Dinhata inquiry soon : Divisional commissioner

 

COOCH BEHAR, Feb. 10: The administrative inquiry into the Dinhata violence will commence soon and the government is to decide who will be entrusted for conducting the inquiry, said the divisional commissioner of Jalpaiguri division Mr Biharilal Meena.  

 

Earlier, the district magistrate of Cooch Behar Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha had said that a senior magistrate might conduct the inquiry from next week.

 

Mr Meena told The Statesman over phone that he visited Dinhata on Saturday but that was not to conduct any probe. He went there to learn what actually happened there on 5 February, he said.

 

When asked about the arrest of the 57 persons named in the FIR lodged by the SDO of Dinhata, the divisional commissioner Mr Meena said, "Those who are guilty they should be brought to the book". The actual happenings of the day and who were the guilty may come out during the inquiry, he opined.

 

Mr Meena however denied making any specific comment about the possibility of arrest of the seven FB leaders including the party's district secretary Mr Udayan Guha. It may be recalled here that forty persons in the fifty-seven FIR named were already arrested and sent to judicial custody.

 

Mentionworthy, the divisional commissioner of Jalpaiguri division, Mr Meena visited Dinhata on Saturday. He visited the premises of the court where five Forward Bloc activists were killed in police firing on 5 February during a law-violation programme.

 

During his visit Mr Meena talked with the district magistrate of Cooch Behar Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha and the SDO of Dinhata Mr D Chakraborty and inquired about the firing incident that occurred on that day. He also saw the damages done to the government offices at the vicinity on 5 February.

 

Talking with the reporters at Dinhata Mr Meena said on Saturday that in 25 rounds that were fired on that day to control the mob three were blank shots. He also Okayed the role of the SDO of Dinhata during the pandemonium. []

 

Forward Bloc

 

COOCH BEHAR, Feb. 10: Cooch Behar district unit of Forward Bloc started reviewing the situation that came up after the death of its five activists in police firing at Dinhata on 5 February during the law-violation programme. The two-day workers' convention began on Saturday at Nripendra Narayan Memorial Hall in Dinhata to discuss the issue. In the close-door meeting the leaders of the party are listening the opinions of the grass-root level workers to study the pulse of the supporters about staying in the Left Front and in the ministry and the relation with the CPI-M.

 

Summing up the outcome of the two-day meet the district secretariat meeting of the party will be held on Monday to chalk out the next phase of movement. The party will disclose its next steps after the secretariat meeting, according to the Cooch Behar district Forward Bloc secretary Mr Udayan Guha []

 

Govt employees' state conference

 

COOCH BEHAR, Feb. 10: The forty-first biennial state conference of West Bengal Group-D Government Employees' Association began at Rabindra Bhavan in Cooch Behar on Saturday.

 

A veteran trade union leader and the general secretary of All India State Government Employees' Federation, Mr Sukomal Sen inaugurated the four-day conference. General secretary of State Co-ordination Committee, Mr Ananta Bandyopadhyay was present as the chief guest. Sabhadhipati of Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad Mr Jnanendra Chandra Chanda delivered the welcome address. About 900 delegates from different districts came to attend the conference.

 

In his inaugural address Mr Sukomal Sen said that issues like Nandigram or Dinhata may come up but the government employees should carry on their duties ignoring all provocations. They should ensure victory of the Left Front in the ensuing panchayat elections to maintain the process of progress in this state.

 

During his lengthy speech Mr Sen said nothing about the demands of the government employees. Clarifying this he said that the delegates would discuss the demands and other problems in the conference but before that they should be prepared to face the aggressive challenges that are coming up as a result of the globalisation.

 

Mr Sen appealed the employees to read and buy more books. Armed with knowledge collected from books they can be able to make themselves ready to thwart the American aggression in all spheres of life, he opined.

 

In the draft resolution a 14-point charter of demands was tabled at the conference for discussion. Mr Jaydeb Bakshi tabled the secretarial report. The conference will continue till 12 February. []