Civic body to enforce ban on plastic bags

 

COOCH BEHAR, Dec. 17: In a bid to make the environment of the heritage town pollution-free the Cooch Behar Municipality is going to enforce strictly the ban on thin plastic carry bags in the municipal area. An order was issued a few months back asking all concerned not to use plastic carry bags but the buyers and sellers of different commodities never took it seriously.

 

During the recent Raas Mela such carry bags were used largely. After the fair it was found that there were huge piles of dirty plastic bags in and around the Raas Mela Ground. On receiving complaints from different quarters the chairman of the civic body had to order a massive cleaning drive to remove those things.

 

Chairman of Cooch Behar Municipality Mr Biren Kundu said they are considering a plan to start a drive against the menace of plastic carry bags. A decision on the procedure and the date of commencement of the drive will be adopted very shortly at the meeting of the councillors. During the drive the officials of the civic body may impose fine on the spot on anyone in possession of such items. Cases will also be lodged against the traders dealing with these, Mr Kundu said.

 

Hoping that the proposed drive may discourage the sellers and buyers using of the material that pollutes the environment the municipality chairman said co-operation of administration is needed to erase the menace and at the same time civic sense of the citizens is also required for the purpose.

 

Mr Kundu also declared that they are going to start another drive very soon against defaulters of water tax and the house owners who took water connections illegally. During the drive they will disconnect the illegal connections and legal actions will also be taken against the offenders. Nonpayer citizens of water tax will have to pay fine otherwise their connections may be severed, the chairman said. []

 

Cultural festival

 

COOCH BEHAR, Dec. 17: The two-day community cultural festival organised by Baxirhat Sarbojanin Sanskritik Utsav Committee concluded today at Baxirhat Bazar in Cooch Behar. It was the eighteenth year of the festival. Various cultural troupes and artistes participated in the yearly colourful event. Performance of local and regional cultural items added dimensions to the festival. []

  

LF criticised at govt employees' state meet

 

COOCH BEHAR, Dec. 17: The Left Front government and its various policies came under attack in the four-day state conference of Joint Council of the State Government Employees' Associations and Unions (popularly known as Joint Council) that was concluded at McWilliam Institute Hall in Alipurduar of Jalpaiguri district today. Three ministers – Mr Kshiti Goswami, Mr Biswanath Chaudhury and Mr Manohar Tirkey and a few MLAs attended the conference.

 

In the secretarial report tabled by the general secretary of Joint Council, Mr Kuntal Kanti Mandal, it was alleged that the sixth and seventh Left Front government adopted a line of compromise with imperialists and capitalists in the interest of industrialisation. According to the policy the state government is going on leaving behind all previous confrontations with the Centre. It is proceeding in co-operation with the Centre to accept the concept of globalisation.

 

About a decade after coming into power the Left Front government lost its endeavour and sharpness to act as the weapon of movement. In the regime of the sixth and the seventh terms of Left Front the slogan has lost its context, the report said.

 

Referring the industrialisation policy the RSP dominated Joint Council's report said industry is obviously needed but it should not come up by forcible acquisition of high yielding farmlands. Industrial units should be established on the unused and uncultivable lands. West Bengal should be a model state where the peasants can unite with workers.

 

On functioning of the state administration the report mentioned that the government's dependability on bureaucrats rose but the cabinet of ministers took no initiative to draw an end to it. Many pro-people orders are lying idle under red-ribbon tied files. The government employees have had to organise movements through their organisations only to get the benefit of their legitimate rights. Widespread practice of corruption and opportunism is damaging the image of the government.

 

In the report it was recalled that several employees' associations had raised demand for 'workers participation in the management' but that was not considered. Once implemented this policy can ensure a clean and corruption-free administrative functioning. The government should consider it immediately, the report demanded.

 

The Nandigram and Singur happenings were sharply criticised in the secretarial report. It termed the incidents as Fascist ones. Not gun but man should say the last word, the report opined. []

 

Sit-in at UBKV continues

 

COOCH BEHAR, Dec. 17: The sit-in demonstration and cease work at the offices of Pundibari campus of UBKV entered its thirteenth day today. Secretary of Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya unit of University Officers' Association Dr Mrigendra Ghosh said they already made appeals to the state government and the Governor to intervene to end the deadlock that was going on since 4 December following the 'illegal' dismissal of the registrar, Dr PC Sarkar. They planned agitations to be held from today in front of the residence of vice-chancellor, Prof MK Majumder but that was suspended because the VC left for Kolkata 'secretly' on Saturday.

 

Till withdrawal of the dismissal order the sit-in demonstration will continue in front of the administrative building of the UBKV as before, the UOA secretary said. []