Culling begins in Dinhata with police help

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 25: Though delayed for non-availability of adequate quantity of masks, aprons and other necessary materials the culling of domestic birds started this noon at Jaridharla, Daribash and adjoining villages within five-kilometre radius. The area is adjacent to the Indo-Bangladesh border. Many elderly women were found with tears rolling down their cheeks when the animal resources development department men culled the ducks and pigeons but no one resisted them to commit the job.

 

District magistrate of Cooch Behar, Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha said fifty rapid response teams (RRT) were deployed today. Medical test of the members of the RRTs was done and they were administered with preventive medicines before sending for the culling operation. As consuming of any food and water is prohibited during the procedure they consumed food and water prior to begin work of culling. The RRT men were trained yesterday about the process of culling and a senior official Dr Vijay Kumar who came from New Delhi supervised the training. The DM hoped that culling in the affected area is expected to be completed within two days but if necessary the period may be extended.

 

The RRTs will keep the affected area under surveillance for an additional ten days. Spraying of lime and other disinfectants will be done from tomorrow to prevent spreading of the deadly virus.

 

On the otherhand, Cooch Behar SP Mr Anil Kumar said culling is being done peacefully and no resistance came from the villagers concerned. Adequate number of policemen were deployed with the RRTs. Police are keeping watch over the situation to maintain peace, he added.

 

Mr Kumar said vehicles and markets are being checked to stop transportation and trading of chickens. Police are keeping constant contact with Border Security Force to prevent smuggling of chickens through the border. The BSF already beefed up vigilance along the international border to stop spreading of the bird flu disease, the SP said. []

 

Auto-rickshaw stir

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 25: Members of CITU affiliated Cooch Behar Auto-rickshaw Union took out a long rally with their vehicles today to protest against practice of corruption during extending licences and route permits. Later, they submitted a memorandum containing five-point charter of demands to the secretary of Regional Transport Authority at Sagardighi Square. Due to the agitation the commuters of different routes had to suffer for a long. []

State Bhawaiya festival begins

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 24: State health and family welfare minister Dr Surya Kanta Mishra inaugurated the 19th state Bhawaiya competition and fair at Baneswar Khabsa High School premises in Cooch Behar today. The festival will continue till Saturday. Backward classes welfare minister Mr Jogesh Chandra Barman, forest minister Mr Ananta Roy, Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad sabhadhipati Mr Jnanendra Chandra Chanda, two MPs – Mr Tarini Roy and Mr Hiten Barman, ex-chief justice of Bangladesh Md Mustafa Kamal Abbasi and other guests spoke on the occasion. Dr Mishra termed the festival as a cultural platform of all the people of this region. []

Culling to begin tomorrow, isolated ward ready at hospital

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 24: Fifty rapid response teams (RRT) consisting of five members in each team are ready for deployment for culling of all domestic birds in Dinhata-I block in Cooch Behar district. Culling will start from tomorrow in the affected villages especially Jaridharla, Daribash and adjoining areas within the radius of five kilometres. Other villages within radius of ten kilometres will be kept under intensive surveillance. Culling may be completed by Saturday but the period may be extended if necessary.

 

District magistrate of Cooch Behar Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha said Cooch Behar was declared as an avian flue affected district yesterday. As H5N1 virus was confirmed in samples of some dead chickens at the laboratory at Belgachhia the district administration is in no mood to take any chance. The samples that tested positive of avian flu were collected from Jaridharla and Daribash villages in Dinhata-I block. The area is very close to the Indo-Bangladesh border.

 

The BSF already stopped plying of ferryboats in Dharala river in the most affected area to stop spreading of the disease to this side.

 

Meanwhile, a joint secretary from the Centre, Dr Vijay Kumar arrived here today to supervise and monitor the culling operations and combating of avian influenza disease. He will stay here till completion of the process, Cooch Behar ADM (D) Mr Pannalal Mahapatra said.

 

The DM said all possible precautionary measures were taken to combat the disease and it's spreading to newer areas. Steps were taken to meet any adverse situation, he said. Eighty RRT were formed for committing culling of birds. Fifty teams will be deployed in Dinhata-I block and the remaining thirty will be kept as reserve ones, the DM said. The members of these teams and all persons concerned with the culling will be administered with medicines to protect them from the deadly virus. Policemen will also be deployed to ensure peace during culling, the DM said.

 

An isolation ward demarcated at Dinhata sub-divisional hospital with adequate beds for use if situation arises. Sufficient medicines also kept ready to deal with any situation, Mr Sinha said. Two medical teams were formed to examine the health of the RRT personnel.

 

The district administration is keeping contact with the Border Security Force. The DM Mr Sinha talked with the DIG-BSF Mr PJ Rao today about maintaining strict vigil along the border to stop crossing of any poultry bird from Bangladesh. Transportation and selling of chickens and eggs were banned. Serving of these items in midday meals in schools were also prohibited, the DM said.

 

On the otherhand, animal resources development (ARD) department sources in Cooch Behar said that they got information of birds' abnormal death from seven blocks out of twelve so far. These are Dinhata-I, Cooch Behar-I, Mathabhanga-I, Tufanganj, Sitalkuchi, Sitai and Mekhliganj.

 

In Haribhanga of Cooch Behar-I bodies of ten migratory birds were recovered on Tuesday. These birds used to take shelter in that area on tall and old trees. The samples of dead migratory birds were sent for test to Kolkata but test results are yet to confirm the cause of their death by the deadly virus, the DM said.

 

In Baro-Khalisamari of Mathabhanga-I abnormal death of a few hundred chickens were reported to the ARD officials. In Dinhata-I, more chicken deaths were reported from several villages including Jaridharla and Daribash, ARD officials said. They were intimated of death of some chickens at Votebari in Mekhliganj too. []

No entry in Assam : GCDP rally returns

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 23: The bicycle rally of Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party (GCDP) that was organised yesterday had to come back from the Assam-West Bengal border near Baxirhat last evening. When the long rally of GCDP supporters arrived at the border near Baxirhat in Tufanganj and tried to proceed towards Golokganj in Assam a large contingent of Assam Police resisted them.

 

GCDP president and also the general secretary of Greater Kamta United Forum (GKUF), Mr Ashutosh Barma said senior administrative and police officials of Assam came up at the border and requested them to go back. As there is a statewide prohibitory order by proclaiming Section 144 in Assam the officials told them that they couldn't extend adequate security coverage for the cyclists. Considering the situation the GCDP supporters held a meeting there and then came back peacefully, Mr Barma said.

 

It may be mentioned here that the GCDP organised yesterday's bicycle rally programme following a decision of the GKUF to highlight their demand for proper implementation of the merger agreement that was accorded between the then Maharaja of Cooch Behar and Government of India in 1949, formation of a separate state and recognition of their mother tongue. []

 

Hindi questions demanded for Hindi medium students

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 23: Hindi Bhasa Prasar Samity, Pashchim Bangal, raised demands for introduction of question papers in Hindi for the Hindi-speaking students of the state from the next Madhyamik and Higher Secondary examinations. The students of Hindi medium schools have to answer questions set in Bengali or English in the examinations of Madhyamik and Higher Secondary boards and this deprives the Hindi-speaking students of actual test of their merits.

 

HBPS sources claimed that at present more than one-lakh Hindi speaking candidates appear every year in Madhyamik and Higher Secondary examinations in this state. In Cooch Behar district the Hindi speaking population is about fifteen percent of the total population. There are only three high schools and nine primary schools for them. In the five sub-divisions of this district the high schools are in Cooch Behar, Dinhata and Mathabhanga. The total number of students of these schools is about ten thousand, HBPS sources said.

 

Convener of the Hindi Bhasa Prasar Samity, Pashchim Bangal and also the secretary of Cooch Behar Sree Hindi Vidyalaya, Mr Rajendra Kumar Baid said they submitted memorandums to the chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and school education minister Mr Partha Dey several times to set up twenty Higher Secondary and sixty primary schools in Cooch Behar for the benefit of the Hindi speaking students of this district but no steps were taken yet.

 

Introduction of question papers also needed but the government did nothing. It should be considered as a fundamental right for the Hindi-speaking students to get questions in Hindi. The presence of Kendriya Vidyalaya and Army School is a relief to some extent but these schools are meant for the students of families from high society. Commoners have no such facility to avail and so the government should introduce Hindi questions in the Hindi medium schools to help the Hindi speaking students, Mr Baid argued. []

Cooch Behar declared bird flu affected district

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 23: Cooch Behar turned into an avian flue affected district. As H5N1 virus was confirmed in samples of some dead chickens at the laboratory at Belgachhia the district administration is in no mood to take any chance. The samples that tested positive of avian flu were collected from Jaridharla and Daribash villages in Dinhata-I block. The area is very close to the Indo-Bangladesh border. Today the district administration declared this district as bird flu affected district.

 

When asked, the district magistrate of Cooch Behar Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha said following the state government's directive the district administration declared this district as an avian flu affected one. All possible precautionary measures were taken to combat the disease and it's spreading to newer areas. Steps were taken to meet any adverse situation, he said.

 

The district administration will start culling operations from tomorrow. Eighty special teams are ready for committing culling of chickens, the DM said.

 

On the otherhand, animal resources development (ARD) department sources in Cooch Behar said that they got information of birds' death from four blocks out of twelve so far. These are Dinhata-I, Cooch Behar-I, Mathabhanga-I and Mekhliganj.

 

In Haribhanga of Cooch Behar-I bodies of ten migratory birds were recovered yesterday. These birds used to take shelter in that area on tall and old trees. The samples of dead migratory birds were sent for test to Kolkata but test results are yet to confirm the cause of their death by the deadly virus.

 

In Baro-Khalisamari of Mathabhanga-I abnormal death of a few hundred chickens were reported to the ARD personnel yesterday. In Dinhata-I, more chicken deaths were reported from several villages including Jaridharla and Daribash, ARD officials said. This morning they got information from Votebari in Mekhliganj that some chickens have died there. []

Assembly standing committee visits industrial complex

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 22: The members of the Assembly Standing Committee on commerce and industries led by Mr Sudip Bandyopadhyay visited functioning of three units at Chakchaka Industrial Growth Centre (CIGC) in Cooch Behar today. The team members also met entrepreneurs at the CIGC complex and heard their problems and demands. On behalf of Industrial Federation of Cooch Behar (IFC) a memorandum was submitted to the team. They held a meeting with officials of district administration at the Circuit House here and inquired about the present situation of industrialisation in this district.

 

Secretary of IFC Mr Depak Mundra said during their discussion with the members of the standing committee on continuation of load shedding free zone status and night mobile service for fault repair at CIGC the divisional engineer of WBSEDCL confirmed that these facilities have become permanent.

 

The owners of several industrial units demanded provision of basic amenities at the CIGC complex like streetlight and drainage system and improvement of road and tele-communication system.

 

In the IFC memorandum it was mentioned that there were two water reservoirs at CIGC but those were demolished during renovation of Cooch Behar Airport for safe landing of aircrafts. CIGC will have to suffer from water crisis if no water reservoir was provided at the complex. As there is no fire fighting arrangement the IFC demanded installing of a Fire Service Station at the CIGC complex. To prevent environment pollution they also demanded demarcation of a land for use as dumping ground in or around the CIGC complex.

 

Mr Mundra said the members of the standing committee heard their points and assured that those will be recommended to the appropriate authorities for early implementation. []

GCDP's cycle rally held

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 22: The supporters of the Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party (GCDP) organised two bicycle rallies in Cooch Behar today. The first rally started from Harinchawara and the other from Patlakhawa. Getting united in front of the gate of Cooch Behar Palace they left for Tufanganj. From there they are to proceed towards Golokganj in Assam where the activists of All Koch Rajbangshi Students' Union (AKRASU) will took over the responsibility of the rally to arrive at Lakhimpur.

 

When the bicycle rally entered in the town curious onlookers gathered beside the streets. Normal traffic movement was disrupted till departure of the slogan-shouting cyclists. Not only youths but also elder persons participated in the rally. No untoward incident was reported from anywhere during the cycle rally, police said.

 

The president of GCDP, Mr Ashutosh Barma said today that the plan behind today's programme was to highlight their demand for proper implementation of the merger agreement that was accorded between the then Maharaja of Cooch Behar and Government of India in 1949, formation of a separate state and recognition of their mother tongue.

 

On 4 February the umbrella organisation of three similar minded organisations including the GKUF will observe Rail Roko programme and from 3 March they will organise a dharna (sit-in demonstration) at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, Mr Barma said, who is also the general secretary of the GKUF. On 15 April they are to organise a central rally at Maynaguri, he added. []

Revised electoral roll published : 23,000 claims rejected

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 21: The revised electoral rolls of all the nine Assembly constituencies in Cooch Behar district were published. Now, the total number of electors is 16,02,280. While 52,158 new claims were admitted the net addition is 42,643 in the revised rolls. The increase of voters is 2.73 percent comparing with the draft electoral rolls of nine constituencies. In the draft rolls that were published in March 2007 the total number of electors was 15,59,637. In Mekhliganj (SC) constituency the increase is 4.33 percent.

 

According to the Summary Revision of Electoral Rolls-2008, 11,227 applications were submitted claiming inclusion in the electoral roll in Sitai constituency. Sitai is a bordering area and very close to the Indo-Bangladesh border. Examining the relevant documents the authorities have rejected 5,788 claims and admitted 5,439 claims only.

 

President of Cooch Behar district unit of BJP, Mr Nityananda Munsi said today that they were complaining of large-scale infiltration from Bangladesh for a long and rejection of so much applications in Sitai proved the allegation. He demanded that the district administration should look into the matter seriously because inclusion of foreigners in the voters' list can change the voting pattern and it is harmful for the country. On the otherhand, a senior government official admitted that many of the applications were rejected in Sitai and other constituencies because the claimants failed to submit adequate proof in support of their claims. These persons may have come from Bangladesh, he suspected.

 

Not only in Sitai, 10,248 applications were submitted in Dinhata that is also a bordering constituency. Here 3,979 claims for inclusion in the electoral roll were rejected. The total number of rejected claims in the nine Assembly constituencies is 22,594 and total number of deletion from the rolls is 9,515. Names of 9,363 dead and shifted voters were stroke off from the voters' list.

 

When asked, the officer-in-charge of election cell, Mr Sanjay Mukherjee said preparation of 98.41 percent of Elector's Photo Identity Card (EPIC) was completed in this district. Photographing of new voters and whose names were mismatched in the electoral rolls and EPIC cards for different reasons will be held from 1 February to 10 February. []

Bird flu alert in Cooch Behar

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 20: Following information of death of about two hundred chickens a team of Animal Resources Development department officials led by deputy director Dr Tapan Kumar Roy visited Jaridharla and Daribash villages in Dinhata sub-division today. The area is very near from the Indo-Bangladesh border. The ARD team collected samples of dead chickens and blood and swab samples from living ones of the locality. These are being sent for test to Belgachhia in Kolkata, Dr Roy said.

 

Observing the symptoms it was suspected that the chickens might have died of Ranikhet disease that is not unnatural, Dr Roy said. But, as the ARD department is not ready to take any chance they are sending all samples for laboratory test to ascertain the actual cause of death, he added. As the villagers are not aware of bird flu or Rarnikhet disease the ARD department are to arrange awareness programme in the villages especially along the border, he said.

 

The death of the chickens along the bordering areas made the district administration and the animal resources development department cautious enough about the deadly disease. A high level meeting will be held on Tuesday to discuss the situation and the precautionary measures taken to halt the spreading of the disease in case of its large-scale outbreak. District magistrate Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha convened the meeting.

 

The ARD deputy director Dr Roy said the blood serum and swab samples that were sent earlier for test to Bhopal were reported negative. These were collected from different areas of the district. Teams of ARD personnel are engaged in surveillance in all the twelve blocks in the district. Meanwhile, droppings of migratory birds collected from the area adjacent to Rasik-bil tourist complex in Tufanganj were also sent for test to the laboratory at Belgachhia in Kolkata. Some other serum and swab samples collected from different poultry farms are being tested at the Belgachhia laboratory, he said.

 

On the otherhand, the BSF is keeping constant vigil on the Indo-Bangladesh border so that no one can bring in chickens or eggs from other side of the border. At the International Check Post at Changrabandha the vehicles that are entering India from Bangladesh are being disinfected as a mandatory measure to stop spreading of the viruses of the deadly disease. []

 

PHOTO :  FLU FEAR – Not only chickens but also laying ducks are under observation at the Government Poultry Farm in Cooch Behar. – Debashis Bhaumik

 

Census of irrigation facilities in Cooch Behar

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 20: Minor Irrigation Census (MIC) is going on in all the 1208-mouzas in twelve block areas of Cooch Behar district. It started in November and expected to be completed in the next month. Planning of minor irrigation policy of the government depends on this survey.

 

Normally, the minor irrigation census conducted in every five years. All minor irrigation facilities including Riverwater Lifting Irrigation (RLI), ground water, sallow tubewells and deep tubewells come under this survey. Examining the outcome of the survey the agencies concerned can chalk out plans for adding more minor irrigation facilities to bring more cultivable lands under irrigation coverage.

 

Assistant engineer of agri-irrigation division of water resources investigation and development department, Mr Raja Ghosh said thirty percent of agricultural land was under irrigation coverage in this district according to the third MIC that was held in 2001. Since then different agencies including Uttar Banga Unnayan Parshad, Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad, Panchayat Samities and others did a lot to improve the irrigation scenario of the district. The result of their efforts will come to light after completion of the survey, he said.

 

According to the census of 2001 the irrigated areas in Mathabhanga-I block is at the bottom of the list while Dinhata-I is on the top. Out of 28,422-hectre lands in Dinhata-I block the agri-irrigation division brought 46.17 percent land under irrigation cover. In Mathabhanga-I 19.34 percent of 32,276-hectre lands was extended with irrigation facilities. Not only the agri-irrigation division did the job but also other agencies did it. The Minor Irrigation Census is going on to learn the actual position of irrigation facilities that are being done by different agencies in the district.

 

As there is no system of co-ordination about implementation of different irrigation schemes among the agencies it is difficult for the government and others to know the actual situation, Mr Ghosh said. The survey report may iron out the problem, he hoped. []

AIYL demands agricultural school

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 18: Members of Cooch Behar district unit of All India Youth League (AIYL) took out a protest rally in Cooch Behar today. Later they held a gathering at district agricultural training centre premises. The speakers demanded immediate setting up of an agricultural school in Cooch Behar to improve the agricultural scenario of the district. They also submitted a memorandum containing six-point charter of demands to the principal of the agricultural training centre.

 

In his address at the gathering the general secretary of AIYL's Cooch Behar district unit, Mr Gopal Dey said there is a large volume of surplus lands in the nine seed farms in this district. These lands should be brought under farming and used for production of seeds of high yielding varieties of different crops. These seeds should be distributed among the poor farmers of the district free of cost. The proposed agricultural school will be of much help to the farmers, he opined.

 

Mr Dey also demanded introduction of proper infrastructure for seed production and research at each of the nine seed farms and use of uncultivable lands of these farms for plantation of trees. []

 

Turtle census at Shiv Dighi

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 18: The Debottar Trust Board (DTB) is considering a plan to conduct census of the tortoises of the Shiv Dighi of Baneswar. The DTB is the guardian body of the temples and religious places of the erstwhile princely state of Cooch Behar. The tortoises of Shiv Dighi are known as 'Mohan' to the devotees and locals.

 

The plan for conducting the census was adopted following mysterious deaths of the Mohans since 29 October 2005. The death toll is more than fifty-four during the period, claimed the activists of the Save Mohan Committee.

 

Following deaths of a number of tortoises of the Shiv Dighi locals got agitated and demonstrations including road blockades were also held. The issue also rolled to the courtroom. Several investigations and tests were conducted but the actual cause behind the deaths is still shrouds under mystery. On 30 October 2006 the principal chief conservator of forests sent a twelve-point recommendation to the Debottar Trust Board as measures to stop the death toll but most of the recommendations were not implemented so far.

 

It may be mentioned here that during examining the water of the pond and its surroundings the experts had identified pollution of the water of the pond, over population of the turtles and concrete banks of the waterbody as some of the causes behind the problem. Pisciculture at the pond was also held responsible. They however opined that 10 to 20 percent death might be taken as natural especially during mating season. Netting of the fishes of the pond and removal of the concrete banks were done following recommendations but that failed to stop the menace.

 

Cooch Behar SDO Mr Jayanta Kumar Maity said the DTB is to entrust the forest department to conduct the census of the tortoises of Shiv Dighi. After the census the experts will think over the matter whether the number of tortoises is more than the natural ratio of those in a small pond like Shib Dighi. []