A fast protestor under medical support... Students' protest rally... विद्युत कार्यालय सिलगढ़ी सार्ने षड़यन्त्रको विरोध नगरमा नारीबाजी, कार्यालय घेराउ... Gurung to chalk out Assembly election strategy at new camp

Morning Headlines:

KalimNews: Indefinite sit in demonstration is started at Jantar Mantar in Delhi by GJM from 28th February. GJM supporters of Kurseong, Darjeeling, Kalimpong , Haryana and Delhi are participating in the demonstration that starts at 11 am and ends at 4 pm everyday.

Assembly election in West Bengal along with other four states may start from the mid April and completed in five phases. 

Arrest of about 2200 against warrants for crimes is due in Darjeeling to completed before election.  

Deputy Election Commissioner is visiting Darjeeling on 6th March.

GJM will file candidates in 6 MLA seats of hills and plains (Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Mirik, Siliguri, Nagarkatta, Kalchini

A fast protestor under medical support

KalimNews: Hom Chhetri a protestor on fast unto death took medical assistance in Kalimpong. According to L.N. Sherpa, SDO Kalimpong, general health of Chhetri, a Janmukti Bhutpurba Sainik Morcha member was deteriorating due to continued low blood pressure since last four days and was administered medical assistance under department's supervision on the night of 27th February, 2011.
It is recalled that three GLP volunteers and two ex-servicemen of Sainik Morcha are taking part in fast-unto-death since 24th Feb, 2011 in the premises of SDO office, Kalimpong demanding CBI enquiry into the Sibsu firing case where three supporters of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha were killed by the Bengal police.
A large number of local students brought out a rally demanding CBI probe into Sibsu firing. Under the aegis of Gorkha Janmukti Vidyarthi Morcha (GJVM), the local students gathered at Mela Ground this morning and shouted anti-West Bengal slogans and the rally paraded round the town. Before dispersing the students submitted a memorandum to the SDO Kalimpong in support of their demand. All the students and teachers accompanying them in the rally were wearing black arm band as a mark of protest.

विद्यार्थी सड़कमा

मनोज बोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 28 फरवरी। विद्यालय जानुपर्ने तर पढ्न भने नपाउने कार्यक्रमलाई संशोधन गर्दै विद्यार्थी मोर्चाले आजदेखि तीनसूत्रे दाबीमा नाराबाजी,मौन र्‍याली, धर्ना र ज्ञापन चढ़ाउने कार्यक्रम शुरू गर्‍यो। दार्जीलिङमा विद्यार्थी मोर्चाका उपाध्यक्ष अमृत योञ्जन अनि प्रवक्ता निमा शेर्पाको अगुवाईमा दार्जीलिङभरिका विद्यालयका विद्यार्थीहरू सड़क उत्रिए। उनीहरूले तीनवटा दाबीमाथि जोर दिँदै मौन र्‍याली निकाले। उनीहरूको दाबी थियो, सिब्सु काण्डमाथि शीघ्रनै सीबीआई जॉंच हुनुपर्छ। तराई-डुवर्स र पहाड़लाई अन्तरभुक्त गरेर छुट्टै राज्य गठन गरिनुपर्छ अनि विमल गुरूङलाई डुवर्सको पदयात्रा गर्न दिइनुपर्छ।
हजारौंको संख्यामा सडक उत्रिएका विद्यार्थीहरूले रेलवे स्टेशनबाट जिल्लापालको कार्यालयसम्म मौन र्‍याली गरे भने एडीएम गोपाल लामालाई तीनबुँदे मागमा ज्ञापन पनि चढ़ाए। 
यता मोर्चा कोषाध्यक्ष दावा लामाले मोर्चाले शिक्षाक्षेत्रमा कुनै पनि असर नपुर्‍याउने कार्यक्रम हातमा लिएको जनाए। यसैकारण नै विद्यार्थी मोर्चाको कार्यक्रममा फेरबदल ल्याउँदै मौन जुलूसको कार्यक्रम गरिएको पनि तिनले जनाए। यता गोजविमोका उपाध्यक्ष अमृत योञ्जन अनि प्रवक्ता निमा शेर्पाले मौन र्‍याली 6 मार्चसम्म रहने जनाएका छन्‌। कालेबुङमा पनि सहसचिव दीप थापाको अगुवाइमा 14 वटा विद्यालयका विद्यार्थीहरूले जुलूस निकाले। विद्यार्थीहरुले बङ्गाल सरकारले विद्यार्थी मोर्चाको तीन बुँदै मागमाथि शीघ्रनै निर्णय गर्नुपर्ने दाबीमा व्यापक नाराबाजी गरे। मेलाग्राउण्डबाट जुलूस शुरू गरिएको थियो भने जुलूसले नगर परिक्रमा गर्दै महकुमा अधिकारीको कार्यलय पुगी एउटा ज्ञापन पनि चढ़ायो।
विद्युत कार्यालय सिलगढ़ी सार्ने षड़यन्त्रको विरोध नगरमा नारीबाजी, कार्यालय घेराउ
मनोज बोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 28 फरवरी। पश्चिम बङ्गाल विद्युत सर्वराह निगमले कालेबुङको महकुमा विद्युत कार्यालय अनि योसित सम्बन्धित अन्य कार्यालयहरू सिलगढ़ी स्थान्तर गर्ने अधिसूचना 19 फरवरीको दिन नै जारी गरिसकेको छ, जसको आधारमा अहिले कार्यालयहरू सिलगढ़ी सार्ने तम्तयारी चलिरहेको छ। कार्यालयहरू सिलगढ़ी सार्ने सूचना पाउने वित्तिकै गोर्खा जनमुक्ति मोर्चाको भातृसङ्गठन जनमुक्ति कर्मचारी सङ्गठनले महकुमा अधिकारी एलएन शेर्पालाई कार्यालय स्थान्तरको अधिसूचना खारेज गर्नुपर्ने सम्बन्धमा उजुरी गरेको थियो। यसबाहेक पनि कालेबुङका विभिन्न सङ्गठनहरूले स्थान्तरको प्रतिवाद व्यापकरूपले गरिनै रहेको छ। तरै पनि कुनै पनि विरोध र अनुनयलाई विभागले पत्तो दिएको छैन।
महकुमा अधिकारी शेर्पाले आफूले भइरहेको विरोधबारे उच्चस्थ निकायसम्म कुरा पुर्‍याइसकेको जनाउँदै भने, सबैको गुनासोलाई माथ्थिलो निकायमा पुर्‍याइएको छ। यसमाथि महकुमा प्रशासनले कुनै पनि निर्णय गर्न सक्दैन। यसको विभागीय अधिकारीलाई पनि विषयबारे अवगत गराइएको छ। यता आज गोर्खा जनमुक्ति मोर्चा अनि व्यापारी सङ्गठनले कार्यालय स्थान्तर सरकारको षड़यन्त्र मात्र रहेको आरोप लगाएको छ। सङ्गठनहरूको भनाइ छ, कालेबुङका बिजुली उपभोक्ताहरूलाई सिलगढ़ी कार्यालयबाट कसरी सुलभ सेवा प्रदान गर्न सक्छ? यहॉंका उपभोक्तालाई यही कार्यालय राखेर मात्र सुलभ सेवा उपलब्ध गराइन सकिन्छ। विभागले अत्तम सेवा दिनको निम्ति नै कार्यालय सिलगढ़ी सार्ने कारण देखाएको छ, जो सेवा र समस्याको सम्बन्धमा युक्तिसङ्गत नै छैन। 
यसैकारण स्थान्तरको कुरा सरकारी षड़यन्त्र मात्र रहेको सङ्गठनहरूको आरोप छ।व्यापारी सङ्गठनले विभागीय षड़यन्त्रको विरोधमा नगरमा आज व्यापक नारीबाजी गर्दै कार्यालय घेराउ गरेको थियो भने मोर्चाले महकुमा अधिकारीलाई एउटा ज्ञापन चढाउँदै स्थान्तरको निर्देश खारेज गर्नुुपर्ने माग गरेको छ। मोर्चा महकुमा सचिव शुभ प्रधानले भने, मोर्चा अहिले प्राप्तिको अन्तिम चरणमा पुगेको छ। आन्दोलनले एउटा राम्रो निष्कर्ष तयार पारिरहेको बेला हामीलाई मूलमुद्दाबाट अन्यत्र आकर्षित गर्ने यो सरकारी षड़यन्त्र हो। 
11 पल्टको वार्ताले मोर्चाले दाबी गरेको मूल कुराको निष्कर्ष निस्कियोस्‌ भन्ने माकपा सरकार चहॉंदैन, यसैकारण आन्दोलनकारीहरूको ध्यान आन्दोलनबाट हटाउन यो चलखेल भइरहेको छ। कार्यलय सिलगढ़ी सार्न मोर्चाले कदापी पनि दिनेछैन। कालेबुङको दश माइलमा विद्युत कार्यालय छ भने विभागले यो कार्यालय अनि मरम्मति एवं जॉंच कार्यालय समेत सिलगढ़ीस्थिति सम्बन्धित विभागको डीई कार्यालयमा स्थान्तर गर्ने भएको छ। यता मोर्चाले दाबी गरेको छ, सिलगढ़ीको डीई कार्यालय पनि कालेबुङमा नै स्थापित गर्नुपर्छ किन भने विभागको डीई कार्यालय कालेबुङमा छैन।विभागको डीई कार्यालय नरहेकोले अघिबाट नै कालेबुङका उपभोक्ता अनि सङ्घ-सङ्गठनहरूले डीई कार्यालय कालेबुङ महकुमामा नै हुनुपर्ने माग गर्दै आइरहेको थियो।
उपभोक्ताको मागलाई निकायले ध्यान दिइरहेको छैन। कार्यालयलाई कालेबुङमा स्थापित गर्नको साटो सिलगढ़ीको डीई कार्यालयमा विद्युत कार्यालय स्थान्तर गर्ने भएपछि उप्रान्त बिजुली सर्वराह सम्बन्धमा भएको गड़बड़ी अनि असुविधाको उजुरी पनि सिलगढ़ीमा नै गर्नुपर्ने देखिएको छ। कालेबुङको कार्यालयमा लगभग 70 जना कर्मचारीहरू कार्यरत छन्‌, जसलाई अन्यत्र स्थान्तरको निम्ति विभागीय सूचना हात लागिसकेको छ। यता जकसले 27 तारिकसम्म कार्यालय स्थान्तरको सूचना खारेज गर्नुपर्ने अल्टिमेटम दिँदै निर्णय खारेज नगरे सड़क उत्रिने जनाएको थियो। 

Union Budget 2011-12 Summary

ALLOCATION FOR SOCIAL SECTOR INCREASED BY 17% TO RS. 1,60,887 CRORE
ALLOCATION FOR BHARAT NIRMAN PROGRAMME INCREASED BY RS. 10,000 CRORE

PLAN ALLOCATION FOR EDUCATION HIKED BY 24% AND HEALTH BY 20%

ELIGIBILITY FOR OLD AGE PENSION SCHEME REDUCED FROM 65YEARS TO 60

ALLOCATION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE INCREASED BY 23.3% TO RS. 2,14,000 CRORE

CREDIT TO FARMERS TO BE INCREASED TO RS. 4,75,000 CRORE

FISCAL DEFICIT PEGGED AT 4.6% OF GDP

GOVERNMENT TO BORROW RS. 3.43 LAKH CRORE FROM THE MARKET

EXTENSION OF NUTRIENT BASED SUBSIDY TO COVER UREA UNDER ACTIVE CONSIDERATION

EXEMPTION LIMIT FOR INCOME TAX RAISED BY Rs. 20,000 TO RS. 1,80,000 MINIMUM ALTERNATE TAX INCREASED FROM 18 TO 18.5%. 

ONE PERCENT CENTRAL EXCISE DUTY IMPOSED ON 130 ITEMS

LOWER RATE OF EXCISE DUTY RAISED FROM 4 TO 5%

SERVICE TAX HIKED ON DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL AIR TRAVEL

DIRECT TAXES CODE TO BE EFFECTIVE FROM APRIL 2012 AND IMPLEMENTATION OF GST IS ON COURSE

Rs.600 crore for green initiatives, fighting climate change

India's health budget goes up by 20 percent 

Education gets 24 percent hike in budget allocation

Poor to get subsidies in cash

Domestic air travel to cost more 

Petrol, diesel prices may rise after FM fails to reduce duty
Medical treatment in private nursing home hike
No increase in Cars and electronic goods but Computer, CD prices increase

Mobile handset prices will become more expensive 

one percent hike in the Central Excise duty for 130 items, including phones.

Exit norms relaxed for Swavalamban pension scheme

Tax revenue to grow by 18.5 pc to Rs 9.3L cr in FY'12

Retail sector left disappointed again 

No income tax return to be filled up for income upto Rs 5,00,000

SPA president elected

KalimNews, GANGTOK, 28 Feb: Xavier Subba has been nominated as the president of the adhoc committee of Sikkim Press Association [SPA] in a meeting held here at Deorali on 26 February.

The meeting chaired by its outgoing president, Ganga Bahadur Rai dissolved the existing committee and decided to form a fresh adhoc committee. The adhoc committee was given charge to handle the activities of SPA until the elections will be held for the fresh committee.

The meeting also directed the outgoing office bearers to handover the documents and details of the association to the adhoc committee within 10 days.

Other members of adhoc committee nominated on the occasion were Ranjit Tamu and Parasmani Dangal [vice-presidents], Subash Rai [general secretary], Arjun Piyush and CB Chettri [joint secretaries], Deep Pradhan [treasurer], Sagar Chettri [publicity secretary], HK Khawas and Arjun Yawa [asst. publicity secretaries].

Similarly, the meeting nominated Shanker Joshi, Rebina Rana, Chetan Gazmer, Januka Sharma, Manoj Jairu, Suraj Sundas, Joseph Lepcha, Menuka Pandey, Kavita Sharma, Phurzang Lepcha and Hari Bhakta Sharma as executive members.

The adhoc committee will also be represented by Beeru Bangdel [chief patron], Ganga Bahadur Rai [chief advisor], BP Kanel [financial advisor] and Snehalata Rai [legal advisor].

The meeting also resolved that a delegation will be approaching IPR Minister with a request to hold the post of chief patron of the organization.

Gurung to chalk out Assembly election strategy at new camp

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Kumani, Feb. 28: Hemmed in by tea gardens and forests, this nondescript village has virtually turned into the headquarters of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, whose supporters are hurrying to set up a new camp for the party chief.

The tent for Gurung under construction at Lower Kumani on Monday. Picture by Suman Taman

The fate of eight Assembly seats in north Bengal — three in the hills and five in the Dooars — is set to be decided at Kumani, where Morcha president Bimal Gurung will be staying for some more days.

Gurung has been camping at Kumani since January 19 when he was prevented from leading a rally to the Dooars.

Ever since, the village has been a hub of activities. Thirty trucks, five pick-up vans, an ambulance, a tractor and an excavator, apart from a dozen vehicles of the central committee members of the Morcha, are parked at Kumani at the moment.

“We also have one big soundless generator and 25 small ones, besides a seven-member medical team,” said Binay Tamang, the assistant secretary of the Morcha. “We have also managed to get 25 water pumps.”

Vegetables and other edible items are pouring in from Morcha supporters from across the village. Gurung has already set up two godowns in the camp to store foodgrain.

“We need around two tins of mustard oil and about six quintals of rice everyday. A community kitchen has been set up for the Gorkhaland Personnel and there are separate kitchens for some tents also,” said Tamang.

The camp reminds one of a battle zone. Gurung’s tent is ringed by the GLP and every visitor has to record his presence at the entrance to the camp, which has a check-post. Not all vehicles are allowed to reach near Gurung’s shelter.

Nevertheless, the camp is not all cosy. “There is nothing except hardships here. But we are getting used to the place. In fact, when I go home (to Kalimpong), I yearn to return here as I have now started feeling that this is my home,” Harka Bahadur Chhetri, a senior Morcha leader, said in jest.

Day temperatures are rising and at times, the tents turn into a virtual oven.

“With so many people using makeshift toilets, hygiene is a major problem. We have to go to the nearby river to have a bath,” said a supporter.

The camp, which is situated on the forestland, will be shifted to Lower Kumani, about 1km away. “As we have been told that the camp is in the forest, we have decided to shift to a private land where we will face no problems,” said Gurung.

The Morcha members have started shifting all paraphernalia to a private land, where the new camp will be ready by tomorrow.

With the Bengal polls round the corner, the Morcha will work out its strategy from Kumani. In fact, Gurung has vowed to respond to Sibchu police firing through ballots.

“Everything is fine up in the hills. But we will have to concentrate on the plains. We must reply to the killing of three of our supporters (at Sibchu) with votes and we will be a decisive factor in a lot of places,” he said.

During the by-election to Kalchini Assembly seat in 2009, the Morcha had managed to ensure the victory of the candidate it supported.

Hospital shift foiled

Police and Jalpaiguri district officials on Monday made an unsuccessful attempt to hospitalise two of the five Morcha supporters who have been on an indefinite hunger strike at Salugara since February 24, reports our Siliguri correspondent.

The authorities reached Salugara with Rajganj block medical officer of health, who checked all the five on fast. As the condition of 41-year-old Chandra Singh Mall, an ex-serviceman, and Julie Chhetri,19, was critical, the officials wanted to take them to hospital. But Morcha supporters assembled at the spot prevented the duo’s hospitalisation.
Eve teasers blamed for boy death

The house of one of the suspects after it was ransacked by a mob on Sunday. Picture by Nantu Dey

TT, Raiganj, Feb. 28: The body of an 18-year-old boy, suspected to have been killed after he protested an eve teasing at a wedding a fortnight ago, was found floating in the Kulik yesterday.
The body of Bhola Rajbangshi, spotted at Khormujaghat around 10am yesterday, had about 30 stab wounds. Two persons, one of them a 16-year-old, were arrested yesterday and two more were detained on the basis of their statement.

The incident comes almost 15 days after a Madhyamik examinee was stabbed to death by a group of eve teasers near Barasat railway station barely 100 metres from the police superintendent and district magistrate’s residences. He had protested the macabre dance of the culprits who sprinkled liquor on his sister.

Bhola’s father Dilip Rajbangshi said his son, a trekker driver, had gone out to take a photocopy of his driving licence on Saturday night but had not come back.

Instead, Rajbangshi said, an unknown youth arrived an hour later and gave him the photocopy and Bhola’s wallet. “He told us Bhola would be late.”

“When my son did not return even after midnight we went out and enquired with our neighbours. But we could not trace him,” Rajbangshi said.

One of his neighbours told him around 10am yesterday that a body was floating on the Kulik, which Rajbangshi identified as that of his son.

Rajbangshi recalled that his son had a fight with five-six persons, including Ajit Ghosh and a minor, while returning from a wedding a fortnight ago. The people who had gathered there intervened and rescued him.

He claimed that his son had earned the wrath of the youths when he protested their lewd remarks on the girl next door. The girl told the police that some youths had been teasing her for quite a few days.

She recalled how the youths had cornered her at the wedding and while she was coming back home.

“Bholada who arrived at that moment protested. The youths who were drunk started beating him mercilessly. Some people arrived and rescued him. But the youths had threatened to teach Bholada a lesson,” the girl recalled.

Additional district superintendent of police Ujjal Bhowmik said there were at least 30 stab injuries on the body.

“It appeared that there was a strong anger behind the murder. The investigating officials came to know about the incident of the eve teasing and the fight between the boy and the youths after the body was found,” Bhowmik said.

What aroused the police suspicion was that the youths had gone to the crematorium to take part in the last rites of the boy. At the same time, the local police team raided their houses and found the bicycle of the boy.

“We took no time and went to the crematorium and arrested the youths. They have confessed to the crime,” Bhowmik said.

ITBP to save teachers from girls - School turns fortress after mass copying

TT, Islampur, Feb. 28: From a distance, the Srikrishnapur High School looked like a polling centre with a large number of police personnel standing on guard and nobody being allowed to move in groups within the 200-metre radius.

ITBP personnel deployed on the campus of Srikrishnapur High School on Monday. Picture by Mehedi Hedaytullah

Indo-Tibetan Border Patrol jawans took out a route march and shops in the vicinity of the institution were shut throughout the day.

The school turned a fortress to ensure security for teachers and invigilators who had come under attack from Madhyamik examinees, all girls, on Saturday.

The candidates, along with their guardians, had ransacked the school and beaten up the teachers for not allowing them to copy from chits and notes during Saturday’s life science paper.

The school, 7km from here, is the exam centre for 398 students, a majority of them girls belonging to Ramganj Shyamaprasad Girls’ High School and Madaripur High School, a co-educational institution.

Following the violence, the teachers had threatened that they would not report for duty from today if their security was not ensured. The subdivisional officer of Islampur, Partha Ghosh, held a meeting with police officers yesterday, and it was decided that extra forces would be deployed at the centre.

A large number of security personnel had been deployed around the school by today noon when the geography examination began.

The subdivisional police officer, Indra Chakrabarty, deputy magistrate, Nikhil Sundar Chakrabarty, and the inspector in charge of Islampur police station, Samir Pal, were present at the school to oversee the security arrangements.

Ghosh said ITBP personnel had been deployed at the school for a brief period. “They had taken out a route march just before the exam began. We are constantly monitoring the situation.”

After the withdrawal of the paramilitary personnel, the district police stood guard at the school to prevent the recurrence of violence.

When the exam was over at 3pm, the centre in charge at Srikrishnapur High School, Ashok Banik, said the day had gone off without any untoward incident. “We had made it clear to the administration on Saturday that there should be adequate security at the institution from Monday,” he said.

The member of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Examination for North Dinajpur, Bipul Mitra, said there were reports of mass copying in many schools across the district. “We have taken strict measures to ensure that the examinees do not resort to unfair means and we will continue to do so,” he said.

Today, the authorities went around other centres also to see if the exam was being conducted peacefully.

More than 150 girls had smashed tables, chairs and desks in the school on Saturday, alleging that teachers had misbehaved with them in the name of searching for chits.

Around 500 guardians waiting outside the school joined the candidates and kicked and punched the invigilators. The teachers were rescued by local people and Islampur police.

Kanti Saha, a retired teacher, said he had never heard of such an incident in his lifetime. “It is really strange that things have come to such a pass that paramilitary forces are required to conduct a board examination. It shows how bad the law and order situation in Bengal is.”

Sunirmal Basak, a guardian waiting outside the school, said the administration had overdone things. “The deployment of paramilitary forces was an extreme step. The examinees are getting intimidated by their presence on the school campus.”