Forest minister orders Wildlife Week celebration

 

COOCH BEHAR, Oct. 4: State forest minister Mr Ananta Roy instructed Mr Apurba Sen, divisional forest officer (social forestry), Cooch Behar, to arrange celebration of Wildlife Week in Cooch Behar. Today, the minister told The Statesman over phone that it would be a shame for him if the Week were not observed in his home district. He admitted that a communication gap was occurred between the officials of wildlife division and social forestry division over observance of Wildlife Week that began on 1 October in this state. The closing ceremony will be held at Dhupjhora in Jalpaiguri district on 7 October.

 

The minister said a programme would be held at Rasik-bil in Tufanganj on 5-6 October as a part of the Week like other areas under Cooch Behar forest division.

 

It was learnt that the minister got annoyed yesterday when he came to know from reporters that there would be no programme in his home district, Cooch Behar, to observe the Wildlife Week. He talked with senior forest officials including chief conservator of forests, north Bengal, Mr Silvant Patel over the matter and following his instruction a brief programme was chalked out for Cooch Behar district.

 

When contacted, Cooch Behar DFO (SF) Mr Apurba Sen said a meeting was held today and it was decided that sit-and-draw, nature study and wildlife awareness programmes would be held at Rasik-bil tomorrow. On the next day the Nature and Adventure Study Group (NASG) will organise a nature study camp at Rasik-bil for poor students. On the evening an on-the-spot quiz competition on wildlife will be held at Raj Palace Garden premises near the Cooch Behar Palace, Mr Sen said. He however denied to make any comment over the alleged "communication gap" with wildlife division.

 

Expressing his pleasure over the development the NASG secretary Mr Arup Guha said it would be better if seven days were devoted for observance of the Week in Cooch Behar. "But now we are happy that the forest minister admitted the importance", Mr Guha said.

 

It may be mentioned here that yesterday the forest minister told reporters that the officials concerned told him that as there are no wild animals in Cooch Behar so observance of the Week is not necessary in Cooch Behar. Sources said lack of co-ordination between wildlife division and social forestry division was reportedly the main reason behind the non-observance of the Week in Cooch Behar. At last, the minister had to intervene to straighten up the controversy. []

 

Vehicle seized, 4 held

 

COOCH BEHAR, Oct. 4: Tufanganj Police seized a Scorpio vehicle from near the Raidak Bridge in Tufanganj yesterday. Four persons including a woman were arrested in connection with car lifting. Police said the vehicle was brought in from Asansol and it was going to Silchar. The arrested persons are residents of Benaras. It is suspected that the vehicle was stolen from somewhere and was on its way to be sold in clandestine market in Silchar. []

 

Police attack on scribes, inquiry starts

 

COOCH BEHAR, Oct. 4: Some policemen engaged in extorting money from vehicle drivers assaulted a reporter and a cameraman of a TV channel (E-TV) this morning near the MJN Hospital in Cooch Behar town. Following demand raised by the pressmen a DSP-level inquiry was initiated into the matter. State forest minister Mr Ananta Roy too instructed the district magistrate and SP to take action against the offenders.

 

It is alleged that the reporter of a TV channel Mr Partha Chakraborty and a cameraman Mr Ashok Dey appeared on Sunity Road near the MJN Hospital at about 4-45 a.m. today. They had got a tip-off that some policemen were extorting money from vehicle drivers who were coming from outer places with patients. The plea of the extortion was that they had no special permission to use their vehicles as ambulances. When Mr Chakraborty and Mr Dey started taking visual shots of the extortion an ASI started throwing filthy languages to them. Soon after, some policemen arrived there and started beating the pressmen. The ASI, identified as Bablu Ray, led the beating and snatched the mobile phone from Mr Chakraborty's possession when he was trying to contact a senior police officer.

 

Locals shifted the two to the MJN Hospital with serious injuries. Later, a complaint was lodged to Cooch Behar Kotowali police station on behalf of Mr Chakraborty seeking justice. Lying in his hospital bed Mr Chakraborty said the ASI was asking Rs 2,500 from a driver who came from Balarampur with patients. "The ASI abused us with filthy languages and led the attack on us", he said. Some onlookers too alleged that extortion from drivers is a regular feature at the entrance of the hospital complex.

 

State forest minister Mr Ananta Roy visited the injured pressmen at the hospital and inquired about their treatment. Condemning the attack on the media persons he said he instructed concerned officials to make an inquiry into the matter and take stern actions against the offenders. Cooch Behar (North) MLA Mr Dipak Sarkar too went to the hospital to see the injured reporters.

 

The members of Cooch Behar Press Club met the district magistrate Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha and Cooch Behar SP Mr Anil Kumar and submitted memorandums. They demanded punitive measures against the accused police officer.

 

Cooch Behar DM, Mr Sinha said that he would ask the SP to inquire into the incident. He assured that he would certainly take actions after studying the allegations and the incident. He made it clear that stern actions will be taken against police personnel on receiving of specific complaints of extortion.

 

Cooch Behar SP Mr Kumar too said that he would not tolerate such incidents. Declaring a DSP-level inquiry into the incident he assured that "drastic actions" would be taken after examining the inquiry report. At the same time he admitted that extortion of money from vehicles carrying patients is a dirty offence and actions will be taken on getting complaints.

 

It was learnt that DSP (Headquarters) Mr Swapan Kumar Das was entrusted to carry on an inquiry into the attack on pressmen and extortion of money from drivers.

 

Submitting a memorandum to the DM addressed to the state Governor, Cooch Behar District Trinamul Yuva Congress president Mr Shibendra Nath Roy demanded a judicial inquiry into the attack over the media persons. []