs prior to commencement of the work.
However, the aforesaid company has not yet started the project in the proposed site.
“It was only after Bharatya Janta Party (BJP) started searching the roots of fund mismanagement in the natural dye project, the then managing director KC Lepcha was suspended”, he underlined.
He further informed that the BJP party has submitted a detailed report on the very matter to the state Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, Secretary of Commerce and Industries, DGP Sikkim Police and Secretary of State Vigilance Department, three days back.
“When there is rampant corruptions even in the departments how can SDF party men say that Sikkim is untouched from its impact”, he questioned.
Speaking on Kanchanjunga Tourist Villa scam, Sharma said that the state government is keen on opening a lease bid for the villa but as the matter is now related to the President of India office, the bidders should make sure that they may face drawbacks in near future.