GCDP demand

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 4: Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party (GCDP) demanded declaration of the birthday of Roysaheb Thakur Panchanan Barma as a government holiday to show respect to the great social reformer.

 

Submitting a memorandum to the additional district magistrate of Cooch Behar recently they demanded inclusion of the biography of Thakur Panchanan Barma in the curriculum of school and college. They also demanded naming of Cooch Behar Airport after the great hero Chilarai.

 

A senior GCDP leader said following the agreement signed between the then Maharaja of Cooch Behar State and Union of India the government of India is liable to all-out development of Cooch Behar. The government should take responsibility to erase out all problems of the people of Cooch Behar but in reality no such initiative was taken, he alleged.

 

It may be recalled here that a few days ago at a mass gathering that was held at Sitalkuchi the Trinamul Congress chief Miss Mamata Bannerjee too demanded taking over of Thakur Panchanan Barma's homestead and declare it as a National memorial. []

 

River erosion menace

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 4: Cooch Behar District unit of Trinamul Youth Congress is planning an intensive movement to draw an end to the river erosion problem in different areas of this district.

 

River erosion is a round-the-year phenomenon in Cooch Behar district but no adequate measure was taken to save the lives and properties of the people from the menace, alleged district Trinamul Congress vice-president Mr Niranjan Dutta and district TYC president Mr Shibendra Nath Roy. On the otherhand, Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad Sabhadhipati Mr Jnanendra Chandra Chanda said that steps were taken at different places to arrest the erosion. A proposal was sent to Brahmaputra Board for a permanent measure, he added.

 

The worst affected villages that suffer river erosion round-the-year are in Cooch Behar-II block and Tufanganj and Mathabhanga sub-divisions. In Cooch Behar-II block Torsa river made residents panicky. In villages like Kaminirghat, Karisal, Jatrapur, Baro-Atharokotha and Damodarpur the river already gobbled up hundreds of acres of farmland and many homesteads. A few days ago Torsa grabbed the school building of Gaddarpar Fourth Plan Primary School. The aggrieved villagers are fuming due to lack of permanent measure to stop erosion. The opposition parties are planning to take the opportunity by turning the grievance of the villagers into votes against the ruling party.

 

The situation of Ambari, Kholta, Deocharai, Khapaidanga, Chilakhana and Chhatua are no better. Kaljani river took a disastrous role in many parts of Tufanganj sub-division. Mahiskuchi, Jaldhowa, Takuamari and adjoining villages are known as erosion prone ones. In Mathabhanga the rivers like Dharala, Sutunga and Jaldhaka are engaged in gobbling up lands and properties of local residents.

 

District TYC president Mr Shibendra Nath Roy alleged that the authorities concerned never took up the erosion menace seriously and so no permanent measure was taken to stop erosion till now. "We are going to organise a massive movement with flood and erosion affected people of Cooch Behar", he said. Gherao and sit-in programmes will be held soon to highlight the grave situation, he declared. District Trinamul Congress vice-president Mr Niranjan Dutta said they would extend all possible support to the TYC's movement. []