Vice President of India Shri M Hamid Ansari unveiling the foundation stone of ne

w Sevoke-Rangpo BG Line at Rangpo on 30th October, 2009. Union Minister for Railway Ms Mamta Banerjee, Governor of Sikkim, Shri B P Singh, Chief Minister of Sikkim Shri Pawan Chamling are also seen. (PIB/Gangtok & Himgiri)

Project kindles 50-yr-old memories

BIRESWAR BANERJEE, TT, Rangpo/Sevoke, Oct. 30: Eighty-year-old Ratna Bahadur Rai wants to live for at least five more years. Reason: his half-a-century old aspiration to board a train from Sikkim to reach Siliguri. As Vice-President M. Hamid Ansari today laid the foundation stone for a landmark railway project to connect Rangpo to Sevoke, Rai cheered along with thousands of others. The old man had trekked from Mazitar to the Mining Stadium Ground in Rangpo to witness the event which will for the first time place the Himalayan state on the railway map of India. The railway link is expected to be extended to Gangtok, around 40km from Rangpo, the town on the Sikkim-Bengal border. “I huffed and puffed as I walked the hilly terrain, but I was determined to come to Rangpo. In the 50s, when I was a little more than 20 years old, I used to carry oranges, ginger and wool bought from Tibetan traders on bullock carts to reach Geillkhola near Kalimpong,” recollected Rai. “The goods were loaded on the little train that used to chug out of the station everyday to Siliguri. I had always wanted to board the train but could not as after some years, the service was discontinued because of landslide. It used to take 24 hours for a return journey from Geillkhola to Rangpo.” Ansari, who considers the plan to connect Sikkim to the rest of the country by trains an engineering achievement, had a word of appreciation for the Indian Railways. “It was only recently that a train was flagged off in a similar hilly terrain in Jammu and Kashmir. The effort of the railway ministry is appreciable and we look forward for execution of this project which was a long-drawn aspiration of Sikkim residents.” Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling, who was present at the event with governor Balmiki Prasad Singh, thanked the railways. “Today is a red letter day for Sikkim. So far, the sole means of communication was NH31A. It is good our state has now been included in the rail map and we look forward to see the route extended to Gangtok and trains leaving from our state capital in the coming years.” Railway minister Mamata Banerjee announced in Hindi that two computerised passenger reservation centres would be set up in Rangpo and Gangtok in a month. Passing on necessary instruction to Northeast Frontier Railway officials on the stage, she said: “Introduction of railway services will not only improve communication but the economy of the region as a whole. It is a big project and we are determined to finish the first phase and then extend it up to Gangtok, unlike others who simply lay foundation stones and turn oblivious when it comes to execution. “If we can lay railway tracks in Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh, we can do the same in Sikkim. We have come here only after passing the work orders and allocating Rs 1,400 crore for it.” The laying of foundation stone has not only brought communication hopes but fuelled job expectations as well. Ajit Raphel, a second year student of ITI Rangpo, was seen sitting at the venue with a group of friends. “We are being technically trained and opening of rail route will definitely help us get more job opportunities,” he said. Foundation stone laid in Rangpo, Mamata’s convoy rushed to Sevoke to lay another foundation stone for the same project. She announced an award of Rs 10 lakh for the NFR for performing well. Mamta Banerjee halts at Rangpo for Sikkim rail project GANGTOK, October 29: Union Railways Minister Mamta Banerjee arrived in Sikkim today evening to attend tomorrow’s foundation stone laying function of the Rs. 1339.48 crore Rangpo-Sevoke rail link project at Mining Ground, Rangpo. Banerjee reached Rangpo at around 5:40 pm by road and headed straight towards the NHPC guest house at Balutar where arrangements had been made for her stay. However, she returned back to Rangpo tourist guest house as she did not wished to stay far away from the venue of tomorrow’s programme. State authorities and Railway officials made arrangements for her stay at Rangpo tourist guest house, which is less than 10 kms away from the venue of foundation stone laying function. Vice President M Hamid Ansari who is currently on a three day trip of Sikkim will be laying the foundation stone of the Sevoke-Rangpo new BG railway line at the Mining Ground in presence of the Union Railways Minister, Governor BP Singh, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and a host of other dignitaries. The project which was sanctioned during the financial year 2008-09 is estimated to cost Rs. 1339.48 crore and spans a distance of 52.7 kms between Sevoke and Rangpo. Five stations have been proposed between the rail line-Raing, Gielkhola, Teesta Bazaar, Melli and Rangpo. There will be 100 bridges constructed with four manned level crossings along the rail track. Altogether 13 tunnels will be constructed for the project with the longest tunnel being 1814 m. Final location survey is in progress to fix up the alignment of this route and work out detailed estimate of the project. This will provide the first ever link to Sikkim. Indian Railway Construction Company Ltd, a public sector undertaking under Ministry of Railway is entrusted with the execution of the project which is targeted to completed in five years. Meanwhile, in accordance with the Railway’s policy of providing rail link to all the capitals of the Northeastern States, Railway has carried out a reconnaissance survey to bring Gangtok on the railway map of the country. Another survey to provide rail connectivity from Mirik to Gangtok is in progress.

BGP submits Gorkhaland memorandum to Mamta Banerjee

GANGTOK, October 30 (Media Cell,BGP, Sikkim): Sikkim unit of Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh today morning submitted a representation on separate State Gorkhaland demand to Union Railways Minister and Trinamool Congress president Mamta Banerjee at Rangpo.

Banerjee had arrived at Rangpo yesterday evening to participate in today’s foundation stone laying ceremony of the Rangpo-Sevoke rail project at Mining Ground, Rangpo.A four member team of Sikkim BGP led by president Dr Kamal Gurung met the Union Minister and submitted the memorandum along with documents related with the demand and the Indian Gorkhas prepared by BGP, the apex body of the 1.25 crore Indian Gorkhas.

In response, Banerjee showed interest in the memorandum and assured to study the documents seriously. Dr. Gurung was accompanied by Sikkim BGP general secretary Somnath Pandey, BGP central committee member Prabin Khaling, treasurer Suman Pradhan and member Ganesh Chettri.

It may be added here BGP has started a mission to sensitize Central leaders on the issue of Gorkhaland so as to the issue is deliberated on the national level. The mission had commenced from Sikkim with the State BGP unit submitting representations on Gorkhaland to visiting Central leaders. The unit has already submitted memorandums to Congress leader Luizinho Falerio and Gujurat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

LF chooses day to rally through streets SNS, SILIGURI, 30 OCT: Protesting against price rise and violence throughout the state unleashed allegedly by the Trinamul and the Maoists, the Darjeeling district Left Front today organised a mass rally in Siliguri along with several other demands. The state urban development minister and Darjeeling district Left Front convener, Mr Asok Bhattacharya led the rally, which started at around 4 p.m. from Baghajatin Park. Thousands of Left Front supporters rallied through Kutcherry Road and Hill Cart Road up to Darjeeling More, causing a major traffic snarl in the city. The Left Front leadership condemned the UPA government for failing to control the hike in the price of essential commodities. The Left Front leadership slammed the Trinamool for spreading violence in the state. The Trinamool is maintaining a tacit understanding with the Maoists with an eye to come to power in the state in the 2011 Assembly elections,” Mr Asok Bhattacharya alleged. Branding Trinamool chief Miss Mamata Banerjee as a “sibling of Maoist leader Kishenji,” Mr Bhattacharya added: “The Trinamool is joining hands with all separatist groups in the state in an attempt to oust the Left Front from the state.” The Left Front leadership also demanded better facilities and security to railway passengers. “The railway minister is busy flagging off many trains, but passenger security is not being adhered to,” Mr Bhattacharya alleged. Mentioning the railway minister's visit to Siliguri today for inaugurating the Railway Recruitment Board office here, Mr Bhattacharya said: “ People's aspirations cannot be fulfilled just by opening offices. Recruitment is needed too.” Meanwhile, the Gorkha National Liberation Front (C) and the CPI-M Kalimpong unit today jointly served a memorandum to the railway minister demanding rehabilitation for those who would be displaced by the Sevoke-Rangpo project. The GNLF (C) leader Mr DK Pradhan and CPI-M leader from Kalimpong Mr tara Sundas also demanded upgrading the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway workshop at Tindharia, announcement of train schedules in Nepali/ Gorkhali at New Jalpaiguri Station, a computerized reservation centre at Teesta and engagement of locals in the construction work of the Sevoke-Rangpo project.. Indian national held in Nepal Xinhua, October 27: Nepali police have arrested an Indian national in connection with mysterious disappearance of 11 kids from Nepal Sewashram Association in Birgunj in central Nepal. According to Tuesday's eKantipur.com report, the arrested Indian national has been identified as Shanti Kumar Das, 50. Das is a permanent resident of Indian state of West Bengal and was running the orphanage. The police held Das from the orphanage at Ashokbatika in Birjugunj, some 90 km south of Kathmandu, Monday evening. He was arrested after 11 orphans disappeared "mysteriously" from the orphanage. "As per the preliminary investigation, we have come to know that Das used to physically torture and assault the orphans," the police said. Das has claimed that he has handed over the orphans to their respective parents. Das added that he has been wrongly convicted and that the allegations charged against him are not true. The police, however, said that the "disappeared" orphans are not in contact with their parents. Parents issue strike threat

In the line of fire: Don Bosco School in Siliguri TT, Siliguri, Oct. 30: The Guardians Forum of North Bengal today threatened to close down indefinitely seven English-medium schools in and around Siliguri if they did not revert to the old fees by November 8. The ultimatum was issued as the institutions did not respond to the parents’ demand of fee rollback even after a strike was enforced by the forum at all English-medium schools here today and yesterday. Members of the forum organised pickets and none of the schools remained open on the two days of the strike. “The two-day strike of the English-medium schools was very successful because of the co-operation of the parents and the different associations of Siliguri. But our demand to the schools to charge the old fees as on 31.03.09 (the last working day of previous academic session) has still not been met with by the schools. We are still giving nine days’ time to the schools to comply with, failing which we will go on an indefinite strike at the seven schools that have hiked their fees from November 9,” said Sandeepan Bhattacharjee, the forum president. The seven institutions are Don Bosco School, St Joseph’s Convent, Auxilium Convent, Nirmala Convent, Jermel’s Academy, New St John’s and St Michaels. “The other schools have not been included this time as they should not suffer unduly because of these seven institutions,” Bhattacharjee added. The forum president said Nantu Pal, the new deputy mayor of Siliguri Municipal Corporation, had offered to help. “The forum will sit for a meeting with Nantu Pal. He has promised to end the stalemate between the schools and the guardians. But if no solution comes within the next nine days, we will be compelled to go on the strike. We may even call a general strike in Siliguri and the adjoining areas if the situation demands so,” said Bhattacharjee. Father M.A Joseph, the principal of Don Bosco School, said he would not comment on the strike threat as the matter was sub judice. Survival fear after rescue- Jumbo calf weak & immature: vet The calf at the Malangi beat in Jaldapara on Friday. Picture by Anirban Choudhury TT, Alipurduar, Oct. 30: Foresters of Jaldapara are worried about the chances of survival of a female elephant calf that was rescued yesterday. “The calf is 7 to 10 days old and immature. It is very weak and its chances of survival is just 30 per cent. But we are trying our best to save the baby,” said Proloy Mandal, the veterinary officer of Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary. The baby elephant was deserted by its herd near the Sibchu busti in Nagrakata. After its rescue in the morning, the baby jumbo was brought to Malangi under the Jaldapara (east) range in the hope that four calves rescued earlier have survived after they were brought to the beat. At Malangi, the calf had to be carried down from the truck by the foresters. Mandal has instructed the staff to feed it milk powder every three hours. The vet has also prescribed ORS, 250gm of glucose and multi-vitamin thrice a day. A close watch was kept throughout the night. According to Mandal, the calf is either the first or the last issue of its mother. Its weight and height is less than normal and its body is dry and thin which indicates that it is suffering from malnutrition. The umbilical cord of the calf is yet to dry. This morning, the foresters took the calf to Sundarmoni but the mother elephant is no more lactating. “We are worried because at present there are no elephants in Jaldapara who can be foster mother to the calf. We are keeping watch on the calf and have plans to feed the it goat milk after 3-4 days,” Mandal said. On July 18, 2007, 10-day-old Balasundar was rescued from the bank of the Balason in the wildlife I division and was brought to the Malangi beat. The vet and Buddhadeb Mandal, the range officer of Jaldapara (east), along with some other foresters, watched it round-the-clock to keep it alive. Now the elephant is big enough to obey the commands of the mahout. Rohini, a one-year-old, was brought to the beat in March 2007 and is alive. Earlier this year, another one-month-old calf was rescued from the bed of the Titi and brought to the beat. It is doing well now. Last month, two-month-old Teesta was rescued from Belakoba. It too is in Malangi. After Aronyo died of alleged lack of care at Dhupjhora under the wildlife II division in Gorumara, forest minister Ananta Roy had appreciated the high success rate of rearing elephant calves at Malangi. “From now on, an elephant calf rescued in any division will be brought to the Malangi beat (Jaldapara),” he had said. Court dismisses spy charge, not Pak identity Mohammad Dilshad in Darjeeling court after the judgment was announced. Picture by Suman Tamang TT, Darjeeling, Oct 30: A Darjeeling court today absolved an alleged Pakistani national of the charges of being an ISI agent. Seven years ago, police had arrested Mohammad Dilshad from Mallaguri and claimed that he was a “big catch”, who had come to Siliguri to recruit Indian agents for the ISI. Darjeeling district and sessions judge N. Boral, while announcing the verdict, said there was not enough evidence to prove the charge but upheld the police contention that Dilshad was a Pakistani and was guilty of violating the Foreigners Act. The court has directed the district administration to deport him to his country and take necessary steps to accompany him till the Pakistan border. Dilshad, however, has claimed that he is an Indian citizen and will appeal in the high court against the deportation order. Dilshad, 39, had been arrested by Darjeeling police on January 4, 2002 and charged under the Official Secrets Act for spying and communicating classified documents. He was also booked under the Explosive Substances Act as the police had allegedly recovered RDX from him and under the Foreigners Act for entering India without valid documents. Punishment under the Foreigners Act is five years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000 failing which the term would be extended to another six months. “The police could not prove any of the charges except for cases registered under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act. He has completed the sentence (under the act),” said Shyamlal Pradhan, Dilshad’s lawyer. Dilshad has been in jail already for seven years. “I was born in Mumbai and grew up there. My wife is from Delhi. I will appeal to the high court against my deportation. I have full faith in the judicial system,” he said. According to the chargesheet filed by the Darjeeling police on April 2, 2002, a copy of which is with The Telegraph, Dilshad was an ISI agent whose address was 13A/7, Goodsnaka, P.S. Phubli, Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan. Asked about the evidence placed in court to prove Dilshad’s Pakistani nationality, special prosecutor Milan Sarkar said: “There was sufficient evidence to prove that he was a Pakistani.” Asked if he had any particular evidence in mind, Sarkar said: “It is in the records.” Sources said Dilshad’s cross over to India through the Wagah border was an evidence in itself, hinting that his name was recorded in the checkpost there. “A card which identified Dilshad as a member of the Pakistan army had also been produced during the trial,” the source added. However, proving the authenticity of such cards is difficult, a lawyer said. After Dilshad’s arrest, eight other persons — Mohammad Azad, Mohammad Sazad, Sahanil Tanvir Manish Goel, Mohammad Salim, Abdul Bari, Sitaram Kothar and Ram Krishna Baheti — had been picked up as the “Indian recruits” to the ISI from various places in Siliguri, Calcutta, Hyderabad and Delhi. T.K. Pandit, who defended six of them in court, said: “The charges (against them) were similar so they, too, have been absolved. They, however, had not been booked under the Foreigners Act.” It is not yet clear whether the state will appeal to the high court against today’s verdict. “We have not received a copy of the judgment. Once we receive and read the contents we will think about the next step,” said Sarkar. District magistrate Surendra Gupta said he has not received any order as yet and could not comment on the deportation. Foreign films galore at fest TT,Siliguri, Oct. 30: Cine enthusiasts in town can look forward to a weeklong feast for the senses when the 10th Siliguri International Film Festival begins on November 19. Eighteen foreign films, along with an Indian film, will be screened at Dinabandhu Mancha here during the seven-day fest, which will end on November 25. “Eminent director Tarun Majumdar will inaugurate the festival. Actress Rituparna Sengupta will also be present,” said Asok Bhattacharya, the urban development minister and the chief patron of the Siliguri Cine Society, which is organising the festival along with the state information and culture department. “Documentary films based on environment, wildlife and other burning issues of the contemporary age will be shown during the festival,” said Pradeep Nag, the convener of the society. However, the names of the films that would be screened have not yet been announced. “The chief minister is scheduled to announce the names of the films in Calcutta on November 3 along with titles that will be shown in the fests at Calcutta, Burdwan and Barasat,” said Nag. Apart from the 19 films, ‘Madhumati’ and ‘Do Bigha Zamin’, directed by Bimal Roy, will also be screened at Ramkinkar Hall during the event. “There will be an essay competition for the college students of Siliguri during the fest. The themes have been circulated among all the colleges here. Students are expected to write in Bengali and English. The essays have to be submitted by November 6,” said Nag. Five best essays, in each language, will be awarded during the festival. Viewers will also get to participate in a quiz contest. The questionnaires will be provided with the tickets. Tickets for the shows are priced at Rs 10, Rs 15 and Rs 20 each. College ransacked TT, Alipurduar, Oct. 30: The principal’s chamber in Alipurduar College was ransacked today allegedly by Trinamul Chhatra Parishad members. Subrata Panchanan, the principal, has lodged an FIR. No one has been arrested. Around 1.30pm, the TMCP members entered Panchanan’s chamber to submit a memorandum against alleged SFI threat to their supporters. “I received the memorandum and told them that I am contacting police for redress. Suddenly, they damaged the telephone and went on the rampage,” Panchanan said. Bablu Kar, the president of the Jalpaiguri district committee of the TMCP, denied the allegations. He accused the SFI of going on the rampage. General secretary of the SFI-run college union Manish Pandey refuted the charge. Sikkim chugs into country’s rail map - Trinamul relief for fire victims TT, Siliguri, Oct. 30: Railway minister and Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today asked her party members to provide relief to people who had suffered losses in a fire that broke out at Matangini Colony here on Sunday. “We are aware of the plight of the residents of Matangini Colony, who have lost their homes in the fire. We have heard that our local leaders have stood by them and are running relief camps. I have told them to provide tin and bamboo so that the affected people can rebuild their huts,” said Mamata. She was speaking after inaugurating the office of the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) at Bagrakot in Siliguri. “They are staying on railway land and I want to make clear that they will continue to live there. They have nothing to fear and we are with them,” said the minister as applauds by the gathering rent the air. Mamata added that wives of officials serving in the Northeast Frontier Railway, Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway had donated 1,000 dhotis, saris and shawls and 500 sweaters to the displaced people. Two children were killed and more than 150 huts were destroyed in the fire. She also asked the prospective job seekers not to fall prey to those offering employment in exchange for money in the railways. Govt regularises casual staff SNS, KOLKATA, 29 OCT: The state finance minister, Mr Asim Dasgupta today announced that nearly 10,000 casual employees will be regularised by the state government by December, this year. During a Cabinet meeting held today, ministers from junior Front partners had raised objections against a proposal regularising 22 casual employees belonging to forest department, reminding the finance minister of his earlier assurance of regularising the casual and contractual employees working for more than 10 years. The finance minister later said: “The state government will regularise all casual and contractual employees working for more than 10 years against available vacant posts by December.” In a departure from practice finance minister, Mr Asim Dasgupta briefed the media about the decisions taken. Usually, the ministers from other Left Front parties briefed the media after Cabinet meetings but the chief minister had been quite perturbed about the leaks. He had even raised the issue in Left Front meetings and those of the core committee of the Cabinet. Mr Bhattacharjee reportedly told the other ministers that it would be better that Mr Dasgupta briefs the media instead of “haphazard” statements from others. The chief minister took the step to ensure that the state government's stand is communicated instead of personal opinions of ministers from Front partners. SMC mayor not in Mamata’s list SNS, SILIGURI, 30 OCT: After Trinamul chief Miss Mamata Banerjee took over the charge of railway ministry in the second term of the UPA government, CPI-M ministers and people’s representatives were not welcome in any railway function in the state. The Siliguri Municipal Corporation Congress Mayor today joined the list of unwelcome persons. Much to the surprise of the people of Siliguri, the SMC mayor was not invited at the opening ceremony of a Railway Recruitment Board office in Siliguri. Miss Banerjee inaugurated the office at Subhaspally, here today. “They have not invited me. However, I would not make any comment on the matter as it is their prerogative whom to invite and whom to not,” said the SMC mayor, Miss Gangotri Datta. The list of uninvited persons included the Siliguri CPI-M MLA and state urban development minister Mr Asok Bhattacharya, CPI-M Rajya Sabha MP Mr Saman Pathak among others. Speaking on the matter, Mr Asok Bhattacharya said: “I do not mind if they do not invite me as I am use to this kind of treatment from her, but they should have invited the First Citizen of Siliguri, which is the Mayor. Courtesy demanded it.” Mr Bhattacharya also slammed the railway minister for politicizing the railway department. “Now, the Indian Railway is owned by the Miss Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamul Congress,” he alleged. ;Suman Sahool.