PANCHAYAT SPECIAL

Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad

 

COOCH BEHAR, April 22: Falimari Gram Panchayat under Tufanganj block is an underdeveloped area of Cooch Behar district. Since time immemorial this area was lying as a disconnected one from the rest areas of the district. Rivers like Gangadhar and Gadadhar surround it from all sides and so it is impossible for the local residents to keep regular contact with the block and sub-divisional headquarters. As the market, GP office, school and other public facilities are situated on the other side of the river the residents have to face hurdle everyday. A large area of the GP is still waiting to get electrification facility. But, recently, the situation started changing to better.

 

The outgoing sabhadhipati of Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad Mr Jnanendra Chandra Chanda said a 150-metre long bridge is coming up at Kokuruddiner-ghat over Gadadhar river to end the plight of the villagers. Once completed the Rs 3-crore bridge will be of immense help to the 20,000 people of the area concerned. Mr Chanda believes the initiative to uplift the condition of the GP may be considered as the best effort done by the CZP in its ongoing term.

 

Latapata GP under Mathabhanga-II block is also another example, Mr Chanda said. Bura-Torsa river disconnected this GP from the areas of Cooch Behar Sadar and Mathabhanga sub-divisions. Initiative was taken to construct a 147-metre bridge at Baburkhamar-ghat to make the things easy for the 15,000 residents. Dawaguri is another disconnected area. The Ghargharia river disconnected two villages and so country boat is the only mode of communication in this area. An Rs 46-lakh bridge is coming up here, Mr Chanda added.

 

Mr Chanda claimed that construction of an international truck terminus at Changrabandha in Mekhliganj sub-division is one of the best jobs done by the CZP. Presently work for electrification is going on here. This truck terminus will be able to earn revenue to the tune of at least Rs one-crore annually, he opined.

 

Mr Chanda took over the charge of sabhadhipati on 14 June in 2006 when the previous sabhadhipati Mr Ananta Roy was 'promoted' as the state forest minister. As a few schemes are yet to be implemented he feels shy for that. A plan was adopted to construct a 122-metre bridge over Raidak-I river at Dhalpal but the CZP failed to get adequate fund for its implementation. Plan for another 100-metre bridge over Ghargharia river at Ichhamari-Chapaguri is also lying at the nascent stage. "If the Left Front come back again to power it will maintain the developmental progress that was initiated by the outgoing ZP board", Mr Chanda assured.

 

Mr Chanda is involved in the panchayat system since 1978 as an elected representative but he is not contesting this time because his party, the CPI-M, did not nominate him. The party decided that except under special cases no one would be allowed more than three times to contest, he explained. []

 

PHOTO : The outgoing sabhadhipati of Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad. – DEBASHIS BHAUMIK.