मोर्चाले धोका दिएको कुरा लिएर - क्रामाकपा जनतामा जाने
मनोज वोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 28 जून। 
क्रान्तिकारी मार्क्सवादी कम्युनिष्ट पार्टीले अहिले जनताले दोस्रो चरणमा महाधोका पाइरहेको स्थितिकोरुपमा वर्तमानलाई परिभाषित गरेको छ। क्रामाकपाको आरोप अनुसार मोर्चाले भोट गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति मागेर जनताले दुत्कारेको परिषद नै थापेर देशभरिका गोर्खाहरूको आकांक्षाको हत्या गरेको छ।
क्रामाकपाका सचिव तारामणि राईले मोर्चाको यही छलपकट उदाङ्गो पार्न जनतामा पुग्ने मतो गरिसकेको जनाएका छन्। यसै शिलशिलामा कालेबुङ आइपुगेका राईले प्रारम्भिक चरणमा मोर्चाले जनतालाई दिइरहेको तथ्यहरू बोकेर डुवर्स र तराई जाने बताएका छन्। तिनले भने, मोर्चाले अर्को दागोपापको निम्ति गरिरहेको चलखेलबारे क्रामाकपाले जनतालाई अवगत र सतर्क गराउँदै आइरहेको हो।
यसपल्ट जनतालाई भ्रममा राखियो। परिषद्को निम्ति पनि मोर्चालाई जनमत देखाउने राज्य र केन्द्रले अड्को राखेको थियो। यसकारण मोर्चाले विभिन्न नाटकबाजी गरेर गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति भन्दै जनतालाई भोट माग्यो। जनता पनि भरोसा गरेर मोर्चालाई भोट दियो तर जनताको भोट परिषद्को जनमतकोरूपमा राज्य र केन्द्रमा राखेर मोर्चाले रोटी सेक्ने काम गर्यो।
मोर्चाले अहिले जुन सीमाङ्कनको कुरा गरिरहेको छ, अब यसमा पनि जनतालाई भ्रममा नै राख्ने काम भइरहेकोले जनतालाई सही कुरा बताउन क्रामाकपाले कार्यक्रम हातमा लिएको हो। तिनी अनुसार परिषदमा गोर्खाल्याण्डको मानचित्रमा रहेका क्षेत्र वा प्रस्तावित राज्यभित्र राखिएका तराई र डुवर्स परस्दैन। यसको निम्ति मोर्चाले राज्य र केन्द्रलाई सहमति पनि दिइसकेको छ। राईले भने, जोइन्ट भेरिफिकेशन कमिटी जुन गठन गरिने कुरा चलिरहेको छ, यसैमा हामीलाई शंका लागेको छ। अहिलेलाई शंकै भनौं किन भने सही कुरा शीघ्र नै अघि आइहाल्ने छ। तिनले मोर्चाले गुप्ती रिपोर्ट पठाएदेखि नै गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दा छोड़ेको बताउँदै भने, भ्रामक टिप्पणी र सचेतना दिइने कार्य गरेर मोर्चाले आफ्नो रोटी सेकिरहेको छ। मोर्चाले खासमा नै गोर्खाल्याण्ड जस्तै व्यवस्था मात्र ल्याइने कुरा छर्लङ्ग पारेको हो। गोर्खाल्याण्ड जस्तै भनिएको कुरा राज्य होइन भन्ने कुरा बुझ्न जनतालाई समय लाग्न सक्छ र जनताले यो कुरा बुझ्ने नै छन्।
जनतालाई बुझाउनको निम्ति नै क्रामाकपाले अहिले विभिन्न कार्यक्रमहरू हातमा लिएको छ। तिनी अनुसार मोर्चा नैतिकरूपमा नै राज्यको पक्षमा रहेको दल होइन। किन भने मोर्चाले जति पनि गोर्खाल्याण्डको नाममा आन्दोलनको बहानामा कार्यक्रमहरू गर्यो, त्यसको लक्ष्य परिषद् नै थियो। मोर्चाका कार्यक्रमहरूलाई विश्लेषण गरेर हेर्नेहरूले यो कुरा छर्लङ्ग बुझ्नेछन्। तिनले भने, मोर्चाले गुप्ती रिपोर्ट ल्यायो, त्यो पनि विवादास्पद् छ। पछि प्राधिकरण भन्यो त्यो पनि स्पष्ट थिएन। विधान सभा चुनाउको कारण दुइवर्षको मियाद पनि राख्यो। त्यसबेला दुइवर्षपछि के हुन्छ स्पष्ट पार भनेका थियौं। मोर्चाले त्यसको जवाब दिएन। अहिले चुनाउ सकियो त्यही परिषद थाप्ने भइरहेको छ। क्रामाकपाले जनतालाई धोका हुन दिने छैन।
मनोज वोगटी,कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 28 जून। भालुखोपमा अंग्रेजकालीन जुन डम्पिङ ग्राउण्ड थियो, नगरपालिकालाई त्यहॉं मैला फ्यॉंक्न भालूखोपवासीले निषेध गरिदिएको छ। भालुखोपवासीले डम्पिङ गर्न निषेध गरेपछि विचल्निमा परेको नगरपालिका अझ पनि लङ्गड़ो झैं बनेका छ। चार वर्ष भयो नगरपालिकाले वैकल्पिक डम्पिङ बनाउन सकेको छैन। नगरपालिका प्रशासन चलाइरहेका महकुमा अधिकारीले अहिले लाजमर्दो कुरा त के गरिरहेका छन् भने नगरपालिकामा एक रुपियॉं पनि छैन, जसले डम्पिङ बनाउन सकियोस्। जब कि अघिल्ला नगराध्याक्ष र महकुमा अधिकारीले पश्चिम बङ्गाल सरकारको पोल्युशन कन्ट्रोल बोर्डले कालेबुङमा डम्पिङ बनाउन 2 करोड़ 29 लाख रुपियॉं अनुमोदन गरिसकेको जनाउँदै भालूखोपवासीको आन्दोलनलाई फिर्ता गर्ने काम गरेको थियो।
भालूखोपवासीले त्यसबेला शीघ्र नै विकल्प डम्पिङ बनाउनुपर्ने चाप नगरपालिकालाई दिएको थियो। अहिले त्यसबेला नगरपालिका प्रशासक कति लाचार थिएछन् अनि परिस्थितिबाट जोगिन कति ढॉंट आस्वासन दिएका रहेछन् भन्ने कुरा वर्तमान महकुमा प्रशासकले अहिलेसम्म पोल्युशन कन्ट्रोल बोर्डले राशि अनुमोदन गरेको कुनै रेकर्ड नरहेको खुलासा गरेपछि पत्तो पाइएको छ। भालूखोपमा मैला फ्यॉंक्न बन्द गरिदिएपछि विचल्नीमा परेको नगरपालिकाले अहिलेसम्म नै ढुक्कले टिस्टा नदीमा मैला फ्यॉंकेर काम टार्ने मेलो गरिरहेको थियो। टिस्टामा नै मैला फ्यॉंके पनि विकल्प डम्पिङ बनाउने काम भने नगरेकोले अहिले परिस्थिति चर्किएर गएको छ।
वर्तमान महकुमा प्रशासकले दलमान गाउँमा डम्पिङ बनाउने कार्यलाई तीब्र त गरिरहेका छन् तर यो पनि शीघ्र नै बनिने छॉंटकॉंट छैन। किन भने महकुमा अधिकारीले विभिन्न योजनाहरूबाट राशि कटौती गरेर डम्पिङ बनाइरहेको पनि खुलासा गरिसकेका छन्। अहिले टिस्टामा पनि विरोध भएपछि नगरपालिका विचल्नीमा परेको छ। कसैलाई पनि थाहा छैन मैला कहॉं फ्यॉंकिरहेको छ। यस्तैमा आज महकुमा अस्पताल नजिक मिशन कम्पाउण्ड अनि लेप्रोसी गेटबाट स्थानीय वासिन्दाले मैला फ्यॉंकेर अर्को डम्पिङ शुरू गरेको भालूखोपवासीले खुलासा गरेका छन्।
भालूखोपको शीरमा नै माटो र मैला फ्यॉंक्ने कार्य शुरू भेको जसको कारण छोटा भालूखोप नै जोखिममा पर्न थालेको भालूखोपवासीले जनाएका छन्। यसै पनि भालूखोप पैह्रेनी क्षेत्र रहेको छ। चारैतिर चर्किएको कारण जतिबेला पनि पैह्रो जान सक्ने अनि यसले ठूलै जोखिम खड़ा गर्न सक्ने बारे सचेत रहेर वरिपरिका घरिघरि निरीक्षण गरिरहने छोटा भालूखोेपवासीले गाउँको शीरमा नै डम्पिङ भेटेपछि आपत्ति जनाएका छन्। फुर्वा लामाले जनाए अनुसार शीरमा नै डम्पिङ शुरू हुनु भनेको भालूखोपमा पैह्रो निम्ताउनु हो।
भालूखोपमा 10 वटा गाउँहरू रहेको छ भने लगभग 200 घर छ। पैह्रेनी क्षेत्र रहेकोले यहॉंका वासिन्दा वर्खाभरि नै सचेत बस्नुपर्ने अवस्था छ। यस्तोमा यसप्रकारको डम्पिङ शुरू गरिएकोले परिस्थिति जटिल भइरहेको छ। उनीहरूले यस सम्बन्धमा सम्बन्धित निकायमा उजुरी गर्दै समस्या समाधानको निम्ति अपील गरेका छन्। अहिले वर्खा शुरू भएकोले पैह्रोको सम्भावना चारैतिर रहेको छ। पैह्रोबारे शोध गर्दै आइरहेको शेभ द हिल्सका निदेशक प्रफुल्ल रावले पैह्रो रोकथाम गर्न नसक्ने तर यसको निम्ति सचेत चॉंही हुनुपर्ने कुरा गरेका छन्। छोटा भालूखोपवासीले आफूहरु जोखिम रहेकोले नै अहिले चारैतिर निरीक्षण गर्ने कार्य भइरहेको भए पनि विभागीय पक्षले सही व्यवस्थापन नगरिदिए अझ जोखिममा पुग्ने जनाएका छन्।
Morcha sends another wish list to Centre
TT, New Delhi/Darjeeling, June 28: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha wants an “additional package” for the Darjeeling hills, a demand that is going to be discussed at a tripartite meeting between the party, the state government and the Centre next week.
The Morcha had sent a list of 25 demands in the form of an “additional package” to the home ministry on Friday. The party urged Union home secretary G.K. Pillai to convene a tripartite meeting in a week to discuss the demands.
Home ministry sources told The Telegraph that the package has a list of “tax rebates and waivers”.
“As soon as we get the nod from the state government, we will hold the meeting – probably it will take place next week,” a source said.
The Centre is also apprehensive about the “draft proposal” agreed to between the Morcha and the Bengal government this month, the source said. The Union government has sent the document to the law ministry to sort out any legal glitches that may arise out of the powers that the new administrative set-up may have, the source said.
“We have written to the home secretary and want a meeting as soon as possible to discuss questions arising out of the additional package,” Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri told The Telegraph.
Morcha sources said the package had already been discussed during earlier meetings.
“We had not made any new demands but have just sent a letter to the Centre requesting them to once again hold a meeting to get a cle
The source also stressed that no financial demand has been made. “We had earlier placed a 40-point charter of demands. Some of them had been agreed upon and some need further discussion.”
As part of its special package, the Morcha wants the Centre to conduct a survey to operate at least three ropeways in the hills. The only ropeway in Darjeeling has been closed since 2003 following an accident.
The other demands of the Morcha includes a multi-speciality hospital-cum-medical college and a veterinary hospital in the hills, broadening of national highways, construction of a second bridge to link Darjeeling district with the Dooars across the Teesta and setting up of food processing units and cold storages.
“We are also very serious in our demand for a Central University in the hills and opening up of more colleges. A comprehensive plan to solve the drinking water problem not just in Darjeeling but across the hills must also be worked out,” said the Morcha source.
The Morcha also wants the government to waive the telephone and electricity bill dues of the hill people and adjust other taxes and land rents that they had not paid for sometime.
The party, as part of its non-co-operation movement for Gorkhaland, had asked the hill residents to boycott all tax payments.
CPRM leader joins Morcha
VIVEK CHHETRI, Darjeeling, June 28: A top-rung leader of the CPRM today joined the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, saying Assembly poll results showed that the hills had reposed trust in Bimal Gurung.
The hills are already facing a crisis in terms of political balance, as the anti-Morcha parties are no longer active in the region.
Sawan Rai, a founding member of the CPRM, was one of the most visible faces of the party and had played an active role in bringing all rival camps on a common platform during the heyday of Subash Ghisingh.
Sawan had also played a pivotal role in organising an all-party meeting between the Bimal Gurung-led Morcha in its initial days and the other outfits. He was also the co-ordinator of the People’s Democratic Front, an anti-Ghisingh conglomeration.
While joining the Morcha today, Sawan said: “Every party in the hills had contested the elections on the Gorkhaland plank. Some (like the CPRM) had boycotted the elections for Gorkhaland but it is clear that the people of the Dooars, Terai and Darjeeling believe in Bimal Gurung. When the entire hills are with Gurung, merely opposing the Morcha for the sake of opposition will do no good.”
Morcha president Gurung, who welcomed Sawan to the party, said the Morcha was in no hurry to sign the agreement for a new administrative unit for the hills. “At the moment constant exchanges of drafts between the state and the party are taking place. We want to be doubly sure of the provisions for the new body and we are not in a hurry to sign the agreement. We will go through the drafts thoroughly,” he added.
Sawan, who was in the CPM before he joined the CPRM under the leadership of R.B. Rai in 1996, said: “We are impressed by the manner he went about negotiating the tea wages for the workers ensuring an unprecedented hike. The Morcha is working in the right direction by taking forward the Gorkhaland issue with help from intellectuals and also concentrating on development. We cannot merely have unrest. There must be peace.”
Sawan joined the party with about 21 local level CPRM leaders from Marybong, Liza Hill and Chashi village in Chungthung, areas once known for considerable CPRM presence.
Sawan, however, did not speak against the CPRM president R.B. Rai. “My heart is still with the R.B. Rai but my mind is with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha,” said Sawan.
R.B. Rai, however, reacted strongly. “I want to know where his conscience is? Even those who had voted for the Morcha had done so for Gorkhaland and not for the proposed set-up. The Morcha has betrayed the people of the hills by talking about Gorkhaland before the elections and about the set-up after the results were declared,” he said.
Sawan on his part said a programme would be organised in Risheehat-Chungthung area in July where his followers would join the party. “We will convince all to join the Morcha,” he said.
“According to the agreement, there will be a broad increase in the gross salary of the other monthly rated employees (commonly known as the sub-staff) by 33 per cent. The wage hike will be with retrospective effect from April 1 this year and the arrears will be cleared between August and November,” Sandeep Mukherjee, the secretary of the DTA, said today.
Unions representing the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, CPRM, Congress and the ABGL have signed the agreement. P.T. Sherpa, the president of the Morcha-affiliated Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union, said: “Earlier, we had managed to increase the daily wage of tea garden workers by Rs 23, which was an all-time high. Now, the sub-staff have also got the highest increment. The salary of the sub-staff will increase by about Rs 700-Rs 1000, while the earlier hike used to be in the range of Rs 250-300. This is a historic achievement for us.”
The exact increase in the salaries of various grades of the sub-staff — who basically are supervisors in tea plantations — cannot be ascertained as their remuneration varies depending on the number of years they have been in service.
At the entry level in any of three grades , the sub-staff will get a basic salary along with dearness allowance (DA), which is fixed at 50 per cent of the basic salary. During the second year, the gross salary of the same employee will include the basic, an annual increment, a variable dearness allowance at 8 per cent of the basic salary along with 50 per cent DA. During the third year, the VDA will be increased to 16 per cent and the sub-staff will also be entitled to two annual increments.
>For Grade 1, the annual increment is Rs 22, while those for Grade 2 and 3, the amount have been fixed at Rs 21 and Rs 20 respectively, said a source in the DTA.
The wage agreement will be valid for a three-year period and about 9,000 sub-staff members in various tea gardens of the hills will benefit from the agreement. The deal was clinched after two rounds of negotiations between the garden owners and the trade unions.
Talks for hike in the salaries of staffs — clerks, medical and technicians — in the various gardens are expected to take place in July. “We are confident that the agreement for the staff will be signed in July,” said Sherpa.
2 universities in Sikkim
Prabin Khaling, KalimNews, Gangtok, June 28: The Sikkim government has snubbed Sikkim Central University by affiliating the new government college at Kyongsa near Geyzing, the district headquarters of west Sikkim, with Vinayaka Missions Sikkim University (VMSU).
The degree college was inaugurated today by Chief Minister Pawan Chamling today at Kyongsa, barely three weeks after he first announced to start the college. Presently, the college is tentatively established at a two-storied government building with eight rooms.
“This is the gift to students of West Sikkim. Now they can pursue graduation without taking the trouble of going to other districts for admission”, said the Chief Minister later while addressing the gathering at Kyongsa senior secondary school.
Admission to the new degree college will start from July 4 and classes will commence from July 22. The college has an intake capacity of 150 students.
Chamling said that language subjects like Nepali, Bhutia, Limboo and Lepcha along with history, political science, economics, English, Physical Education, sociology and geography in both general and honours courses will be available at the Kyongsa degree college. This is the first degree college in West Sikkim which has a government college of education at Soreng since 2009 which is affiliated to Sikkim Central University.
The degree college at Kyongsa is the also first government college which is not affiliated with Sikkim Central University. The university had been established by an Act of Parliament in 2007 and has ten colleges including six government educational institutions under it.
“We had approached the Sikkim University for affiliation but as per their norms, it would take at least one year to complete all the formalities. So, we decided to affiliate the new degree college with VMSU”, said a senior human resource development official.
The State government has already acquired 30.1 acres of land at Yangthang, 6 kms away from Geyzing at Rs. 3.25 crores for establishing the permanent infrastructure for the new degree college. A sum of Rs. 100 crores have been allocated by the State government for the new college and construction work is expected to commence soon, it was informed.
“We will have a board of governors meeting soon and then go ahead with the admission process for the new degree college at Kyongsa. This year we will have Arts related programmes with more thrust on honours. Next year, we will introduce science stream”, said VMSU director V Ravindran.
The VMSU had been established in 2008 by an Act of the Sikkim Legislative. It has its campus at Tadong here in Gangtok and runs specialized courses on education, nursing and pharmacy.
The decision to switch to VMSU without waiting for formalities from Sikkim Central University also reflects the bitter relationship between the university and Sikkim government. The Sikkim government is yet to hand over the 250 acres of land at Yanyang in South Sikkim to the university for setting up its campus. The university has already paid Rs. 15 crores to the State government in 2008 to acquire the land from the 250 families who own the land.
The Sikkim university is hemorrhaging Rs. 1 crore annually for a dozen odd buildings which it has rented from Tadong up to Saramsa gardens in Gangtok to run its classes and office.
क्रान्तिकारी मार्क्सवादी कम्युनिष्ट पार्टीले अहिले जनताले दोस्रो चरणमा महाधोका पाइरहेको स्थितिकोरुपमा वर्तमानलाई परिभाषित गरेको छ। क्रामाकपाको आरोप अनुसार मोर्चाले भोट गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति मागेर जनताले दुत्कारेको परिषद नै थापेर देशभरिका गोर्खाहरूको आकांक्षाको हत्या गरेको छ।क्रामाकपाका सचिव तारामणि राईले मोर्चाको यही छलपकट उदाङ्गो पार्न जनतामा पुग्ने मतो गरिसकेको जनाएका छन्। यसै शिलशिलामा कालेबुङ आइपुगेका राईले प्रारम्भिक चरणमा मोर्चाले जनतालाई दिइरहेको तथ्यहरू बोकेर डुवर्स र तराई जाने बताएका छन्। तिनले भने, मोर्चाले अर्को दागोपापको निम्ति गरिरहेको चलखेलबारे क्रामाकपाले जनतालाई अवगत र सतर्क गराउँदै आइरहेको हो।
यसपल्ट जनतालाई भ्रममा राखियो। परिषद्को निम्ति पनि मोर्चालाई जनमत देखाउने राज्य र केन्द्रले अड्को राखेको थियो। यसकारण मोर्चाले विभिन्न नाटकबाजी गरेर गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति भन्दै जनतालाई भोट माग्यो। जनता पनि भरोसा गरेर मोर्चालाई भोट दियो तर जनताको भोट परिषद्को जनमतकोरूपमा राज्य र केन्द्रमा राखेर मोर्चाले रोटी सेक्ने काम गर्यो।
मोर्चाले अहिले जुन सीमाङ्कनको कुरा गरिरहेको छ, अब यसमा पनि जनतालाई भ्रममा नै राख्ने काम भइरहेकोले जनतालाई सही कुरा बताउन क्रामाकपाले कार्यक्रम हातमा लिएको हो। तिनी अनुसार परिषदमा गोर्खाल्याण्डको मानचित्रमा रहेका क्षेत्र वा प्रस्तावित राज्यभित्र राखिएका तराई र डुवर्स परस्दैन। यसको निम्ति मोर्चाले राज्य र केन्द्रलाई सहमति पनि दिइसकेको छ। राईले भने, जोइन्ट भेरिफिकेशन कमिटी जुन गठन गरिने कुरा चलिरहेको छ, यसैमा हामीलाई शंका लागेको छ। अहिलेलाई शंकै भनौं किन भने सही कुरा शीघ्र नै अघि आइहाल्ने छ। तिनले मोर्चाले गुप्ती रिपोर्ट पठाएदेखि नै गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दा छोड़ेको बताउँदै भने, भ्रामक टिप्पणी र सचेतना दिइने कार्य गरेर मोर्चाले आफ्नो रोटी सेकिरहेको छ। मोर्चाले खासमा नै गोर्खाल्याण्ड जस्तै व्यवस्था मात्र ल्याइने कुरा छर्लङ्ग पारेको हो। गोर्खाल्याण्ड जस्तै भनिएको कुरा राज्य होइन भन्ने कुरा बुझ्न जनतालाई समय लाग्न सक्छ र जनताले यो कुरा बुझ्ने नै छन्।
जनतालाई बुझाउनको निम्ति नै क्रामाकपाले अहिले विभिन्न कार्यक्रमहरू हातमा लिएको छ। तिनी अनुसार मोर्चा नैतिकरूपमा नै राज्यको पक्षमा रहेको दल होइन। किन भने मोर्चाले जति पनि गोर्खाल्याण्डको नाममा आन्दोलनको बहानामा कार्यक्रमहरू गर्यो, त्यसको लक्ष्य परिषद् नै थियो। मोर्चाका कार्यक्रमहरूलाई विश्लेषण गरेर हेर्नेहरूले यो कुरा छर्लङ्ग बुझ्नेछन्। तिनले भने, मोर्चाले गुप्ती रिपोर्ट ल्यायो, त्यो पनि विवादास्पद् छ। पछि प्राधिकरण भन्यो त्यो पनि स्पष्ट थिएन। विधान सभा चुनाउको कारण दुइवर्षको मियाद पनि राख्यो। त्यसबेला दुइवर्षपछि के हुन्छ स्पष्ट पार भनेका थियौं। मोर्चाले त्यसको जवाब दिएन। अहिले चुनाउ सकियो त्यही परिषद थाप्ने भइरहेको छ। क्रामाकपाले जनतालाई धोका हुन दिने छैन।
भालूखोपमा फेरि डम्पिङ शुरूःव्यापक विरोध शुरू
मनोज वोगटी,कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 28 जून। भालुखोपमा अंग्रेजकालीन जुन डम्पिङ ग्राउण्ड थियो, नगरपालिकालाई त्यहॉं मैला फ्यॉंक्न भालूखोपवासीले निषेध गरिदिएको छ। भालुखोपवासीले डम्पिङ गर्न निषेध गरेपछि विचल्निमा परेको नगरपालिका अझ पनि लङ्गड़ो झैं बनेका छ। चार वर्ष भयो नगरपालिकाले वैकल्पिक डम्पिङ बनाउन सकेको छैन। नगरपालिका प्रशासन चलाइरहेका महकुमा अधिकारीले अहिले लाजमर्दो कुरा त के गरिरहेका छन् भने नगरपालिकामा एक रुपियॉं पनि छैन, जसले डम्पिङ बनाउन सकियोस्। जब कि अघिल्ला नगराध्याक्ष र महकुमा अधिकारीले पश्चिम बङ्गाल सरकारको पोल्युशन कन्ट्रोल बोर्डले कालेबुङमा डम्पिङ बनाउन 2 करोड़ 29 लाख रुपियॉं अनुमोदन गरिसकेको जनाउँदै भालूखोपवासीको आन्दोलनलाई फिर्ता गर्ने काम गरेको थियो। भालूखोपवासीले त्यसबेला शीघ्र नै विकल्प डम्पिङ बनाउनुपर्ने चाप नगरपालिकालाई दिएको थियो। अहिले त्यसबेला नगरपालिका प्रशासक कति लाचार थिएछन् अनि परिस्थितिबाट जोगिन कति ढॉंट आस्वासन दिएका रहेछन् भन्ने कुरा वर्तमान महकुमा प्रशासकले अहिलेसम्म पोल्युशन कन्ट्रोल बोर्डले राशि अनुमोदन गरेको कुनै रेकर्ड नरहेको खुलासा गरेपछि पत्तो पाइएको छ। भालूखोपमा मैला फ्यॉंक्न बन्द गरिदिएपछि विचल्नीमा परेको नगरपालिकाले अहिलेसम्म नै ढुक्कले टिस्टा नदीमा मैला फ्यॉंकेर काम टार्ने मेलो गरिरहेको थियो। टिस्टामा नै मैला फ्यॉंके पनि विकल्प डम्पिङ बनाउने काम भने नगरेकोले अहिले परिस्थिति चर्किएर गएको छ।
वर्तमान महकुमा प्रशासकले दलमान गाउँमा डम्पिङ बनाउने कार्यलाई तीब्र त गरिरहेका छन् तर यो पनि शीघ्र नै बनिने छॉंटकॉंट छैन। किन भने महकुमा अधिकारीले विभिन्न योजनाहरूबाट राशि कटौती गरेर डम्पिङ बनाइरहेको पनि खुलासा गरिसकेका छन्। अहिले टिस्टामा पनि विरोध भएपछि नगरपालिका विचल्नीमा परेको छ। कसैलाई पनि थाहा छैन मैला कहॉं फ्यॉंकिरहेको छ। यस्तैमा आज महकुमा अस्पताल नजिक मिशन कम्पाउण्ड अनि लेप्रोसी गेटबाट स्थानीय वासिन्दाले मैला फ्यॉंकेर अर्को डम्पिङ शुरू गरेको भालूखोपवासीले खुलासा गरेका छन्।
भालूखोपको शीरमा नै माटो र मैला फ्यॉंक्ने कार्य शुरू भेको जसको कारण छोटा भालूखोप नै जोखिममा पर्न थालेको भालूखोपवासीले जनाएका छन्। यसै पनि भालूखोप पैह्रेनी क्षेत्र रहेको छ। चारैतिर चर्किएको कारण जतिबेला पनि पैह्रो जान सक्ने अनि यसले ठूलै जोखिम खड़ा गर्न सक्ने बारे सचेत रहेर वरिपरिका घरिघरि निरीक्षण गरिरहने छोटा भालूखोेपवासीले गाउँको शीरमा नै डम्पिङ भेटेपछि आपत्ति जनाएका छन्। फुर्वा लामाले जनाए अनुसार शीरमा नै डम्पिङ शुरू हुनु भनेको भालूखोपमा पैह्रो निम्ताउनु हो।
भालूखोपमा 10 वटा गाउँहरू रहेको छ भने लगभग 200 घर छ। पैह्रेनी क्षेत्र रहेकोले यहॉंका वासिन्दा वर्खाभरि नै सचेत बस्नुपर्ने अवस्था छ। यस्तोमा यसप्रकारको डम्पिङ शुरू गरिएकोले परिस्थिति जटिल भइरहेको छ। उनीहरूले यस सम्बन्धमा सम्बन्धित निकायमा उजुरी गर्दै समस्या समाधानको निम्ति अपील गरेका छन्। अहिले वर्खा शुरू भएकोले पैह्रोको सम्भावना चारैतिर रहेको छ। पैह्रोबारे शोध गर्दै आइरहेको शेभ द हिल्सका निदेशक प्रफुल्ल रावले पैह्रो रोकथाम गर्न नसक्ने तर यसको निम्ति सचेत चॉंही हुनुपर्ने कुरा गरेका छन्। छोटा भालूखोपवासीले आफूहरु जोखिम रहेकोले नै अहिले चारैतिर निरीक्षण गर्ने कार्य भइरहेको भए पनि विभागीय पक्षले सही व्यवस्थापन नगरिदिए अझ जोखिममा पुग्ने जनाएका छन्।
Morcha sends another wish list to Centre
TT, New Delhi/Darjeeling, June 28: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha wants an “additional package” for the Darjeeling hills, a demand that is going to be discussed at a tripartite meeting between the party, the state government and the Centre next week.
The Morcha had sent a list of 25 demands in the form of an “additional package” to the home ministry on Friday. The party urged Union home secretary G.K. Pillai to convene a tripartite meeting in a week to discuss the demands.
Home ministry sources told The Telegraph that the package has a list of “tax rebates and waivers”.
“As soon as we get the nod from the state government, we will hold the meeting – probably it will take place next week,” a source said.
The Centre is also apprehensive about the “draft proposal” agreed to between the Morcha and the Bengal government this month, the source said. The Union government has sent the document to the law ministry to sort out any legal glitches that may arise out of the powers that the new administrative set-up may have, the source said.
“We have written to the home secretary and want a meeting as soon as possible to discuss questions arising out of the additional package,” Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri told The Telegraph.
Morcha sources said the package had already been discussed during earlier meetings.
“We had not made any new demands but have just sent a letter to the Centre requesting them to once again hold a meeting to get a cle
The source also stressed that no financial demand has been made. “We had earlier placed a 40-point charter of demands. Some of them had been agreed upon and some need further discussion.”
As part of its special package, the Morcha wants the Centre to conduct a survey to operate at least three ropeways in the hills. The only ropeway in Darjeeling has been closed since 2003 following an accident.
The other demands of the Morcha includes a multi-speciality hospital-cum-medical college and a veterinary hospital in the hills, broadening of national highways, construction of a second bridge to link Darjeeling district with the Dooars across the Teesta and setting up of food processing units and cold storages.
“We are also very serious in our demand for a Central University in the hills and opening up of more colleges. A comprehensive plan to solve the drinking water problem not just in Darjeeling but across the hills must also be worked out,” said the Morcha source.
The Morcha also wants the government to waive the telephone and electricity bill dues of the hill people and adjust other taxes and land rents that they had not paid for sometime.
The party, as part of its non-co-operation movement for Gorkhaland, had asked the hill residents to boycott all tax payments.
CPRM leader joins Morcha
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| Morcha chief Gurung offers a khada to Sawan Rai (centre) in Darjeeling on Monday. Picture by Suman Tamang |
The hills are already facing a crisis in terms of political balance, as the anti-Morcha parties are no longer active in the region.
Sawan Rai, a founding member of the CPRM, was one of the most visible faces of the party and had played an active role in bringing all rival camps on a common platform during the heyday of Subash Ghisingh.
Sawan had also played a pivotal role in organising an all-party meeting between the Bimal Gurung-led Morcha in its initial days and the other outfits. He was also the co-ordinator of the People’s Democratic Front, an anti-Ghisingh conglomeration.
While joining the Morcha today, Sawan said: “Every party in the hills had contested the elections on the Gorkhaland plank. Some (like the CPRM) had boycotted the elections for Gorkhaland but it is clear that the people of the Dooars, Terai and Darjeeling believe in Bimal Gurung. When the entire hills are with Gurung, merely opposing the Morcha for the sake of opposition will do no good.”
Morcha president Gurung, who welcomed Sawan to the party, said the Morcha was in no hurry to sign the agreement for a new administrative unit for the hills. “At the moment constant exchanges of drafts between the state and the party are taking place. We want to be doubly sure of the provisions for the new body and we are not in a hurry to sign the agreement. We will go through the drafts thoroughly,” he added.
Sawan, who was in the CPM before he joined the CPRM under the leadership of R.B. Rai in 1996, said: “We are impressed by the manner he went about negotiating the tea wages for the workers ensuring an unprecedented hike. The Morcha is working in the right direction by taking forward the Gorkhaland issue with help from intellectuals and also concentrating on development. We cannot merely have unrest. There must be peace.”
Sawan joined the party with about 21 local level CPRM leaders from Marybong, Liza Hill and Chashi village in Chungthung, areas once known for considerable CPRM presence.
Sawan, however, did not speak against the CPRM president R.B. Rai. “My heart is still with the R.B. Rai but my mind is with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha,” said Sawan.
R.B. Rai, however, reacted strongly. “I want to know where his conscience is? Even those who had voted for the Morcha had done so for Gorkhaland and not for the proposed set-up. The Morcha has betrayed the people of the hills by talking about Gorkhaland before the elections and about the set-up after the results were declared,” he said.
Sawan on his part said a programme would be organised in Risheehat-Chungthung area in July where his followers would join the party. “We will convince all to join the Morcha,” he said.
33% salary raise for tea staff
Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, June 28: The Darjeeling tea industry has settled for a 33 per cent hike in the gross salaries of sub-staff for a three-year period at a time garden owners and trade unions in the Terai and the Dooars are struggling to reach an agreement on the wage revision for even workers.
The agreement between the representatives of various garden unions and officials of the Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA) was signed around 1.30am today.
“According to the agreement, there will be a broad increase in the gross salary of the other monthly rated employees (commonly known as the sub-staff) by 33 per cent. The wage hike will be with retrospective effect from April 1 this year and the arrears will be cleared between August and November,” Sandeep Mukherjee, the secretary of the DTA, said today.Unions representing the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, CPRM, Congress and the ABGL have signed the agreement. P.T. Sherpa, the president of the Morcha-affiliated Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union, said: “Earlier, we had managed to increase the daily wage of tea garden workers by Rs 23, which was an all-time high. Now, the sub-staff have also got the highest increment. The salary of the sub-staff will increase by about Rs 700-Rs 1000, while the earlier hike used to be in the range of Rs 250-300. This is a historic achievement for us.”
The exact increase in the salaries of various grades of the sub-staff — who basically are supervisors in tea plantations — cannot be ascertained as their remuneration varies depending on the number of years they have been in service.
At the entry level in any of three grades , the sub-staff will get a basic salary along with dearness allowance (DA), which is fixed at 50 per cent of the basic salary. During the second year, the gross salary of the same employee will include the basic, an annual increment, a variable dearness allowance at 8 per cent of the basic salary along with 50 per cent DA. During the third year, the VDA will be increased to 16 per cent and the sub-staff will also be entitled to two annual increments.
>For Grade 1, the annual increment is Rs 22, while those for Grade 2 and 3, the amount have been fixed at Rs 21 and Rs 20 respectively, said a source in the DTA.
The wage agreement will be valid for a three-year period and about 9,000 sub-staff members in various tea gardens of the hills will benefit from the agreement. The deal was clinched after two rounds of negotiations between the garden owners and the trade unions.
Talks for hike in the salaries of staffs — clerks, medical and technicians — in the various gardens are expected to take place in July. “We are confident that the agreement for the staff will be signed in July,” said Sherpa.
2 universities in Sikkim
Prabin Khaling, KalimNews, Gangtok, June 28: The Sikkim government has snubbed Sikkim Central University by affiliating the new government college at Kyongsa near Geyzing, the district headquarters of west Sikkim, with Vinayaka Missions Sikkim University (VMSU).
The degree college was inaugurated today by Chief Minister Pawan Chamling today at Kyongsa, barely three weeks after he first announced to start the college. Presently, the college is tentatively established at a two-storied government building with eight rooms.
“This is the gift to students of West Sikkim. Now they can pursue graduation without taking the trouble of going to other districts for admission”, said the Chief Minister later while addressing the gathering at Kyongsa senior secondary school.
Admission to the new degree college will start from July 4 and classes will commence from July 22. The college has an intake capacity of 150 students.
Chamling said that language subjects like Nepali, Bhutia, Limboo and Lepcha along with history, political science, economics, English, Physical Education, sociology and geography in both general and honours courses will be available at the Kyongsa degree college. This is the first degree college in West Sikkim which has a government college of education at Soreng since 2009 which is affiliated to Sikkim Central University.
The degree college at Kyongsa is the also first government college which is not affiliated with Sikkim Central University. The university had been established by an Act of Parliament in 2007 and has ten colleges including six government educational institutions under it.
“We had approached the Sikkim University for affiliation but as per their norms, it would take at least one year to complete all the formalities. So, we decided to affiliate the new degree college with VMSU”, said a senior human resource development official.
The State government has already acquired 30.1 acres of land at Yangthang, 6 kms away from Geyzing at Rs. 3.25 crores for establishing the permanent infrastructure for the new degree college. A sum of Rs. 100 crores have been allocated by the State government for the new college and construction work is expected to commence soon, it was informed.
“We will have a board of governors meeting soon and then go ahead with the admission process for the new degree college at Kyongsa. This year we will have Arts related programmes with more thrust on honours. Next year, we will introduce science stream”, said VMSU director V Ravindran.
The VMSU had been established in 2008 by an Act of the Sikkim Legislative. It has its campus at Tadong here in Gangtok and runs specialized courses on education, nursing and pharmacy.
The decision to switch to VMSU without waiting for formalities from Sikkim Central University also reflects the bitter relationship between the university and Sikkim government. The Sikkim government is yet to hand over the 250 acres of land at Yanyang in South Sikkim to the university for setting up its campus. The university has already paid Rs. 15 crores to the State government in 2008 to acquire the land from the 250 families who own the land.
The Sikkim university is hemorrhaging Rs. 1 crore annually for a dozen odd buildings which it has rented from Tadong up to Saramsa gardens in Gangtok to run its classes and office.
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