Mahouts to train forest workers

 

COOCH BEHAR, Oct. 11: Mahouts (elephant-driver) of Cooch Behar forest division are to train the forest workers of south Bengal districts to teach them the techniques of driving out wild elephants from localities. The training programme is going to be conducted soon. As there are no trained forest workers in south Bengal to protect villagers from elephant menace the mahouts of north Bengal have to rush to the south Bengal districts to drive out the wild elephants that enter into localities.

 

Presently, the mahouts of north Bengal have to go with tamed elephants of forest division to south Bengal districts on different occasions of elephant menace. This is a time consuming matter and at the same time it is not economical. It is believed that after receiving adequate training the forest workers of south Bengal districts will be able to do the job themselves.

 

Forest division sources said elephant menace is not a problem of north Bengal only. A number of south Bengal districts too suffer from similar problem round the year. The wild elephants enter villages adjacent to the forests. Following this the villagers have to suffer loss of a huge quantity of crop and dwelling houses. The number of death incidents per year is also mentionworthy. The local forest personnel have no ability to drive out the elephants due to lack of proper techniques. As a result the situation is getting worse.

 

A senior forest division official said it is not very easy to shift tamed elephants to the affected areas in south Bengal to drive away the wild elephants. It takes time and money to send the elephants from north Bengal. Considering the situation the forest department chalked out the plan to train forest workers of south Bengal by mahouts of north Bengal. After the training the situation will be better, the forest official hoped. []

 

Vehicle worker's demonstration

 

COOCH BEHAR, Oct. 11: Demanding Eid and puja bonus the workers of taxis and mini-maxis organised a sit-in at the Maxi-Taxi Stand at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bus Terminus in Cooch Behar today. During the demonstration they also burnt an effigy of taxi and mini-maxi owners today. Yesterday they demonstrated by keeping their vehicles off the roads from all routes in this district. Due to the movement the commuters are suffering heavily in the ongoing festive season.

 

President of Cooch Behar Zilla Taxi and Mini-Maxi Workers' Union Mr Shankar Roy alleged that the vehicle owners are trying to violate the instructions of the state government over disbursing of bonus to the workers of unorganised sector. "We started our movement from 3 October demanding bonus and, if necessary, we may start a non-stop agitation including roadblock from 18 October", Mr Roy said. He said that they started the movement because the workers had failed to get bonus from the vehicle owners last year though the issue was decided earlier.

 

On the otherhand, secretary of district Maxi-Taxi Owners' Association Mr Narayan Dutta said that due to damaged roads the situation of their business is not well but they were ready to give bonus at the rate as was given in previous year. It is not possible to disburse bonus in the manner as the union is pressing, he said.

 

It was learnt that maxi-taxis run in more than 200 routes in Cooch Behar district. A large number of passengers depend on these vehicles for travel especially along the routes in villages. The ongoing agitation is posing a problem to them. The situation may turn worse if the issue were not settled before the festival, opined many passengers. []