Divisional Commissioner visits Dinhata

 

COOCH BEHAR, Feb. 9: The divisional commissioner of Jalpaiguri division, Mr Biharilal 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 Debaditya Chakraborty and inquired about the incident that occurred on that day. He also saw the damages done to the government offices at the vicinity on that day by agitated FB activists.

 

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". He 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. Mentionworthy, forty persons were already arrested and sent to judicial custody.

 

Replying a question Mr Meena said the administrative inquiry into the Dinhata violence will commence soon and the government is to decide who will be entrusted for conducting the inquiry. Earlier, the district magistrate, Mr Sinha said that a senior magistrate might conduct the inquiry from next week. []

 

Govt employees' state conference starts

 

COOCH BEHAR, Feb. 9: 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. About 900 delegates from different districts attended the conference.

 

In his inaugural address Mr Sukomal Sen said that issues like Nandigram or Dinhata may come up but the government 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 he uttered nothing about the demands of the government employees. Clarifying this he said the delegates will discuss the demands 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. The conference will be concluded on 12 February. []