Public opinion before survey on territory
VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, Darjeeling, Aug. 30: The panel formed to look into the demand to include the Gorkha-majority areas under the new hill administration unit will seek public opinion before a field survey.
The submissions can be made to the district magistrates of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri and the subdivisional officers of Malbazar, Alipurduar and Siliguri till October 31.
The decision was taken in Calcutta today at a meeting of the joint verification committee constituted to look into the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s demand to include the plains area in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration that will be set up for the hills.
L.B. Pariyar, one of the four representatives of the Morcha on the committee, said: “The committee has decided to seek public representation till October 31, 2011. In the meantime the director of census has been asked to provide a mouza-wise break-up of the population in terms of the mother tongue.”
The state government has appointed retired high court judge Shyamal Sen as chairperson of the 10-member committee, which was of the opinion that field visits could be made only after public representation. “There could be politically motivated representations and to nullify such moves we will pay a visit after going through the representations,” said Pariyar, a former principal secretary of the DGHC.
During a tripartite agreement between the Centre, the state and the Morcha on July 18, it was agreed that the committee would look into the Morcha’s demand to bring 199 mouzas each from the Terai and the Dooars under the hill body.
The Morcha’s Terai convener Shankar Adhikari and its Dooars leaders Kitab Singh Rai and Shankar Nath Pradhan are the other members of the panel. The Centre is represented by the director of census, while Anil Verma, the administrator of the DGHC, is the convener, who is responsible for conducting the meetings and co-ordinating with the members of the committee. The state is represented by the district magistrates of Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling and an official of the home department.
The committee is expected to submit its report by February.
SNS, SILIGURI/KOLKATA, 30 AUG: The state government appointed high-powered committee to look into the matter related to identification and inclusion of the additional areas spread over the Terai-Dooars region into the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) jurisdiction met for the first time in Kolkata today. In the meantime, the leaders representing eight organisations, including Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad (ABAVP), met at Nagrakata in the Dooars today to chalk out strategy to oppose the move initiated by the state government.
Meanwhile, the state Cabinet meeting will be held a day earlier, on 1 September as the GTA Bill requires its clearance before being placed on the Assembly on 2 September.
KalimNews:John Barla is elected chairman to head a forum formed by nine bodies of plains and Dooars opposing inclusion of regions od Dooars and plains in GTA.The forum named Dooars Terai United Movement Committee comprises of nine bodies, Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikash Parishad,Bangla O Bangla Bhasa Bachao samity, Dooars Terai Nagarik Mancha,Jan Jagaran Mal, Proutist Manch, Senior Citizen Forum Mal,Janchetna Siliguri,Paschim Bangal Boro People's Forum and Kalchini Vyavasayi Samity.The committee formed with 31 members has rejected to include 196 proposed mouzas of Dooars and Terai for inclusion and demande to make 1950 cut off year for identifying foreigners living in this area.
The meeting held at Nagrakatta also resolved to oppose the Sankosh to Ellenbari march of PPP and to demand for special package and special administrative body for the development of the area of Terai and Dooars.
Morcha against ‘supersede’ power - Party fears state may misuse clause in GTA legislation
VIVEK CHHETRI,TT, Darjeeling, Aug. 30: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has raised “serious” objections to some sections of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Bill three days ahead of it being tabled in the Assembly.
Section 64, which gives the state government the power to supersede the GTA Sabha (an elected body to administer the hills) if it is found to be incompetent or fails to perform, has riled the Morcha leadership the most.
“If in the opinion of the government, the GTA Sabha has shown its incompetence to perform, or has made default in the performance of the duties imposed on it by or under the Act or any other law or has exceeded or abused its powers…the government may supersede the GTA Sabha,” Section 64 reads.
The section also states that the GTA Sabha would have to be reconstituted within six months and a notice would have to be served to the body before being superseded so that it gets a chance to reply.
The DGHC, also constituted by a state act like the GTA, had a similar provision but the then hill leadership headed by the GNLF’s Subash Ghisingh had not objected to it.
Today, Harka Bahadur Chhetri, the spokesperson for the Morcha and the party’s Kalimpong MLA, said: “We are minutely looking into the provisions of the bill and have noted this particular provision (section 64). We have serious objections to it. The state government cannot treat us like the earlier political dispensation that headed the DGHC and we will definitely be raising our objections.”
Till late tonight Chhetri along with party general secretary Roshan Giri and Morcha MLAs were huddled together in a meeting in Calcutta to draft the party’s response to some of the provisions in the bill.
“We have objections to some other provisions in the bill as well, but I will not disclose them now,” Chhetri told The Telegraph. “We shall be preparing our response to them.”
Constitutional law expert Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said the state was within its legal rights to include such a provision in the bill.
“Like the DGCA, the GTA will be a local body. So under certain circumstances, the state government can supersede it,” Bhattacharya said.
“Similarly, the state can supersede any municipality as well in special cases.”
Some Morcha leaders in Darjeeling said they were “uneasy” with this provision as the government could misuse it if it suited its purpose and found that the GTA Sabha was charting a course not to its liking.
Many legal experts in the Darjeeling hills said the government could supersede the GTA Sabha even on corruption charges as the word “abused its powers” can be interpreted in many forms.
“Words like ‘incompetence’, ‘default in the performance of duties’, or ‘abused its powers’ can be interpreted in various forms by the government,” said a legal expert.
SNS, SILIGURI/KOLKATA, 30 AUG: The state government appointed high-powered committee to look into the matter related to identification and inclusion of the additional areas spread over the Terai-Dooars region into the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) jurisdiction met for the first time in Kolkata today. In the meantime, the leaders representing eight organisations, including Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad (ABAVP), met at Nagrakata in the Dooars today to chalk out strategy to oppose the move initiated by the state government.
Meanwhile, the state Cabinet meeting will be held a day earlier, on 1 September as the GTA Bill requires its clearance before being placed on the Assembly on 2 September.
KalimNews:John Barla is elected chairman to head a forum formed by nine bodies of plains and Dooars opposing inclusion of regions od Dooars and plains in GTA.The forum named Dooars Terai United Movement Committee comprises of nine bodies, Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikash Parishad,Bangla O Bangla Bhasa Bachao samity, Dooars Terai Nagarik Mancha,Jan Jagaran Mal, Proutist Manch, Senior Citizen Forum Mal,Janchetna Siliguri,Paschim Bangal Boro People's Forum and Kalchini Vyavasayi Samity.The committee formed with 31 members has rejected to include 196 proposed mouzas of Dooars and Terai for inclusion and demande to make 1950 cut off year for identifying foreigners living in this area.
The meeting held at Nagrakatta also resolved to oppose the Sankosh to Ellenbari march of PPP and to demand for special package and special administrative body for the development of the area of Terai and Dooars.
Morcha against ‘supersede’ power - Party fears state may misuse clause in GTA legislation
VIVEK CHHETRI,TT, Darjeeling, Aug. 30: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has raised “serious” objections to some sections of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Bill three days ahead of it being tabled in the Assembly.
Section 64, which gives the state government the power to supersede the GTA Sabha (an elected body to administer the hills) if it is found to be incompetent or fails to perform, has riled the Morcha leadership the most.
“If in the opinion of the government, the GTA Sabha has shown its incompetence to perform, or has made default in the performance of the duties imposed on it by or under the Act or any other law or has exceeded or abused its powers…the government may supersede the GTA Sabha,” Section 64 reads.
The section also states that the GTA Sabha would have to be reconstituted within six months and a notice would have to be served to the body before being superseded so that it gets a chance to reply.
The DGHC, also constituted by a state act like the GTA, had a similar provision but the then hill leadership headed by the GNLF’s Subash Ghisingh had not objected to it.
Today, Harka Bahadur Chhetri, the spokesperson for the Morcha and the party’s Kalimpong MLA, said: “We are minutely looking into the provisions of the bill and have noted this particular provision (section 64). We have serious objections to it. The state government cannot treat us like the earlier political dispensation that headed the DGHC and we will definitely be raising our objections.”
Till late tonight Chhetri along with party general secretary Roshan Giri and Morcha MLAs were huddled together in a meeting in Calcutta to draft the party’s response to some of the provisions in the bill.
“We have objections to some other provisions in the bill as well, but I will not disclose them now,” Chhetri told The Telegraph. “We shall be preparing our response to them.”
Constitutional law expert Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said the state was within its legal rights to include such a provision in the bill.
“Like the DGCA, the GTA will be a local body. So under certain circumstances, the state government can supersede it,” Bhattacharya said.
“Similarly, the state can supersede any municipality as well in special cases.”
Some Morcha leaders in Darjeeling said they were “uneasy” with this provision as the government could misuse it if it suited its purpose and found that the GTA Sabha was charting a course not to its liking.
Many legal experts in the Darjeeling hills said the government could supersede the GTA Sabha even on corruption charges as the word “abused its powers” can be interpreted in many forms.
“Words like ‘incompetence’, ‘default in the performance of duties’, or ‘abused its powers’ can be interpreted in various forms by the government,” said a legal expert.
अन्तोदयका 3,525, अन्नपूर्णका 608 अनि बीपीएलका 22,305 ले राशिन नपाएको माकपाको आरोप
मनोज वोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 30 अगस्त : माकपा नेता तारा सुन्दासले कालेबुङमा अन्तोदय योजनाबाट 3,525 जनाले अन्नपूर्ण योजनाबाट 608 जनाले अनि 22,305 बीपीएल कार्ड धारकहरूले राशिन नपाएको आरोप लगाएका छन्। बङ्गालमा सरकार परिवर्तन हुने वित्तिकै पहाडका मानिसहरूको निम्ति डबल राशिन प्रदान गर्न 1 लाख 22 हजार टन खाद्यान्न पहाड पठाएको भए पनि त्यसको उपभोग कालेबुङ महकुमाबासीहरूले गर्न नपाएको बताउँदै तारा सुन्दासले भने, सुप्रिम कोर्टको न्यायधीश दलबीर भण्डारी अनि दीपक बर्माको बेञ्चले 10 मई 2011को दिन 150 गरीब जिल्लाहरूमा 50 लाख टन खाद्यान्न वितरण गर्नुपर्ने निर्देश गरेको छ। ती गरीब जिल्लाहरूमा दार्जीलिङ पनि पर्छ। यो अधिकारबाट पनि पहाडबासीलाई बञ्चित गरिएको छ। डबल राशिन अनि त्यो पनि सस्तो दाममा पाउनुपर्ने तर कालेबुङमा काडर्र्धारकहरूले यसको सुविधा पनि पाइरहेका छैनन्। गरीबहरूमाथि यसरी खेलवाड किन गरिन्छ? तिनले जनाए अनुसार सबैलाई समानन्तर राशिन वितरण गरिनुपर्ने भए पनि अधिकारीहरूले आ-आफ्नो खण्डको रिपोर्ट कालेबुङ खाद्य विभागमा नपठाएको बताउँदै तिनले भने, मोर्चाको युवा सङ्गठन अनि माकपाले राशिन वितरण प्रणालीलाई व्यवस्थित गर्नको निम्ति खाद्य विभागमा ज्ञापन चढाएको थियो, खण्ड 1, 2 अनि नगरपालिकाले रिपोर्ट बुझाए पनि खण्ड तीनले बुझाएको छैन। जबसम्म सबैबाट रिपोर्ट आउँदैन तबसम्म समानन्तर राशिन वितरण गर्नमा कठिनाई आइपरेको विभागीय स्पष्टिकरण छ। तिनले यसरी अधिकारीहरूको ढिल्याईँको कारण राशिन नपाइरहेको आरोप लगाएका छन्।तिनले खाद्य विभागले कुन कुन खण्डमा कति मानिसहरूले राशिन पाएका छैनन् अनि कतिले पाउनुपर्ने हो यसको विस्तृत रिपोर्ट मागेको थियो। रिपोर्टको आधारमा नै विभागले राशिन वितरण गर्न सक्ने पनि बताए। सुन्दासले भने, मसित रहेको डाटालाई मान्य गर्न नसक्ने भएकोले नै अधिकारीहरूलाई सही तथ्य विभागले मागेको थियो तर खण्ड तीनका खण्ड विकास अधिकारीले कुनै रिपोर्ट नबुझाउँदा जम्मैले राशिन पाउन सकिरहेका छैनन्। तिनले जनाए अनुसार दुइ महिनाअघिदेखि नै राशिन बॉंडिनुपर्ने हो किन भने 1 लाख 22 हजार टन आएको खाद्यान्न बॉंडिसक्ने अन्तिम मिति 31 मार्च 2012 सम्म मात्र रहेको छ। तिनले भने, बॉंडिनुपर्ने समयदेखि नबॉंडिएको राशिन कता लान्छ त? अन्तोदय योजना अनुसार प्रतिव्यक्ति 2 रुपियॉं किलो चामल अनि गहूँ 15 दिनमा बॉंड्ने गरिन्छ भने अन्नपूर्ण योजना मार्फत निशुल्करूपमा 1530 जनाले राशिन पाउनुपर्ने हो तर अहिले केवल 822 जनाले मात्र पाउँदैछन्। सुन्दासले अरू बॉंकीले राशिन कहिले पाउने? भन्ने प्रश्न उठाउँदै अन्तोदय, अन्नपूर्ण अनि बीपीएल तिनै क्षेत्रमा व्यापक नाम छुटिएको पनि बताएका छन्।
किनारीकृत कृषकहरूको अधिकारको हनन् - आवाज उठायो कालेबुङ कृषक कल्याण सङ्गठनले
मनोज वोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 30 अगस्त : कालेबुङ कृषक कल्याण सङ्गठनले दार्जीलिङ जिल्लाका किनारीकृत कृषकहरूको अधिकारको हनन् भएको आरोप लगाएको छ। दार्जीलिङ जिल्लाको ग्रामीण विकासको निम्ति आउने महात्म गान्धी राष्ट्रिय ग्रामीण स्वरोजगार अधिनियमको राशि प्रयोग गरेर फर्किएर गएको अनि यसो भएकोले किनारीकृत कृषकहरू अधिकारबाट बञ्चित बन्न परेको सङ्गठनले फेरि पनि दाबी गरेको छ। सङ्गठन अनुसार दार्जीलिङ जिल्लाको निम्ति वर्षेनी दुइसय करोड़ रुपियॉं अधिनियम मार्फत आउने गरेको छ। जुन रकम पहाड़को मोठ जनसंख्याबीच सातवटा मुख्य आधारभूत आवश्यकताका विकास कार्यमा खर्च गर्नुपर्छ। यसरी खर्च गर्दा एउटामा लगभग अट्ठाइस् करोड़ पर्छ। राशिलाई प्रयोग गर्नुपर्ने प्रयोग क्षेत्रमा जलसंरक्षण र भण्डारण, सिञ्चाई, जमीन विकास र व्यवस्थापन, ग्रामीण सड़क, पारम्परिक जलस्रोतको संरक्षण र विकास, खड़ेरी र पैह्रो रोकथाम अनि किनारीकृत कृषकहरूको व्यक्तिगत लाभ रहेको छ। सातवटामा एउटा किनारीकृत कृषकहरूको व्यक्तिगत लाभ योजनामा वर्षभरिमा मोठ रकमलाई बराबर भाग गरेर प्रयोग गर्नुपर्छ। तर यसो गरिएको छैन। पहाड़को मोठ जनसंख्यामा 68 प्रतिशत जनसंख्या किनारीकृत तथा यसको समकक्षका वर्गका कृषकहरू पर्छन्। सङ्गठनका महासचिव विष्णु छेत्रीले यस सम्बन्धमा भने,उनीहरूको निम्ति तयार पारिएको व्यक्तिगत लाभ योजनाको निम्ति आएको करोडौ रुपियालाई किन कार्यान्वयनमा ल्याइएन, यही चाखको विषय बनेको छ। तिनले अधिनियमलाई 2007 देखि 2010 सम्म पूर्णरूपले लागू गरिएको छैन। छेत्रीले भने, 2007 देखि केवल 40 प्रतिशत काम भएकोछ अनि त्यसको लाभ निम्नवर्गले पाएका छैनन्। चारवर्षमा 8 सय करोड़ पहाडमा आइसक्यो तर राशिलाई कार्यान्वयन गरिएन।
यस सम्बन्धमा दागोपाप प्रशासक अनि अतिरिक्त जिल्लापाललाई जानकारी गराइएको छ। उनीहरूलाई सातवटा मद्ये केवल बाटो बनाउने योजना मात्र भइरहेको अनि अन्य चारवटामा काम नै नभएको जनाइएको छ।छेत्रीले जानकारी दिए अनुसार प्रयोग नभएको राशि फक्रिएर गइरहेको छ। तिनले भने, फक्रिएर जानु भन्दा यसको पर्योग गरिएको भए पहाडको कृषि विकास हजार गुणा बढेर जानेथ्यो तर यसो गरिएन। जानीबुझि नगरिएको हो कि? हामी यस्तो शंका पनि गरिरहेका छौं। सङ्गठनका महासचिव विष्णु छेत्रीले लगाएको आरोप अनुसार योजना शुरू भएको चारवर्षसम्म पनि निकायले यसको प्रचारप्रसार गर्ने काम गरेको छैन। प्रचार प्रसार नगरेकोले नै मानिसहरूले योजनाको फाइदा उठाउन पाएनन्। यता योजनाको निम्ति राशि भने आइरह्यो। आएको राशि फर्कियो कि काम नै नगरी पैसा पचाउने काम गरियो? यसबारे आधिकारिक कुनै जानकारी पाइएको छैन। योजना कार्यान्वयन नगरिएकोले किनारीकृत अनि यसैवर्गका अन्य कृषकहरूले कुनै पनि फाइदा नपाएको छेत्रीको दाबी छ। छेत्रीले कृषकहरूको निम्ति वर्षेेनी पाउने आन्तरिक लाभ योजनासमेतलाई कार्यान्वयन नगरेर प्रशासनले जुन अधिकारको हनन गरेको छ, यसको निम्ति कृषकहरू सङ्गठित बनेर आवाज उठाउनुपर्ने बताएका छन्।तिनी अनुसार 28 करोड़ त कृषकहरूले व्यक्तिगत लाभ योजना मार्फत नै पाउँछन्,त्यस राशिले सुन्तला मात्र रोप्यो भने 3 लाख सुन्तला 25 सय ऐकरमा प्रतिवर्ष रोप्न सकिन्छ भने अनि ठूलो अलैंचीको 18 लाख विरुवा 4 हजार ऐकर प्रतिवर्ष रोप्न सकिन्छ। यसको उत्पादनले त्यस क्षेत्रका कृषकहरूले भरपुर आर्थिक लाभ गर्न सक्छन्। त्यसमाथि पनि पहाड़को मोठ जनसंख्याको ठूलो हिस्सा ती नै कृषकवर्ग रहेकाले उनीहरूले मोठ 200 करोडकै फाइदा पाउन पर्छ। अहिलेसम्म 8 करोड़को फाइदा पाइसकेको हुनुपर्ने हो। छेत्रीले मोठ बाह्रवटा खण्डमा 200 करोड बॉंड्दा पनि 16 करोड 66 लाख एउटा खण्डमा पर्ने पनि बताएका छन्। तिनले निकायले प्रचार प्रसार नगरेकोले कृषकहरूलाई आफ्नो जमीनमा त्यस राशि र योजनाले काम गर्न सकिन्छ भन्ने कुरा नै थाहा नरहेको बताए।
छेत्रीले भने, ग्राम पञ्चायत नभए पनि कमसेकम ग्राम सभा गरेर योजनाबारे कृषक वा नागरिकहरूलाई जानकारी गराइन सकिन्छ। यसो पनि गरिएको छैन। अधिनियम गरीब कृषकहरूको हितमा छ तर लागू नगरेर विभागीय पक्ष नै कृषकहरूको हीतमा नरहेको देखिएको छ। शीघ्र्र नै अधिनियमका जम्मै योजनालाई कार्यान्वयनमा ल्याइनुपर्ने माग हामीले बारम्बार गरिरहेका छौं।
जीटीएको हस्ताक्षरित अधिकार छॉंटकॉंट?
मनोज वोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 30 अगस्त :छुट्टै राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्डको आन्दोलनलाई शिथिल पार्दै विकासको प्याकेज थाप्नुपर्ने बाध्यता उत्पन्न भएपछि सम्झौता गरिएको जीटीएको खेस्रामा व्यापक फेरबदल भएको कुरा खुले पनि गोजमुमोपक्षले यसमाथि खुलेर केही बताइरहेको छैन। अहिले जीटीएको खेस्रा फेरबदल हुनु अनि मोर्चाले पनि यसबारे खुलेर केही नबताएर 2 सितम्बर फेरबदल गरिएको जीटीएको बील पारित गराउने सोंचमा रहेको छनक पाउनेहरूले व्यापक चर्चा गरिरहेका छन्। कुरा के चलिरहेको छ भने जीटीएको खेस्रा राज्यले अघिबाट नै केन्द्रलाई पठाएको थियो अनि केन्द्रले खेस्राभित्र रहेका कानूनी अडचन जॉंच्न कानून मन्त्रालयमा पनि पठाएको थियो। केन्द्रले जॉंचबुझ गरेर राज्य सरकारलाई पठाएपछि नै यसमा त्रिपक्षीय हस्ताक्षर गर्ने निर्णय गरिएको थियो। सबै भइसकेर पनि फेरि किन कानून मन्त्रालयमा खेस्रा पठाइयो?त्यस्तो के विषय थियो जसको कारण हस्ताक्षरपछि पनि फेरि केन्द्रिय कानूनी मन्त्रालयमा खेस्रा पठाइयो।अघिल्लोतिर गोर्खाल्याण्ड शब्द राखिएको टेरिटोरियल एडि्मनिष्ट्रेशन नितान्तै अस्थायी समाधान भएकोले तृणमूल अनि कंग्रेसभित्र ममताको निर्णयलाई लिएर निक्कै चर्चा चलिरहेको छ। यता राज्यको विपक्ष माकपाले पनि जीटीएको निर्णय पश्चिम बङ्गालको भविष्यको निम्ति उत्तम निर्णय नरहेको भन्दै व्यापक विरोध गरिरहेको छ। राज्यकै अन्य दलसित नै तृणमूलको हाइकमाण्डमा पनि पहाडको समस्याको समाधान स्थायी नरहेकोले फेरि पनि कुनै न कुनै परिस्थितिको निम्ति बाटो राखिनु रहेको अनि यसो गरिनु राज्यविकासको पथमा जानीजानी अवरोध राखिनु रहेको चर्चा चलिरहेको सूत्रको भनाइ छ।तीन महिनामा नै पहाडको समस्या समाधान गछु भनेर डेटलाइन दिएकोले नै मुख्यमन्त्री ममता व्यानर्जीले पहाडको तीनवटा महकुमा लगायत तराई र डुवर्सको केही क्षेत्रको समस्या समाधान गर्न हतार गरेको आरोप पनि तिनलाई लागिरहेको छ। यता हर्षोल्लाससित नै हस्ताक्षर गरिएको जीटीए फेरि कानून मन्त्रालयको टेबलमा पुगेर छॉंटकॉंटको परिस्थिति आउनुमा राज्य सरकारकै कुटनीति त होइन भन्ने कुरा पनि चलिरहेको छ। जुन जुन कुरा पाइन्छ भनेर हस्ताक्षर भयो अहिले कानूनी अडचनको बहानामा त्यही कुरामा छॉंटकॉंट हुनुले खेस्रा निर्माता र यसका अध्येताहरुको निम्ति ठूलो खिल्लीको कुरा भएको छ। सरकारको यो रबैयादेखि मोर्चा पनि खुशी छैन तर मोर्चाले सरकारको रबैयाको विरोध पनि गरेको छैन। मोर्चा जतिसक्दो 2 सितम्बरको दिन जीटीएको बील पास होस् भन्ने पक्षमा छ। मोर्चाको शिविरले शंसोधित जीटीएको बील पास हुने आशा पनि गरेको छ।
अहिलेसम्म कुनकुन कुरा शंसोधन गरिएकोछ भन्ने कुरा खुलिएको छैन। मोर्चाका विधायकहरूको हातमा शंसोधित जीटीएको खेस्रा पुगिसकेको छ तर उनीहरूले पनि मुख खोलेका छैनन्। जीटीएको खेस्रा उल्टापुल्टा त छन् तर के उल्टापुल्टा छन्? त्यो भने न त मोर्चाले बताएको छ न त राज्य सरकारले। कुन प्रारूपको बील आखिर सदनमा राखिने हो? यदि संशोधित खेस्रा पुरानै दागोपापको प्रशासनिक क्षमतातिर मुखरित हुने बाध्यता आइपर्यो भने के त्यसको विरोध मार्चाबाट हुन्छ? के मोर्चालाई असुविदा पार्ने कुराहरू त उल्टापुल्टा पारिएको खेस्रामा छैनन? त्यो त 2 सितम्बरको दिन जीटीएको बील पारित भएपछि नै खुल्नेछ। हजारौं जिज्ञासा र शंकाहरू उपार्जन गरिरहेको जीटीएभित्र के के समेटिएको छ, त्यो पनि त्यसैबेला नै खुल्ने देखिएको छ।
छत्र सुब्बाहरूले पाएनन् मुक्ति - सुनवाई 9 सितम्बरमा हुने
मनोज वोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 30 अगस्त : आज छत्रे सुब्बा अनि तिनका साथीहरूको सुनवाई हुन सकेन। जलपाइगुढी एडिसनल कोर्टका न्यायधिश सञ्जिता सरकारले प्राविधिक असुविधाको कारण सुनवाई गर्न नसकेको अनि अब 9 सितम्बरको दिन सुनवाई गरिने जनाएका छन्। छत्र सुब्बाहरू 11 वर्षदेखि जेलमा थिए। आज उनीहरूको सुनवाई हुने अनि उनीहरूलाई जेलमुक्त गरिने सम्भावना रहेको भए पनि उनीहरूको मुद्दामाथि सुनवाई नै भएन। छत्रे सुब्बाहरूको सुनवाई प्राविधिक कारणले हुन नसकेको कुरामा क्रामाकपाले विश्वास नगरेको क्रामाकपा युवा मोर्चाका महासचिव अरूण घतानीले बताएका छन्। शुरूदेखि नै क्रामाकपाले छत्र सुब्बाहरूको निम्ति लडिरहेको छ। ममता व्यानर्जीले बनाएको बन्दीमुक्ति कमिटीलाई पनि क्रामाकपाले छत्र सुब्बाहरूको मुद्दाको इतिहास पठाइसकेको छ।
घतानीले भने, दोष विना नै जेल बसेर जब मुक्तिको दिन आयो तब आरोपीहरूलाई न्यायपालिकाले प्राविधिक असुविधाको बहाना गरेर सुनवाईको तारिक टार्नुभित्र हामीले राजनैतिक हस्तक्षेपलाई अनुभव गरिरहेका छौं। सुबास घिसिङलाई प्राणघातक आक्रमण गरेको आरोपमा पक्रा परेका छत्र सुब्बा अनि उनका साथीहरूको सुनवाईको तारिक टर्दै आजको दिनमा आइपुगेको थियो। जलपाइगुढी जेलबाट 2 बजी निकालेर छत्र सुब्बा अनि साथीहरूलाई न्यायलयमा उभ्याइएको थियो। सुनवाई नभएकोले उनीहरूलाई पुन जेलमा पटाइएको छ। अब उनीहरूको सुनवाई 9 सितम्बरको दिन हुने भएको छ। यता धतानीले भने, वास्तवमा छत्र सुब्बाहरूको मुद्दाको छानबिनको निम्ति गरिनुपर्ने न्यायपालिकाको सबै प्रक्रिया सकिएको छ।
अहिलेसम्म उनीहरूको कुनै पनि दोष पाइएको छैन। घतानीले छत्र सुब्बाहरूलाई रोकेर राख्नुपर्ने अब कुनै कारण न्यापालिकासित नरहेको किटान गर्दै अझ भने, न्याधीशले जुन प्रकारले सुनवाईको तारिक सरेको गोषणा गरिन् यसलाई हामीले विचारको नाममा प्रहसन मानेका छौं। न्यायलयले यसरी सानो कारण देखाएर सुनवाई टार्नु न्यायपालिकामाथिको व्यङ्ग्य रहेको समेत बताउँदै तिनले अझ भने, राजनैतिक षडयन्त्रहरूबाट पर राखेर छत्रे सुब्बाहरूको सुनवाई र उन्मुक्ति 9 सितम्बरको दिन हुने आशा गरेका छौं। हामीले ममता व्यानर्जीको गणतान्त्रिक कानून र न्यापालिकामाथि विश्वास गरेका छौं। तिनले न्यायपालिकाको बहाना जुन आज देखापर्यो यसले राजनैतिक हस्तक्षेपतिर नै इङ्गित गरिरहेको पनि बताए। तिनले भने, राजनैतिक खेलवाड भइरहेको छ, यस्तो 9 सितम्बरको दिन हुने छैन भन्ने आशा गरिएको छ।
Chhatrey verdict wait extended
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| Chhatrey Subba (right) comes out of the court in Jalpaiguri on Tuesday. Picture by Biplab Basak |
Prime accused Chhatrey Subba’s lawyer Nripen Das told journalists that “a defective computer” was the reason for the delayed judgement. “The computer and the printer are not working and the verdict could not have been recorded,” said Das.
Chhatrey has been accused of masterminding an attack on GNLF chief and then Darjeeling DGHC chairperson Ghisingh on February 10, 2001.
On March 26, 2002, Chhatrey and 11 others were arrested and produced before the district court in Darjeeling. But the case was transferred to Jalpaiguri in 2003 after Chhatrey pleaded that he feared for his life in the hills.
The hearing began in 2004. Since then Dimpal Dewan, Omraj Kotowal, Bamal Giri, Amar Lama were exempted from the case after the charge sheet was filed.
Two others — Northen Lama and Mohan Sharma —obtained bail from Calcutta High Court. But the remaining six, including Chhatrey, have been languishing in Jalpaiguri central jail.
When Subba, Saran Dewan, Gunge Lama, Shyam Bahadur Karki, Kumar Chhetri and Vijay Chhetri were brought to the court compound from the Jalpaiguri correctional home this morning, thousands had gathered there.
Around 2pm, the additional judge of fast track third court, Sanchita Sarkar, announced that the judgment was being deferred and would be delivered on September 9 because of “technical reasons.”
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha had asked the Mamata Banerjee government for Chhatrey’s unconditional release. A government-appointed committee that had drawn up a list of 78 political prisoners who would be released had recommended freedom for Chhatrey also. However, the final list of 50 prisoners did not contain Chhatrey’s name.
Monika Chhetri, Chhatrey’s wife sobbed as she said: “We had come with much expectation that the verdict would be given today. My husband has been languishing in jail for the past nine years.”
The secretary of the Democratic Revolutionary Youth Front, Arun Ghatani, said the judgment had been awaited for a long time. “It had been delayed during the Left Front regime. And now, it was held over for a flimsy reason,” Ghatani said.
Civic teachers skip classes - Strike by Darjeeling conservancy staff deferred to Thursday for Id
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| Students play at Municipal Girls’ High School in Darjeeling, where teachers took mass casual leave on Tuesday. Picture by Suman Tamang |
Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, Aug. 30: Around 800 students of two schools run by the civic body here idled their time away today as teachers took leave en mass in response to a call by the Darjeeling Municipality Employees’ Union.
All civic employees took a mass casual leave today along with the teachers to press for their demand to revert to the old system of paying property tax at the municipality office, instead of the bank. The union has called a strike in the conservancy department for three days from Thursday and in the water-works department for an indefinite period from September 5.
The strike in the conservancy department was to begin tomorrow, but was postponed for a day because of Id. The Darjeeling subdivisional officer has called a meeting with union leaders tomorrow to discuss the demand.
The 30-odd teachers of Municipal Girls’ High School and Municipal Boys’ High School came to the institutions today but they neither signed the attendance registers nor took a roll call of the students.
The Group D staff members were present at the schools. Although bells were rung, no classes were conducted. The teachers refused comment on their absence from classes and requested that the union leaders be contacted.
Alan Chhetri, the president of the union, said: “We have not received any response from the authorities regarding our demand so far. The students came to school today and if there is any untoward incident, the district authorities will be held responsible.”
All employees in the municipality office have been on a pen-down strike since August 4 to protest against the SDO’s decision to entrust the collection of property tax to the Union Bank of India. The SDO is the chairman of the board of administrators in charge of the civic administration in the absence of an elected body.
The union is planning to intensify the agitation by extending the strike to the conservancy department. “We will launch a strike in the water-works department also for an indefinite period from September 5 until our demand is met,” said Chhetri.
The strike by the conservancy staff is set to affect the disposal of garbage. Sources said about 40 metric tonnes of waste were generated in the 32 wards of the municipality a day. During the peak tourism season, the amount of garbage piled up in the town a day could reach even 60 metric tonnes.
The civic authorities said they had started the new system to keep pace with time and slowly, the citizens would be able to make all payments at the bank trough Internet.
Highway chokers face jail for long
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| Police posted at the site of a blockade organised by the Chhatra Parisahd in Islampur on Friday |
State director-general of police Naparajit Mukherjee has asked all police stations to enforce Section 8B of the National Highways Act, 1956, on those setting up blockades, using video cameras if necessary to nail the violators.
The 55-year-old law has so far existed largely on paper in a state known for disruptive protests, but a political change of heart was apparent recently when Mamata appealed to all parties not to enforce bandhs.
It is not clear what will happen to those blocking roads other than national highways — such as thoroughfares in Calcutta, where a crackdown would require a separate circular from city police headquarters.
The political reaction to the police order has been mixed. A Trinamul minister welcomed the move, a Congress civic chief said road blockades were a last resort to protest administrative apathy and generally did not last long, and a CPM official said the police must be impartial in enforcing the order.
The instruction has already come in handy for the police in North Dinajpur district, which has witnessed more than 10 blockades of the busy NH31 in the past one month by political parties and student outfits.
Sources said a case had been started against supporters of Congress student wing Chhatra Parishad for blocking NH31 in front of Islampur police station on Friday afternoon. Around 100 youths blocked the highway in Islampur tonight again to protest frequent power cuts.
The serial NH31 blockades have harassed commuters and taken a toll on cargo movement along the highway, which connects Bihar with the Northeast.
North Dinajpur police chief Dipankar Bhattacharya said the state police headquarters had “wanted to know the extent of harassment suffered by passengers and whether ambulances were affected and people prevented from attending important interviews”.
Chowdhury Abdul Karim of Trinamul, Islampur MLA and state minister for mass education and library services, said the police should have enforced the law long ago.
“Mamata Banerjee has been telling all political parties repeatedly not to disrupt the normal life of people. I welcome this move,” he said.
Congress leader and Islampur municipality chairperson Kanhaialal Agarwal said political parties were compelled to block roads when other ways of protest failed.
“They are held when the administration remains mum on crucial issues. They are held for at most an hour and are lifted after the administration gives assurances.”
The CPM blamed the Congress and Trinamul for the frequent NH31 blockades.
“This can be avoided only if the police act impartially,” Islampur zonal committee secretary Swapan Guha Neogy said.
Bill return on Chamling lips
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| The Sikkim Assembly. Picture by Prabin Khaling |
The Opposition parties took out rallies and burnt the chief minister’s effigy to protest against the “black bill”.
Chamling had tabled the bill in the Assembly in his capacity as home minister on August 11.
The bill had sought, among other things, to restrict demonstrations, hunger strikes and waving of black flags to “preserve public order”.
Today, the chief minister told the Assembly that the bill had been withdrawn so that the people got enough time to understand it.
“We will go to the people, take permission from them and reintroduce it in the Assembly later,” Chamling said while proposing a vote of thanks in the valedictory session of the Assembly.
Although Chamling did not explain how his government planned to get the “consent of the people”, sources in the Sikkim Democratic Front said pamphlets listing the virtues of the bill had already been distributed across the state.
The party also wants to use its frontal organisations to “convince” the people about the merits of the bill, said the sources.
All 32 members in the Assembly belong to the SDF.
Chamling took a dig at the opposition for resisting the bill and accused them of misleading the people.
“The bill was in favour of the people and there were attempts to mislead them. The bill sought to prevent hatred among different communities and religions and protect peace. The bill does not seek to prevent freedom of expression granted by the Indian Constitution but seeks to support it. The bill does not say that people cannot protest against the government, it merely states that people cannot spread hatred among communities,” he said.
The chief minister also said the people could not enjoy their fundamental rights if there was anarchy and disharmony in the state.
“One of the purposes of the bill was to launch a crackdown on drug peddlers to make Sikkim a drug-free state. What do they (Opposition) want? Drug abuse, disharmony and disturbance? They oppose anything just for the sake of being in Opposition,” he said.
The chief minister’s statement in the Assembly invited angry responses from the SDF’s rivals.
“What he said today proves that he is an unreliable person. We will approach the governor and seek his intervention to block the reintroduction of the bill,” said Nima Lepcha, the acting president of the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee.
Governor Balmiki Prasad Singh had advised the state government to drop the bill. The governor’s advice followed Opposition parties’ boycott of a tea party hosted by him at Raj Bhavan on Independence Day.
The state BJP president, Padam Chhetri, said the SDF was distributing pamphlets extolling the virtues of the bill “without the contents that had been met with strong opposition”.
Boy’s body fished out, disaster cell in pipeline
TT, Siliguri, Aug. 30: The body of a 10-year-old boy who had drowned in the Mahananda was found 25km downstream from the spot of the mishap this morning, almost 24 hours after the tragedy.
The Siliguri mayor today announced that the civic body would set up its own disaster management cell to carry out rescue operations on land and in water.
The absence of a proper mechanism to carry out rescue operations in Siliguri came to the fore after Sanjit Roy went missing in the Mahananda at Sheetalapara yesterday morning. It took more than four hours for a civil defence team to reach the spot from Phansidewa and launch the operation to search for the boy.
The body was fished out of the river by police at Liucipakhri near Phansidewa this morning. The local people spotted the boy floating on water and informed the police. The body was sent to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem.
The decision to form the disaster management was taken at the monthly meeting of the civic board today. “We have decided to set up a full-fledged disaster management cell at the SMC. The cell will assist people caught in all sorts of mishaps, be it on land or in water. The matter will be discussed with ex-servicemen and NGOs which have volunteered to help the victims of accidents and natural calamities,” mayor Gangotri Datta told journalists after the meeting.
Although the Siliguri subdivisional administration has a civil defence force, it doesn’t have a dedicated team to carry out searches in rivers and other water bodies. The civil defence department here is at most engaged in evacuation and rehabilitation of people marooned in floods.
The civic board also decided to start road repairs in all 47 wards ahead of Durga Puja.
“We are also planning to build six foot bridges at major junctions in town. They will come up at Airview More, Junction More, Sevoke More, Venus More, S.F. Road and Panitanki More,” said the mayor.
MLA pleads for 24X7 pill shops
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| A line of medicine shops opposite the Siliguri District Hospital at Kutcheri Road. The shops remain shut at night. Picture by Kundan Yolmo |
TT, Siliguri, Aug. 30: Siliguri MLA Rudranath Bhattacharya today asked chemists to work out a timetable and hand over to him the list of medicine shops that will be open at night by turns.
The chemists, while agreeing to the proposal, have appealed for police security for the shops against attacks from criminals after the cash box and irate relatives of patients.
Nearly 600 medicine shops dot Siliguri and its surrounding areas but they remain open only till 11.30pm. Only medicine outlets of some nursing homes remain open throughout the night.
Bhattacharya’s directive comes after the death of Kalyan Dutta, a heart patient at Siliguri District Hospital on August 25.
The hospital had prescribed a life-saving drug for Datta at the time of his admission at 5am but relatives failed to get it as shops were closed, leading to his death.
Government hospitals are supposed to provide medicines to admitted patients, but sometimes they run out of stock. S. Dutta Chowdhury, the director of health services, said: “The norm is to keep life saving drugs in tertiary care hospitals like a medical college. But at times the stock of a particular drug might get exhausted.”
Bhattacharya, who held a meeting with the Darjeeling district committee members of the Bengal Chemist and Druggist Association, said medicine shops in Siliguri used to remain open earlier.
“But now it has stopped. This is causing inconveniences to relatives of patients, especially in emergency cases like accidents or when a patient’s condition is critical. Last week, Kalyan Dutta was admitted with cardiac arrest to the district hospital here around 5am. The doctor had prescribed an emergency medicine but his relatives could not get it as all medicine shops were closed,” said Bhattacharya.
“I have asked shopkeepers to work out a timetable so that all outlets are open at night by turns. I will talk to police about providing them security,” said the MLA, who is also the chairperson of the Assembly standing committee on health.
Bhattacharya has asked the chemists to prepare the list of shops according to the zones in which they are located like Hospital More, Hill Cart Road, Vidhan Market and Burdwan Road.
“Although nursing homes do have chemist shops, they don’t always sell medicines to patients admitted to other hospitals. We request the authorities to strictly enforce this rule in town soon,” said Somnath Chatterjee, the Siliguri unit convener of the West Bengal Voluntary Blood Donors’ Forum.
Chemists said they were willing to open shops at night if adequate security was provided.
“We used to keep shops open at nights but that has been stopped for the past one year as we do not get adequate police security. We faced a lot of problems from drug addicts who come asking for cough syrups and sedatives to relatives of patients who turn violent when medicines are not available,” said Bijay Gupta, Darjeeling district secretary of the chemists’ association.
SLP accuses Sikkim govt
KalimNews: Sikkim Liberation Party in a press statement has stated that it has become obvious that the ruling SDF party is gradually losing its grip over the party and its workers. Legislator PS Tamang, who had won as a candidate of SDF party from Burtuk-Ranka constituency has not attended a single session of the Assembly after the election. This clearly violates the fundamental principle of democracy, which the ruling SDF claims of having reinstated and reinforced.
The report further states that the party which claims to be the champion of democratic values and that it has strong control over its party workers; has utterly failed in instilling the fundamental duties of an elected representative. Forget about infusing the basic principle of parliamentary dignity, it has failed to initiate action against its violation too. By such an act of non participation and cooperation, the legislator from Upper Burtuk constituency Prem Singh Tamang has openly challenged the leadership, which the ruling SDF seems has failed to reciprocate. The brunt of internal rife and power struggle in the party with thumping majority in the Assembly is now being faced by the people. The vertical crack between Chamling and Goley affecting the party and the government is leading to the suffering of the Sikkimese people.
The party which is in helm of power for the fourth consecutive time, it seems has now started disintegration leading to possibility of the common mass becoming the scapegoat.
The followers of SDF legislator PS Tamang are openly sloganeering that Sikkim is the most corrupt State of India; however, the party which made him the representative for fourth time has failed to initiate any action against him. Its own MLA has openly challenged the party, its leader and the government which thumbs down the absence of any opposition in Sikkim clearly seems helpless and stupefied.
Disgruntled legislator PS Tamang had openly supported the rally on 24th of August.
Many who participated in the rally had come without prejudice to the effect that Tamang is a SDF leader. As such the people of Sikkim have every right to know that in which term the statement and stand taken by Mr Tamang/Goley should be interpreted? The division right from the government office to Panchayat level between Chamling and Goley has reached such a level that the common people have become the ultimate sufferrer.
People are being tormented by the either side if they are found to appreciate the opposite. As such the people have right to know as to whether Chamling or Goley is the leader of SDF? Further, Sikkim Liberation Party demands that this issue should be made crystal clear and the people should not be tormented or made to suffer due to internal rife and conflict in the SDF party.
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