Jana Adhikar Yatra for children's right

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 18: Aiming to make the world habitable for the children the West Bengal Education Network (WBEN) is organising a march named Jana Adhikar Yatra in five provinces of eastern India. According to the plan the central rally will start from Manipur on 23 January. It will arrive in Orrisa on 9 March.

 

As a part of the programme two rallies will be organised in West Bengal. The first one is to start from Cooch Behar tomorrow and the second one from Purulia on 28 January. These two rallies will go through different districts of the state.

 

Convener of Cooch Behar district unit of WBEN, Mr Partha Nath Sarkar said WBEN is a partner organisation of National Alliance for Fundamental Right to Equity (NAFRE). From the very beginning it is fighting in fourteen districts in this state to get equal right and education for all children.

 

Mr Sarkar said WBEN wants to bring all children under a common school education system, midday meal for students up to Class X, budget allocation of ten percent for education sector, end of commercialisation of education system and rescue and rehabilitation of all child labourers. "We want to build up a social system that is founded on social justice and equality of education for all children", he said. []

7 GCPA men acquitted from court

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 17: The chief judicial magistrate, Cooch Behar, Mr Manojyoti Bhattacharya today acquitted seven persons from the charges brought against them.

 

It may be recalled here that on 20 September 2005 one ASP and two policemen were killed and there was a bid to blaze a petrol pump at Khagrabari in Cooch Behar during the movement of The Greater Cooch Behar People's Association. Uittam Das, Dhirendranath Roy, Rajib Roy and Alok Barman were arrested in connection with the bid of blazing. On 24 September they were taken into police remand for six days. They allegedly confessed that they kept some firearms and explosives at Dharpara to eliminate their enemies. On 30 September the police allegedly recovered the materials taking the accused four with them. On that day Kotowali police lodged a case against them under section 25(1-B) 35 Arms Act read with section 3/4 Explosives Act. Since then the four were in jail custody. Police submitted chargesheet on 28 February 2006.

 

Observing it a case to be judged at the district sessions court, the then CJM Mr Chapal Kumar Panda sent the case to that court on 19 October 2006. On 2 November in that year hearing was held and the lawyer of the GCPA had opposed running of the case at that court. Then it came back to the CJM court again. At last, examining of the witnesses started on 11 June 2007. Meanwhile, police arrested three others namely Punyeswar Chitrakar, Dilip Sarkar and Dilip Das in connection with the same case.

 

Today, the CJM, Mr Manojyoti Bhattacharya discharged the accused as innocent. The lawyer of the GCPA Mr Shibendra Nath Roy said the acquittal order proved that the police fabricated the case against the seven. Mr Roy and Mr Pulak Dhar appeared for the accused GCPA men in this case.

 

Though acquitted, the persons will have to stay at Cooch Behar District Correctional Home, as there are three other cases pending against them, Mr Roy said. []

Bird flu : High alert in Cooch Behar, guest birds are in suspect list

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 17: High alert sounded in Cooch Behar district following outbreak of avian flu in some districts in the state. Order issued to keep the Indo-Bangladesh border sealed. Leave of all personnel of animal resources development (ARD) department were cancelled and no one will be able to get leave till further order. ARD men are keeping strict watch on poultry farms and migratory birds.

 

There is a government poultry farm in Cooch Behar town. There are about eight hundred poultry here, mainly of Road Island Red variety. All sorts of precautionary measures were taken to keep them safe. Prohibitory order was issued so that no one can enter in the farm area. The main entrance of the ARD office complex was sprayed with disinfectant powder to keep the farm, staff quarters and office free from contamination of H5N1 virus.

 

ARD office sources said that they already sent blood serum, stool and swab samples to the Regional Diagnostic Laboratory at Belgachhia in Kolkata. These samples were collected from different areas in the district. Rapid Response Teams are kept ready to meet any situation. All the block areas especially the villages adjacent to the Indo-Bangladesh border were alerted. Instructions were issued to report any incident of abnormal death of any poultry or bird immediately to the ARD officials.

 

It may be mentioned here that there are about one-lakh chickens in about fifty privately run poultry farms in the district.   

 

District magistrate of Cooch Behar Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha said he convened a meeting on 22 January to discuss the situation. All officials of concerned departments are to attend the meeting. Meanwhile, the DM asked the Border Security Force to ensure that no poultry can enter from the neighbouring country. At the same time Mr Sinha assured that there is no report of any incident of abnormal death of any bird or poultry. Measures were taken to clean the vehicles coming from Bangladesh through Changrabandha International Check Post with disinfectants so that these cannot carry the deadly virus from the other side of the border, he said.

 

On the otherhand, deputy director of ARD department in Cooch Behar, Dr Tapan Kumar Roy ordered cancellation of all leave applications. No ARD personnel will be allowed to leave his or her concerned area of duty till further order. There are about 450 ARD personnel in this district including veterinary surgeons, pharmacists and livestock field assistants.

 

Dr Roy today visited Rasik-bil tourist complex accompanied by district veterinary officer Dr Jagannath Saha, district pathologist Dr Samir Patra and ADFO (Social Forestry) Mr Asitava Chatterjee. They collected droppings of migratory birds from the area for sending those for examination at Belgachhia laboratory. It may be mentioned here that Rasik-bil is famous for seasonal migratory birds.

 

Dr Roy said the migratory birds especially waterfowls are seldom get affected from the H5N1 virus. These creatures are merely carriers of the deadly virus. Testing of the samples of droppings may ascertain whether they are carrying the virus, he said. Surveillance is being done at every level to combat outbreak of the disease, he said. []

Minor irrigation census goes on in Cooch Behar

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 16: 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. []

Second large swimming pool of the state

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 16: A swimming pool of international standard is going to come up in Tufanganj of Cooch Behar. It will be the second of is kind in the state. Total cost of the project is estimated to Rs 1.29-crore. As work is going on in full swing the chairman of Tufanganj Municipality Mr Subhas Chandra Bhawal hoped that the swimming pool might be operational by the end of this year.

 

Plans for making of the proposed swimming pool was taken in 2003. A local tank was selected for the purpose to convert it into a ten-lane swimming pool. A lottery draw was organised to make a fund for buying the tank and its adjoining land to start the initial work.

 

Mr Bhawal said the 3.5-bigha waterbody having 50-metre length and 25.5-metre width is situated at Ward No. 8 along Tufanganj-Dariabalai road. State sports department already sanctioned a large sum of money for implementation of the project. Cooch Behar MP (Rajya Sabha) Mr Tarini Roy, Alipurduar MP (Lok Sabha) Mr Joachim Buxla and local MLAs extended assistance from their Local Area Development funds. Tufanganj Municipality, Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad, Tufanganj-II Panchayat Samity and local Gram Panchayats too extended financial assistance.

 

Concrete casting of the tank's bottom and main platform started on Sunday and it will take more than one hundred hours to complete the job. Sabhadhipati of Tufanganj-II Panchayat Samity Mr Radheshyam Adhikary and civic body's chairman Mr Bhawal initiated the work that will not stop till completion. Former district engineer of Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad Mr Dwijen Roy and others are supervising the work. Mr Bhawal said the swimming pool may be completed for use by the end of this year but it will take more time to make it completed in all respect.

 

Tufanganj SDO Mr Sudip Mitra said once completed it will be possible for organising big and international standard swimming competitions here. There will be facilities for learners too at the swimming pool complex. Different water sports like Water Polo may also be played here. Holding of large competitions here may also be helpful in improving the local economic situation, he opined.

 

Aiming to make the new facility an effective one a Swimming Pool Management and Consultant Committee was formed with the district magistrate Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha as its chairman. []

 

RSP committee

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 16: Mr Gopal Chaki was elected secretary of RSP's Cooch Behar district committee. The 21-member district committee was formed on the concluding day of the party's district conference in Cooch Behar yesterday in presence of state social welfare minister Mr Biswanath Chaudhury. A 13-member district secretariat of the party was also formed on the occasion. []

Curious students observe the mobile science exhibition of North Bengal Science Centre. At Jenkins School campus in Cooch Behar on Tuesday.

Left Front unity a farce says RSP report

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 15: In the political report that was tabled at the sixteenth Cooch Behar district conference of RSP the CPI-M was criticised for its authoritarian role in running of the Left Front. The two-day RSP conference concluded today at Sukanta Mancha here.

 

It the political report it was stated that the RSP always participated in all programmes of Left Front and attended all meetings. Till the Nandigram happenings the party was invited in the meetings of District Left Front but the decisions were taken after bipartite discussions between CPI-M and Forward and those were delivered as the decisions of the Left Front. "They never felt it necessary to take our opinions on any issue", the report says.

 

In the report it was alleged that though they made appeals several times but the CPI-M never lent ears to their justified demands. The RSP has no representation in any committee associated with district administration. The CPI-M has forcefully occupied all the memberships in those committees and for this reason there is no environment for a total and effective Left Front in this district.  

 

The RSP had bagged three Gram Panchayat seats in the last three-tier panchayat elections though the Left Front allotted two seats only to the party. The total Left Front unity in its true sense was never attained in this district due to the CPI-M's big brotherly attitude.

 

It was alleged in the report that the RSP has sufficient organisational strength in Tufanganj, Dinhata and a few areas in Cooch Behar Sadar sub-divisions. But the CPI-M never allowed them to field candidates in these areas. In the name of Left Front unity the RSP was allotted with two seats only but the CPI-M and the Forward Bloc have a tendency to field ghost candidates against the RSP's official candidates.

 

To meet the situation the RSP had to fight alone in the last rural polls. There is no Left Front unity in this district. It is only a bilateral understanding between the CPI-M and the Forward Bloc. The two parties take decisions and that are passed as decisions of Left Front. Left Front unity turned a farce here, the report says. []

New jail for women may come up in Jalpaiguri

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 15: The state government is considering a proposal for setting up of a special correctional home for women prisoners of north Bengal. The proposed correctional home may come up in Jalpaiguri.

 

State social welfare and prisons minister Mr Biswanath Chaudhury said today at Cooch Behar Circuit House that there is a jail for women prisoners in Purulia. It is the lone jail for the women. The government already sanctioned funds for renovation and improvement of the existing district jails, sub-divisional jails and special jails in the state. Now, a proposal for setting up of a new jail in Jalpaiguri especially for women prisoners of north Bengal is under consideration, he said.

 

There is a special jail at Alipore in Kolkata but no one in north Bengal till now, the minister said. Presently, the women prisoners have to stay at special cells in district and sub-divisional correctional homes. Once introduced it will be possible to keep the women prisoners of north Bengal in the new jail, he said. At the same time renovation work of the special jail at Alipore may start in next two or three months.

 

The minister however said though they are considering setting up of the new special jail for women in Jalpaiguri the site may change as no final decision was taken yet. The proposal is still at its primary stage. If not possible in Jalpaiguri it may come up in any district of north Bengal. []

RSP attacks CPM at district conference

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 14: A constituent party of the Left front, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), termed the major partner, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) as Capitalist Party of India (Monopolist). A central committee member of the RSP and also a minister in the Left Front run state government, Mr Kshiti Goswami alleged that CPI-M is misleading the people by posing as the sole Marxist party.

 

Inaugurating the two-day 16-th Cooch Behar district conference of RSP at Sukanta Mancha in Cooch Behar this afternoon, Mr Goswami said the CPI-M is trying to make people believe that RSP is opposing the industrialisation process. But, "we are not against industrialisation, we are only opposing the stance taken by the CPI-M to deviate from the declared policy of the Left Front", he clarified.

 

The RSP leader said they expected that the seventh Left Front government would act to help the small and cottage industries and the units of self-help groups. "We have no objection to this policy, but it happened otherwise", he said. Without trying to save high-yielding cultivable lands the government has started acquiring these lands to hand over to the industrialists, he alleged.

 

Protecting the interests of the capitalists who are trying to fool the people by assuring false promises, The RSP leader questioned. "Once we fought with the red flag but now this flag is tainted with blood of poor peasants and the fight is going on holding this flag to save the interests of the capitalists", he lamented. They are dreaming of changing the society with the cheap car produced by the Tatas, he said. 'Down Down Capitalism' slogan is now converted into 'Up Up Capitalism', he said.

 

Criticising the industrial policy of the Left Front government, Mr Goswami said modern technology means maximum work with minimum staff. In Haldia they promised of employment for 4.5-lakh youths but actually 837 persons got jobs there. Then why are they promising that massive employment will be possible by industrialisation after acquiring cultivable lands, he questioned.  

 

Mr Goswami announced that the RSP would continue opposing the policies by which the society is transforming to a permissive one. "We will not tolerate blackening of the leftist policies", he declared. If necessary the party may organise a movement like the rail strike of 1974 that almost collapsed the country and the government, he said. At the same time he said they would remain in the Left front and try to put it back on the right track.

 

Another senior leader and a minister, Biswanath Chaudhury too came down heavily on the land acquisition policy of the Left Front government at Singur. Why the seventh Left Front government is deviating from its previously declared policies about land acquisition, he questioned. []

 

Indo-Bangladesh border situation better : IG-BSF

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 13: Out of 1,110-kilometre of border in north Bengal the barbed wire fencing was laid at a stretch of 666-kilometre along the Indo-Bangladesh border from the 'zero' line of the actual border. Fencing was not possible along the remaining portion due to presence of rivers and objections from local people. But, absence of fencing is not lowering the morale of Border Security Force from keeping constant vigil on the border, said the outgoing inspector general of BSF (North Bengal Frontier), Mr RA Tiwari.

 

Mr Tiwari took over the command of North Bengal Frontier in 2006. Now, he has been posted to New Delhi Frontier as IG (Training). After his two-day farewell visit to Cooch Behar Sector he said yesterday the Indo-Bangladesh border situation is better and the relation with Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) also improved.

 

The BSF has put the priority on checking infiltration and smuggling and its strict vigil reduced the rate of infiltration from the other side of the border, the outgoing IG claimed. If any person crosses the border mistakenly the BSF sends the person back but if anyone infiltrates intentionally the BSF takes legal action against the infiltrator, he said.

 

Mr Tiwari said he talked with the district magistrate of Cooch Behar and the superintendent of police on Friday at a meeting over precautionary security measures to ensure a peaceful Republic Day. BSF jawans on duty will resist any effort to cross the border forcefully so that no one can come to foil the R-Day celebrations. He however said that there is no specific threat from any militant outfit about damaging of the R-Day celebrations. []

 

PHOTO : IG-BSF (North Bengal Frontier) Mr RA Tiwari talks with pressmen at Cooch Behar Sector headquarters on Saturday. – Debashis Bhaumik.

 

Market blaze

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 13: Four shops were gutted in an incident of fire at early hours of today at Rajarhat market. Two fire engines rushed to the spot and controlled the blaze. Local traders estimated that the loss was to more than Rupees one-lakh. []

 

 

Dasmunsi takes up preservation of rail antiques issue

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 13: Union minister of information and broadcasting and parliamentary affairs, Mr Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi took up the proposal of formation of a gallery at Cooch Behar or New Cooch Behar railway station with the antique system and materials associated with erstwhile Cooch Behar State Railway for highlighting the history of pre-independent railway system at Cooch Behar to the posterity. In a letter sent to the Union railway minister Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav he described the proposal raised by an AICC member Mrs Sabita Roy as a very good one. Drawing the railway minister's personal attention for favourable consideration he requested Mr Yadav to do the needful.

 

Earlier, sending a letter to Mr Dasmunsi, Mrs Roy drew the attention of him over the proposal that she had submitted to the Union railway minister in October. She alleged that despite her repeated appeal regarding the touchy issue a section of railway officials are engaged in floating auction notices and have started selling various antique substances from the stores in the name of revenue earning. She had requested Mr Dasmunsi to intervene into the matter so that the historic substances may be preserved especially for the people of north Bengal for future.

 

It may be mentioned here that before merger of the erstwhile princely State of Cooch Behar with Union of India in 1949 the State had its own 35-mile long railway facility. It was known as Cooch Behar State Railway (CBSR). The 35-mile long narrow gauge track joined Mogulhat and Baneswar through the tiny capital town Cooch Behar and continued upto Jainti at the foot of Himalayas.

 

East Bengal Railway had established a station at Haldibari near Jalpaiguri in 1876 and with that the railway service was introduced in Cooch Behar. Around 1890 the Cooch Behar State Council had approved a proposal of connecting Cooch Behar town with railway system of Bengal. Following that a narrow gauge railway came up in 1893. Passenger service had started on and from 1 March 1894.

 

In 1900, government of India reportedly agreed, "the portion of Cooch Behar State Railway which lies within the territories of His Highness the Maharaja of Cooch Behar should continue to be regarded as an isolated local line".

 

Narrating the history in a letter sent to the Union railways minister Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav, an AICC member from Cooch Behar, Mrs Sabita Roy had urged the minister in last October to take an initiative to preserve the antique articles of the CBSR in a gallery. Mrs Roy said the old signalling system, instruments, beacons, tickets, records and relics, uniforms, insignias may still be obtained from different railway stations or stores in Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Maligaon.

 

In her letter Mrs Roy opined that if the age-old things were preserved in a gallery at Cooch Behar or New Cooch Behar Railway Station it might replicate the mode of action of the railway department in this region before Independence. It will also be able to connect Cooch Behar's history with the history of Indian Railways, the senior Congress leader believes. []