Trinamul to rock Assembly over 'forcible cremation' issue

 

COOCH BEHAR, July 1: A high-level Trinamul Congress team led by Mrs Sonali Guha (MLA) visited Dakshin Nalgram village of Sitalkuchi in Mathabhanga sub-division yesterday. During their visit they met neighbours and other villagers to find out what actually happened with Madhabi Barman (15). After returning to Cooch Behar town, the Trinamul leaders met the district magistrate Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha and the SP Mr Anil Kumar. They demanded immediate arrest of the miscreants stated to be CPI-M activists who cremated the girl alive on 22 June.

 

Mrs Guha said the parents of Madhabi and her younger sister – Mr Lalit Barman, Mrs Banubala Barman and Sonali Barman – had to leave the village because the CPI-M goons are terrorising them after lodging of a complaint to the SDPO of Mathabhanga on 27 June. The CPI-M activists physically assaulted and threatened Sushil Barman, the 10-year-old brother of Madhabi, because he had disclosed to the media persons that his elder sister was alive when she was cremated, Mrs Guha alleged.

 

The Trinamul leader said they would submit a detailed report to party chief Miss Mamata Bannerjee and further plan of movement against CPI-M would be declared after reviewing the report. They will raise the issue in the Assembly too demanding justice to the distressed family, Mrs Guha said.

 

Mrs Guha, a close associate of Miss Mamata Bannerjee, alleged that Madhabi was cremated alive by CPI-M activists ignoring her mother's appeal and in absence of her father. No death certificate was issued after the girl's so called death, she alleged. It is not new for CPI-M, as they had burnt Tapasi Malik of Singur. Though Madhabi's mother lodged a complaint the police are yet to take any action against the CPI-M men against whom the mother lodged complaint. The police are following CPI-M leaders' diktat, Mrs Guha alleged. The state chief minister very often talks against atrocities done on women but his party men made it a habit to burn girls. She recalled a past incident occurred in Mathabhanga when CPI-M activists gang-raped a housewife. That incident had rocked the state and the case of Madhabi too may rock the state once again, Mrs Guha opined. []

 

BSF's achievement in Cooch Behar

 

COOCH BEHAR, July 1: Border Security Force seized 7182 cattle worth Rs 5,36,47,200 from different places under Cooch Behar Sector during the past six months of this year. These cattle were brought in from other places to smuggle out to Bangladesh. Not only cattle but also 129 infiltrators were arrested from different bordering areas in this district. They had crossed the Indo-Bangladesh border and entered into this side illegally. The BSF jawans were able to seize 302.68-gram of heroin, 397.45-kilogram ganja, a country made revolver and Bangladeshi currency worth Tk 3,64,507 during the period, a senior BSF official of Cooch Behar Sector said.

 

During the past year, BSF jawans seized 5925 cattle worth Rs 4,70,65,800. They also seized various contraband items like foreign made garments and cloths in 2006. The total seizure was worth Rs 6,66,93,779, the BSF official said.

 

BSF sources said that the Cooch Behar Sector is covering 287-kilometre area with five units deployed from Tetulchera border outpost in Mathabhanga to Jhaukuti border outpost in Tufanganj. The presence of Chhitmahals (enclaves) is also an impediment in smooth management of the International border. It is hard to maintain such a vast stretch of area but the jawans are doing their duties ignoring various hardships and limitations.

 

The BSF has also extended a helping hand for the betterment of border population through various civic action programmes. Free medical camps, blood donation camps, distribution of sports items among the youths, organising of sports events, meeting the people's representatives to resolve problems of the people of bordering areas and Shramdaan programmes by BSF units in bordering villages are some of the civic action programmes, the Cooch Behar Sector BSF official claimed. []

 

Traders demand better railway service

 

COOCH BEHAR, July 1: Dinhata Mahakuma Byabasayee Samity-2001 raised a demand to add a passenger coach from Dinhata to be attached with Tista Torsa Express at New Cooch Behar. They also demanded running of Intercity Express to be extended upto Bamanhat to improve communication with Siliguri. It will be beneficial for the traders, students and tourists, they opined.

 

A team of members of DMBS-2001 met Mr Arjun Rakshit, the Divisional Railway Manager, Alipurduar division at Alipurduar yesterday and submitted a memorandum to him addressed to the general manager of Northeast Frontier Railway. They mentioned the golden days of railway service in this region. They told the DRM that Dinhata railway station was a centre for transportation of jute and tobacco to Kolkata and other places of the country upto 1956. Now, the metre-gauge line between Bamanhat and Cooch Behar is being converted to broad-gauge but keeping it as single track may do little help for speedy plying of goods trains as well as passenger trains, they opined.

 

Dinhata is still a jute and tobacco growing area and transportation by railway is cheaper than road transport. The railway authorities should consider extending of facilities like goods yard, sheds and sidings at Dinhata railway station. All facilities for passenger trains should also be introduced here, they appealed.

 

The DMBS-2001 members recalled that the railway route once ran through areas now in Bangladesh. As the relation among the SAARC countries is improving the authorities should consider laying the broad-gauge track so that it may be extended to Bangladesh as it was in earlier days. It was the shortest route to go to Kolkata in those days. Till 1956 this railway route was a part to link Sealdah by Darjeeling Mail via Lalmonirhat, Saidpur and Ishwardi (now in Bangladesh).

 

Secretary of DMBS-2001 Mr Samir Chowdhuri said that the DRM, Mr Rakshit heard their points patiently and assured that he will take up the issue with higher authorities concerned. They also sent copies of their memorandum to the Union railway minister Mr Lalu Prasad, Railway Standing Committee chairman Mr Basudeb Acharya, MP (Rajya Sabha) Mr Tarini Roy and MP (Lok Sabha) Mr Hiten Barman with a request to take up the demands with competent authorities, Mr Chowdhuri said. []

 

Timber seized

 

COOCH BEHAR, July 1: Acting on a tip-off a team of forest officials led by ADFO (Social Forestry) Mr SK Baroi and Beat Officer Md Mansur Ali intercepted a vehicle at Dewanhat that was going towards Dinhata this morning. They seized sawn teakwood worth Rs 40,000 and arrested one Arsad Mian. Four others however managed to escape. The arrested man was sent to court today and effort is on to nab the other members of the gang, Mr Baroi said. []