AIYL demands agricultural school

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 18: Members of Cooch Behar district unit of All India Youth League (AIYL) took out a protest rally in Cooch Behar today. Later they held a gathering at district agricultural training centre premises. The speakers demanded immediate setting up of an agricultural school in Cooch Behar to improve the agricultural scenario of the district. They also submitted a memorandum containing six-point charter of demands to the principal of the agricultural training centre.

 

In his address at the gathering the general secretary of AIYL's Cooch Behar district unit, Mr Gopal Dey said there is a large volume of surplus lands in the nine seed farms in this district. These lands should be brought under farming and used for production of seeds of high yielding varieties of different crops. These seeds should be distributed among the poor farmers of the district free of cost. The proposed agricultural school will be of much help to the farmers, he opined.

 

Mr Dey also demanded introduction of proper infrastructure for seed production and research at each of the nine seed farms and use of uncultivable lands of these farms for plantation of trees. []

 

Turtle census at Shiv Dighi

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 18: The Debottar Trust Board (DTB) is considering a plan to conduct census of the tortoises of the Shiv Dighi of Baneswar. The DTB is the guardian body of the temples and religious places of the erstwhile princely state of Cooch Behar. The tortoises of Shiv Dighi are known as 'Mohan' to the devotees and locals.

 

The plan for conducting the census was adopted following mysterious deaths of the Mohans since 29 October 2005. The death toll is more than fifty-four during the period, claimed the activists of the Save Mohan Committee.

 

Following deaths of a number of tortoises of the Shiv Dighi locals got agitated and demonstrations including road blockades were also held. The issue also rolled to the courtroom. Several investigations and tests were conducted but the actual cause behind the deaths is still shrouds under mystery. On 30 October 2006 the principal chief conservator of forests sent a twelve-point recommendation to the Debottar Trust Board as measures to stop the death toll but most of the recommendations were not implemented so far.

 

It may be mentioned here that during examining the water of the pond and its surroundings the experts had identified pollution of the water of the pond, over population of the turtles and concrete banks of the waterbody as some of the causes behind the problem. Pisciculture at the pond was also held responsible. They however opined that 10 to 20 percent death might be taken as natural especially during mating season. Netting of the fishes of the pond and removal of the concrete banks were done following recommendations but that failed to stop the menace.

 

Cooch Behar SDO Mr Jayanta Kumar Maity said the DTB is to entrust the forest department to conduct the census of the tortoises of Shiv Dighi. After the census the experts will think over the matter whether the number of tortoises is more than the natural ratio of those in a small pond like Shib Dighi. []