TT, Darjeeling, Nov. 27: Less than a month before the fourth tripartite talks, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has hardened its demand for Gorkhaland, saying the party will not discuss any arrangement other than statehood in the December 21 meeting.
In another tough stand, the Janmukti Darjeeling Hotel Owners’ Association, a Morcha affiliate, has asked its 400-odd members to stop paying the annual fees for renewal of pollution certificate from the pollution control board.
Till now, it had been expected that the talks would end the administrative lacunae prevailing in the hills — the defunct DGHC, the municipalities and the panchayats.
However, with Bimal Gurung’s party making it clear that only Gorkhaland should figure in the meeting, not much headway is expected to end the administrative lacunae.
After the third round of talks in New Delhi on August 11, a Union home ministry release had said: “It was agreed in principle to repeal the DGHC Act 1988. The repeal of the act would be processed as soon as an alternative administrative/framework is finalised through mutual consultations and agreement.”
Morcha central committee member Amar Lama said the party submitted a proposal in May 2008 for repealing the DGHC Act. “The government has accepted our proposal but has added the condition of alternative administrative set-up,” he told The Telegraph.
“We, however, had not proposed any set-up and are not thinking of it also. Moreover, the government has not consulted us on this alternative arrangement. We believe that after the DGHC is repealed, the alternative arrangement should be Gorkhaland and nothing else.”
Madan Tamang, the ABGL president, had recently criticised the Morcha saying the party was ready to accept a set-up less than statehood.
The current Morcha stand goes against the home ministry release. Even though the fourth round of talks will be held at the secretary-level, it was expected that the party would agree to ensure the functioning of the defunct bodies.
“We have already said if the election to the hill municipalities are to be held, then a three-tier panchayat should also be in place,” Lama said.
Setting up a three-tier panchayat in the hills is almost impossible at the moment largely because Siliguri subdivision already has a mahakuma parishad, which functions like a zilla parishad. A district cannot have two bodies with powers similar to a zilla parishad, and dissolving the mahakuma parishad is unlikely to be welcomed by the people of the Siliguri subdivision.
The government appointed interlocutor for the talks, Lt Gen. (retd) Vijay Madan, will arrive in Calcutta on Sunday to discuss about the tripartite meeting with government officials.
On the non-payment of pollution fees, Palden Lama, the general secretary of the hotel owners’ association, said: “We appeal to all the hotels in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong to stop paying fees for renewing their pollution certificates. We want to strengthen the Morcha’s non-cooperation movement.”
Hotels have to pay between Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 annually depending on its size and category to renew their certificates. The certificate is issued by the PCB after taking into consideration the waste disposal system and other parameters like amount of carbon emission from hotel generators.
An official of the PCB’s Siliguri office said defaulting hotels have to pay a fine of 10 per cent of the annual fees to obtain a fresh certificate. “Under Section 5 of the Environment Protection Act 1986, hotels who do not have the certificate can be closed down. Under Section 15, the defaulters can be fined Rs 5 lakh along with imprisonment for five years.”
GNLF meet
The GNLF has planned a three-day meet at Panighata in Mirik block to renew its political activities after a gap of over two years since the emergence of the Morcha. The event beginning on December 4 under the banner of the Gorkha Janjati Manyata Samaroh Samiti will raise the demand for conferring Scheduled Tribe status on all Gorkhas in India.
“Several Gorkhas, irrespective of their surnames, have been demanding their inclusion in the ST category,” said Rajen Mukhia, a GNLF leader and the samiti president.
Minorities: Plan to be discussed
SNS, KOLKATA, 25 NOV: The state Cabinet today deferred decision on a proposal seeking to declare six communities as minorities on the basis of language after chief minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said there should be more discussion on the financial implication of the proposal before a final decision is taken.
Interestingly, the proposal, aimed at protecting the language and culture of minorities, was moved by the minority affairs department headed by the chief minister himself. There seem to be confusion among Cabinet members over the proposal sent by the department. While the Cabinet proposal clearly mentioned that the concurrence of the finance department was not sought since there is no financial implication the state finance minister, Mr Asim Dasgupta said: “The financial aspect of the proposal should be looked into since schools or educational institutions may be set up for protection of the language and culture of the linguistic minorities.”
However, officials at Writers’ Buildings have raised the question how the proposal was initially cleared by the chief minister and chief secretary before being placed before the state Cabinet.
The proposal had declared the six communities including Hindi, Urdu, Oriya, Telegu, Santhali and Nepali as linguistic minorities in the state. At present the state only recognises religion based minority communities. The proposal has immense political significance due to ongoing agitation at the Hills as well as Junglemahal where Nepali and Santhali are the dominant languages. The chief minister has formed a committee comprising the ministers of finance, higher education, school education and the minister of state, minority affairs department to look into the proposal.
The Cabinet also approved a proposal of raising the cadre strength of WBCS (Executive) officers by 250 today although the finance department initially cleared only 100 posts. The present cadre strength of WBCS officers is 1767 which is being raised to 2017. The rehabilitation package for land losers for the embankment at Sunderbans will also be given to landless labourers as well.
National meet in wake of tripartite talks
SNS, SILIGURI, 27 NOV: With uncertainty sharpening in the politically volatile Darjeeling hills as the tripartite dialogue date draws near, the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha leadership is toying with the idea of organising a national symposium on Gorkhaland soon in New Delhi.
Informing, this the GJMM media secretary, Dr Harka Bahadur Chhetri said over phone from New Delhi today that a seminar on similar lines organised by several north Cachar based tribal organizations in Assam had inspired them to think in such terms.
“We are in New Delhi principally to attend a tribal seminar on the invitation of some northeast-based tribal organizations. The exposition of the cause of the several tribal communities concentrated in Assam and elsewhere in the northeast before an enlightened and inquisitive audience has put the Gorkhaland symposium notion in us. We would finalise the date and other nitty gritty after returning to the hills tomorrow. But our objective is to involve as many intellectuals, academicians and public figures as possible in the symposium,” Dr Chhetri said.
Asked to comment on the deepening controversy over the acceptance of the interim council as an administrative measure on way to the official repeal of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, Dr Chhetri said that his party was yet to take a decision on the matter. “We remain focused on the fourth round of the three-way talks slated in Darjeeling next month. If such a proposal is broached by the Centre, our president, Mr Bimal Gurung would take the final decision,” he said.
Yet, scotching at speculations that the interim council would become just another version of the existing DGHC in new attire, the GJMM leader said that his party would make it clear that the interim council must be a time-bound arrangement. “Mr Subash Ghising accepted the DGHC dropping the statehood demand once and for all. We would not tread the beaten track. On the contrary, we would accept it as a necessary evil on way to abrogation of the much-detested DGHC as well as to our final destination, the Gorkhaland state,” Dr Chhetri added.
ELECTRICITY CHARGE HIKE
PTI, Kolkata , Nov 27 Power bills are set to rise for over 90 lakh consumers from billing month November with the West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission announcig hike in tariff today.
For CESC consumers in Kolkata and Howrah, the rise would by 48 paise per unit and 78 paise per unit for those of West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd.
Following the hike, CESC& amp;aposs average tariff now stands at Rs 4.57 per unit while that for WBSEDCL it is Rs 4.27 per unit.
For CESC consumers consuming 200 units the rise would be Rs 96 and for WBSEDCL Rs 156, with subsidy done away by the state government.
WBERC also allowed a 24 paise per unit hike for Durgapur Projects Ltd and a 46 paise per unit hike for DPSCL.
The new tariff followed rise in fuel cost (coal price) for power companies. Coal India Ltd raised prices by 11 per cent on average.
Murder cuffs on Trinamul leader - Whiff of property feud in guha killing
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Ganesh Banerjee on the Malda court premises on Friday. Picture by Surajit Roy
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Malda, Nov. 27: A district general secretary of the Malda Trinamul Congress was arrested today on charges of murdering Congress leader and former Englishbazar municipality vice-chairman Biswanath Guha.
Ganesh Banerjee, who left the Congress and joined Mamata Banerjee’s party along with 200 others three months ago, was picked up from his house in the Puratuli-Barmanpara area of the town at 3am today. Another accused, Shyamal Majumdar, fled his residence before police could reach.
Sources in Intuc, the labour wing of the Congress of which Guha was the district president, said a property dispute was probably the reason for the murder.
Banerjee has been remanded in police custody for seven days by chief judicial magistrate B.B. Mondol.
Guha was found bludgeoned to death on the night of July 12 last year in an under-construction lodge about 500 metres from his house. The police then arrested Akhtar Sheikh, Guha’s driver, and announced that he had admitted to the crime. Guha’s wife Lakshmi was interrogated twice.
“Ganesh Banerjee was the person who had filed an FIR with the Englishbazar police accusing Akhtar of committing the murder. He also recorded Shyamal Majumdar as a witness. Both of them were very close to the murdered person and we are looking for the absconder,” said Malda superintendent of police Bhuban Mondol.
Banerjee had said in his FIR that Majumdar was the first to call him up to convey the news of Guha’s murder.
According to the district police chief, there was more to be unearthed as more than one person involved in the grisly killing. Guha was found with his head bashed in, stabbed and with two bullet injuries, one on the head, the police recalled.
Investigating officer and deputy superintendent of police Shyam Singh described the case as “unique”. “This is a rare case where two persons, one who lodged the FIR and the other, who was the witness, both turned out to be involved directly with the murder. They had tried to pin the entire blame on the driver,” he said.
Akhtar had been taken to Bangalore in August 2008 for a polygraph test and narco-analysis where he had come clean before his interrogators. Investigators said the test reports had arrived in Malda recently and after that the police zeroed in on Banerjee and Majumdar.
While the district police chief was silent about the motive behind the murder, Intuc sources said Guha had bought properties in the names of Banerjee and Majumdar and the dispute could have led to the crime.
The police said Guha himself was no stranger to crime. In 1992, he had been sentenced to life term by a Malda court for the murder of a Congress supporter. After four years in jail he was acquitted by the high court. He was also implicated in a number of other murder cases, the police said.
Intuc supporters today held a demonstration in front of the police superintendent’s office, demanding the punishment of the guilty for their leader’s murder. “It is now more than one-and-a-half years since Biswanath Guha was murdered, we want all the guilty to be hanged,” said current Intuc district president, Kazi Nazrul Islam.
Banerjee is as a clerk in Chintamani Girls High School here. Majumdar, on the other hand, is a supplier of building material.
Asked about his reaction to Banerjee’s arrest, Malda Trinamul president Gautam Chakrabarty said the accused had joined the party recently. “If he is involved in the crime, the law should take its own course. The party will never stand by him,” Chakrabarty said.
SC Seeks Sikkim's Response on Online Lottery
PTI, New Delhi, Nov 27 The Supreme Court today sought response of theSikkim Government on a PIL which alleged that the State was organising"illegal"online lotteries in Maharashtra and West Bengalwhich was ruining the lives of thousands of people.
A bench of Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, Justices B S Chauhanand K S Radhakrishnan, while passing the direction, posted the matter for further hearing to December 14.
The petition filed by Bibhas Karmkar who appeared in person alleged that the online lottery draws was being conducted by the state governments every 15 minutes and bumper draws every day.
He pointed out that under Section 4H of the Central Lottery Act, there can be only weekly draws and bumper draws can be conducted only six times in a year.
The petition alleged that lured by the so-called fabulous lottery rewards running into Rs two-three crore, several gullible public besides sex workers from Mumbai&aposs red light area were indulging in the game and losing their money.
He alleged that several families are getting ruined by the online lotteries and the respective state governments were unable to ban the same as it can be done only by the Central government or the state which organises the lottery.
Hence the petitioner sought appropriate direction to the authorities concerned to ban the alleged illegal lottery.
Bhoj Raj kicks off his open campaign against Chamling from Namchi
Tamang’s hibernation still unanswered to ruling front-Bhoj Raj kicks off his open campaign against Chamling from Namchi HM Report
Bhoj Raj kicks off his open campaign against Chamling from Namchi
Gangtok, November 26: Where is area MLA of Upper Burtuk? Whether he will turn-up in the foundation laid programme of Mahakhim on November 27 at Ranka… the people’s speculation will remain unanswered.
The reliable source said that P S Tamang’s whereabout is still a question mark and confirmed that he’ll not present in the said official programme of the foundation laid stone of Mahakhim, the religious temple of Rai community in Ranka Rai Goan, 15 kilometers away from Gangtok.
After long speculation of sitting MLA of Upper Burtuk, P S Tamang hibernation after the assembly election in May last, might have turn in an official programme in his area, will clearly shows that he is leading the dissidence within the party and its party culture.
It is said that the people who are chasing him have not found where he is?
The party sources said that on the eve of foundation stone laying at Ranka, chief minister will hand over all the political and other charges to the government Chief Whip Ugen Bhutia besides his home constituency Tumin-Lingee.
The common people and party supporters are opposing the party’s imposing candidates from outside the constituency saying that the imposed candidates has hamper the development and other socio-political development has been pushed in the back foot from last 10 years.
On the other side, the disgruntle leader Bhoj Raj Rai today campaigned openly in Namchi Bazaar for creation of alternative to ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) under the leadership of P S Tamang.
He had met founder members of the SDF party in Namchi and advocates to alternative political outfit in the state.
However, founder members of SDF, (whose name are not disclosed on their request) said that both the disgruntled leaders are in SDF party. Party has not taken any disciplinary actions against the duo, will remain the members of the SDF party has nothing wrong to talk openly with them.- Voice of Sikkim
Two held for bank fraud bid
TT, Alipurduar, Nov. 27: Two men, arrested for trying to swindle a nationalised bank out of crores of rupees, were brought from Sikkim to Birpara today and remanded in 10 days’ police custody by the additional chief judicial magistrate.
Amit Das of Barasat in North 24-Parganas and Subrata Banerjee of Cossipore, Calcutta, had been arrested by Sikkim police in Gangtok while trying to pull off a scam in another bank there.
In a complaint filed with Birpara police on October 28, the manager of the Central Bank of India’s Birpara branch, Pradeep Sarkar, said Das had opened an account in his branch. “On October 16, Sarkar received a phone call from his counterpart in the Burrabazar branch in Calcutta that Das had produced a letter of credit issued by the Birpara branch and wanted to withdraw Rs 48.7 lakh. He, however, fled the scene when the accounts were being verified,” said the assistant public prosecutor, Samir Majumdar.
“On November 21, Sarkar received another call from the Central Bank India’s branch in Vadodara saying Das had produced another letter of credit issued by his branch and wanted to withdraw Rs 1.27 crore. The branch was told not to make any payment, but the duo disappeared,” said the public prosecutor.
Sources in the Birpara police station said police intelligence had come to know about the arrests and asked the Sikkim police to hand them over.
A letter of credit is issued by a bank to its customer against his/her assets, a police officer explained. “Scamsters use these banking instruments to withdraw large sums of money. However, it is most likely that the letter of credit is fake,” added the officer.
Pradeep Dutta, the subdivisional police officer of Alipurduar, said more about the duo would be revealed after interrogation.
Maoists plan 13 ‘parallel govts’
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Baburam Bhattarai
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PTI, Kathmandu, Nov. 27: The Nepal Maoists today decided to declare 13 “parallel regional governments” in a bid to overthrow the coalition regime.
The decision came as Maoist chief Prachanda met President Ram Baran Yadav who has been accused by the former rebels of violating “civilian supremacy” over the military by reinstating General Rukmangad Katawal.
The vice-chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists), Baburam Bhattarai, today announced the decision to declare 13 parallel governments after the Maoists lifted their five-month blockade of the parliament to allow the passage of the 2009 budget.
The Maoists argue that Yadav’s reinstatement of Katawal, who was dismissed by Prachanda as army chief in May, is unconstitutional.
According to Maoist journal Janadisha, the former rebels have decided to hold rallies across 13 regions of the country from December 11 to 18 in protest against Yadav’s decision.
The Maoists have around 40 per cent of the seats in the parliament.
At his 90-minute meeting with Yadav, Prachanda said the Maoists were keen to end the current political deadlock that has stalled the peace process in the country.
Yadav told Prachanda he wanted the parties to move forward and complete the draft of the Constitution on time, the President’s press adviser, Rajendra Dahal, said.
Yadav said he was willing to work with the parties to end the deadlock and forge a consensus on key political issues.
Sources close to Yadav said Prachanda wanted to gauge the mood of the President on the current political situation.
Prachanda said his party was not against Yadav “personally” but had been forced to launch an agitation against the reinstatement of Katawal, sources close to the Maoist leader said.
The former Prime Minister said his party was commited “to resolve the current political stalemate”.
HIV/AIDS count reach 157 in Sikkim
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SE, GANGTOK, November 26: As the whole world joins hand in observing the World AIDS Day with the vow of preventing the ailment on December 1, the toll of HIV/AIDS patients in Sikkim has reached 157.
The year 2009 alone recorded 26 HIV/AIDS cases in Sikkim, which authorities reveal is less than it was recorded last year. The Sikkim State Aids Control Society had recorded the highest number of cases in 2008, which numbered to 46. However, no cases of HIV positive were recorded in 1996.
The latest SSACS statistics reveals that 102 males and 55 females are infected with HIV.
According to the statistics, East District dominates the numbers with 91 male and 51 female cases while the West District records the least number with 1 male and 1 female case.
No female with HIV/AIDS have been detected in North District except for 2 male cases.
The data further reveals that 47 persons aged between 30-39 years are victims of HIV/AIDS, 2 below the age of 10, 1 case between 11-19 years, 31 cases aged between 20-29, 17 cases between 40-49years and 4 above 50 years.
“132 HIV/AIDS patients are infected through sexual mode while 11 are through injecting drug, 3 from infected parent to child, 5 from infected blood transfusion and 6 cases are still waiting for the finding of it’s mode of transmission,” sources said.
As a step towards spreading awareness to the people, there are integrated counselling and testing centers in Sikkim including one mobile van ICTC which are also providing facility to prevent parent to child transmission, said Namgyal T. Sherpa, SSACS Project Director.
He added that the AIDS Day celebration would be low key in the Capital this year with few rallies and awareness programmes. “This time we have got less fund allocation from the National AIDS Control Organization so there would be no major events related with World AIDS Day,” the project director said.
‘Alternative road to Sikkim approved’
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SE, GANGTOK, November 25: A proposal for an alternate highway from Chalsa to Gangtok, via Khonya more-Lhaldhaka-Tode-Rachella-Aritar-Rangpo-Ranipol along with a link to Menla has been approved by Government ‘in-principle’ on November 28, 2008 at an estimated of Rs. 183 lakh for preparation of detail project report (DPR) by Border Road Organisation has also been sanctioned by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in May, 2009.
The Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways RPN Singh said this in response to a question posed by Sikkim MP, Rajya Sabha OT Lepcha.
In his reply, Mr. Singh said, since the proposal is at DPR stage, it is too early to indicate the date by which the proposed alternate highway would be completed.
Earlier, the Sikkim MP had sought to know whether an alternative Highway for Sikkim apart from NH-31A has been approved previously and if so the details of its route and progress made in this regard and its completion.
CS advises geological survey along NH 31-A before laying the first railway line
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NIRMAL MANGAR, SE, GANGTOK, November 24: The Chief Secretary TT Dorji has advised for joint survey to be taken up by Border Roads Organisation, Indian Railways and State Line Departments along the National Highway 31-A before laying the first railway line so that geological anomalies are ensured.
This step, it is learnt has been necessitated as the alignment of the railway line is proposed above the existing NH 31-A where double laning is being taken up.
The Chief Secretary’s direction came in the 19th meeting of the railway project held on November 19 here at the State Capital, which was also attended by secretaries of SNT, power, forest, land revenue, director of mines and geology, District Collector East, representatives from BRO, Army, chief engineer roads and bridges and other senior government officials.
During the meet, a detailed presentation for the first phase of the project up to Rangpo and second phase till Gangtok was made by the Deputy Chief engineer (Construction) S. Prabhu of North East Frontier Railways. It is also been learnt that the double laning of NH 31-A is even likely to begin form 2010 and work would be completely initiated by the BRO.
Mr. Dorji also advised the officials to be very careful on works particularly at Teesta valley area, which is very difficult spot with steep gradient and that the disposal of soil should be carefully looked upon.
Further, the CS suggested that related infrastructure for defence purpose should be incorporated along with the dumping area of mud to be specified and the local names not to be changed.
“For the stations at Rangpo and near Gangtok, a joint survey should be carried out expeditiously so that the required land could be earmarked on priority,” he suggested.
Officials from the State Transport Department, the nodal department of the project said that preliminary survey for the second phase connecting Rangpo to Gangtok have been completed till Bhusuk via Kopibari. “Looking at the distance covered, the Railway authorities have initially proposed to terminate the same till Chota Singtam near Saramsa Garden, officials said.
On the other hand, the State Government has urged the Railways to avail rail connectivity till Nathu-La border considering the defence presence.
The final survey of the railway, it is informed is likely to complete by December and the works of laying of lines from Sevoke to Rangpo will commence soon in a war footing process. Some changes are also expected in the projects until the final report is prepared, it is learnt.
Interestingly, the longest railway tunnel in Sikkim is likely to be of 4.6 km.
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