AGITATION

Demonstration of Chhatra Parishad activists in front of the district magistrate's office in Cooch Behar on Tuesday demanding arrest of the 'accused' principal of a school in connection with the recent suicide of a girl student.

STRIKE IN SCHOOLS

Students' strike in Cooch Behar

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 30: Educational institutions in Cooch Behar were found closed today following the strike call given by the Chhatra Parishad (CP). The CP called the students' strike demanding arrest of the principal of a reputed English medium school alleging her responsible for the recent suicide of a girl student of Class IX of that school. The CP activists demonstrated at the offices of the DM and SP too in support of their demand.

 

On the otherhand, All India Democratic Students' Organisation (AIDSO) demanded an impartial inquiry into the suicide incident. They also demanded bringing of all non-government schools under government control and measure to stop practice of ragging in the schools and colleges. []

DEMONSTRATION

Chhatra Parishad activists stage roadblock in Cooch Behar and TYC activists demonstrate at the Kotowali police station in Cooch Behar on Monday demanding arrest of the 'accused' involved in provoking a girl student to commit suicide.

demonSTRATION

Demonstration demanding arrest of principal

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 29: Activists of the Chhatra Parishad, the students' wing of the Congress, staged roadblocks at different areas in Cooch Behar today. They were demanding arrest of the principal of St Mary's School in connection with the suicide of a girl student of that school. The Chhatra Parishad also called a students' strike in the district tomorrow.

 

On the otherhand, Trinamul Youth Congress activists too demonstrated at the Kotowali police station today. They also demanded arrest of the 'accused' principal and a thorough inquiry into the incident.

 

It may be recalled here that the girl student of Class IX, Koyel Pal, committed suicide on Friday by consuming poison. Her parents held the principal of the school responsible for the suicide of their daughter.

 

Police claimed that an inquiry was initiated into the matter and it is progressing satisfactorily. No one will be spared if found responsible in provoking the girl to kill herself, a police official said. []

SUICIDE

Girl student's suicide prompts stir in Cooch Behar

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 28: The suicide of a girl student of Class IX of a reputed English medium school of Cooch Behar evoked sharp reactions in this town. Chhatra Parishad and Trinamul Youth Congress adopted different programmes demanding arrest of the 'accused'.

 

It was learnt that Koyel Pal (15) was a student of Class IX in St Mary's School in Cooch Behar. In absence of her parents in their residence at Khagrabari she committed suicide by consuming poison on Friday. When her body was brought to the MJN Hospital the doctors declared her brought dead.

 

Her father Mr Paritosh Pal is an employee of WBSEDCL and her mother Mrs Bharati Pal is a health worker.

 

In his complaint submitted to the police Koyel's father held the principal of the school, Sister Lily, responsible for his daughter's suicide. Her cruel and unjustified behaviours provoked his daughter to commit suicide, he alleged.  But, the principal was not available to make any comment over the incident.

 

Police said a probe already started into the incident following the complaint lodged by the father of the deceased girl. The post-mortem of the body was done on Saturday.

 

On Saturday, Chhatra Parishad activists demonstrated in front of the school demanding arrest of the principal. They decided to launch a massive movement till arrest of the principal. Tomorrow, they will stage roadblock at different places. They also called a students' strike in the district on Tuesday. If no action was taken they will call a general strike in Cooch Behar on the next day.

 

Meanwhile, district Trinamul Congress president Mr Rabi Ghosh and vice-president Mr Niranjan Dutta visited the bereaved parents of Koyel today. They declared that Trinamul Youth Congress activists would demonstrate at the Kotowali police station tomorrow demanding arrest of the principal of the school. []

SOLO FIGHT

Rs 60 salaried woman's sit-in for pay hike

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 26: She is working for 24 years and still she gets Rs 60 per month as her wage. The people from every sector of life are suffering from price hike of essential commodities and inflation these days but this widowed woman worker have to survive by Rs 2 per day. At last, finding no other alternative, she started indefinite hunger strike in front of the office of the district inspector of schools (secondary) in Cooch Behar from today demanding pay hike.

 

Ms Sabitri Roy is a group-D worker engaged at the assistant inspector of schools (secondary) in Dinhata. She has to clean the office rooms, bring water and obey different orders but she gets Rs 60 as her monthly wage. The widow has two sons and two daughters. The daughters were married off and the sons live separately. She depends only on her wage for survival. Though another workers of similar working status get Rs 700 per month her wage was never revised in the past 24 years, she alleged.

 

Assistant inspector of schools (secondary) Mr Nirmal Sarkar said Ms Roy is a part-time worker in his office. They recommended her case several times to the higher authorities. Now, they cannot do anything for the woman without instructions from the higher authorities. Mr Sarkar admitted that her service record was fine and there was no complaint against her. She is still to work for about 10 years.

 

DI of Schools (Secondary) Mr Subodh Kumar Chatterjee said they conveyed the matter to the higher authorities. It is not possible to do anything for her without permission from the authorities concerned.

 

It was learnt that there are five such poor paid workers in five sub-divisional offices of the inspectors of schools in Cooch Behar district. []

 

PHOTO : Silent Fighter - Ms Sabitri Roy in front of the office chamber of the DI of Schools (Secondary) in Cooch Behar on Friday.

COME WINTER !

Misty Morning - A foggy morning in Alipurduar of Jalpaiguri district on Thursday declares that the winter is on the corner.

Trinamul Stir

Trinamul demonstration at offices of DM and SP

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 25: Trinamul Congress mobilised a large number of its supporters at Shahid Baag in Cooch Behar town today to demonstrate at the offices of the district magistrate and the superintendent of police. They organised the programme to stage protest against alleged pre-planned joint attacks of the CPI-M and the police on their supporters in different areas in this district.

 

While addressing the huge gathering at Shahid Baag the Trinamul leaders came down heavily on the CPI-M, the police and the state government and held them responsible for the deteriorating law and order situation. They alleged that atrocities being done at places like Nakkatigachh, Deocharai, Sitalkuchi and Pundibari. The Ocs of the police stations concerned are acting like CPI-M's zonal committee secretaries. The speakers demanded lifting of false and fabricated cases brought against Trinamul activists.

 

The Trinamul leaders also submitted memorandums containing 28-point charter of demands to the DM and 6-point charter of demands to the SP.

 

Senior Trinamul Congress leaders like Mr Rabi Ghosh, Mr Niranjan Dutta, Mr Partha Nath Sarkar and Md Abdul Jalil Ahmed spoke on the occasion. The Trinamul supporters came from different corners of the district almost paralysed the town today. []

HAPPY REUNION

HAPPY MOMENT - Jyoti turned Chameli with her mother Mrs Sandhya Biswasarma. In Cooch Behar on Tuesday.

 

Missing girl reunites with mother after 16 yrs

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 23: Just prior to the pujas a grieved mother got back her daughter who went missing sixteen years ago. The girl was handed over to her mother in Cooch Behar today.

 

It was learnt that Jyoti Biswasarma (14) is a member of an agrarian family of Gayebari village under Ghoksadanga police station in Cooch Behar. She is deaf and dumb. Her mother had engaged her to work as a domestic help in a house in Siliguri in 1992. After sometime she went missing from there. Her father Manomohan Biswasarma lodged a missing diary at Ghoksadanga police station on 18 May 1992.

 

Meanwhile, a girl was rescued from Salbarihat under Naxalbari police station on 27 July 1998. She was sent to the court at Jalpaiguri and then in a Home for destitute in Jalpaiguri. Later, she was shifted to a Short Stay Home for destitute girls for safe custody at Baneswar in Cooch Behar run by a social organisation. Since then she was staying there with a new name, Chameli. But, it was not possible for anyone to reveal her whereabouts for the past six years.

 

Recently, Jyoti's mother came to know from different sources that her missing daughter is staying at the Short Stay Home in Cooch Behar. She rushed there and identified the girl as her daughter, Jyoti. The girl too recognised her mother.

 

After completion of all legal formalities the Jalpaiguri court yesterday instructed the authorities of the Home to hand over the girl to her mother. Today, Jyoti turned Chameli got back her mother who came to take her back with two neighbours. The reunion of the mother and her daughter was marked with tears rolled down from the eyes of both. []

AGITATION

Demonstration of potato growers at the Cooch Behar Sadar SDO office demanding waiving of agricultural loans to the affected farmers.

AGITATION

Law violation programme

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 22: A large number of cultivators staged a law violation programme at the office of the Cooch Behar Sadar SDO at Sagardighi Square today. 362 of them were courted arrest during the demonstration.

 

Secretary of Cooch Behar Alu-Pat-Dhan Chashi Sangram Committee, Mr Nripen Karjee said they organised the programme demanding waiving of agricultural loans in the interest of the affected potato growers.

 

Prior to the law violation programme the farmers gathered at Shahid Baag where the leaders came down heavily on the state government's indifference to the affected potato growers of Cooch Behar. The speakers demanded the government to buy potato against reasonable price to save the growers. []

NABARD PROGRAMME

The DDM of NABARD Debashis Ganguli interacts with women SHG members at the G-NESEP organised leadership and awareness programme at Gourangabazar of Haribhanga in Cooch Behar on Sunday.

KAMTAPUR

Another KLO activist arrested

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 20: In a joint raid by Tufanganj Police and Assam Police a Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) activist was arrested last night from Kokrajhar district in Assam.

 

Police said that acting on a tip-off they conducted the joint raid at Khoksaguri village under Gosaingaon police station in Kokrajhar district of Assam last night and arrested one Ratan Chandra Barman stated to be a KLO activist. Some documents including CDs were seized from his possession. From these documents the police reportedly got some clues about connection between KLO and some separatist organisations of this region.

 

It may be recalled here that Boxirhat Police had arrested another KLO activist of Kokrajhar named Ramanath Roy on 9 September. Last night's raid was conducted following the information revealed from him during interrogation, police said.

 

Tufanganj OC Mr Jahar Jyoti Roy and CI Mr Tapan Chatterjee led the operation in association with their counterparts in Assam. When they conducted the raid the KLO man was found busy in discussions with some others at a local shop near his residence. Interrogation is going on to know the whereabouts of other KLO activists, police said. It is yet to be ascertained when and where the nabbed KLO activist received his training. A case of sedition was initiated against him and he was produced in a court today.

 

It is not yet clear whether there is a plan to conduct subversive activities prior to the festivals, a senior police officer said. []

FESTIVAL

An artisan busy in giving finishing touches to an idol of Devi Durga made of coloured crystals at his Kumartuli studio. In Cooch Behar on Friday.

SOCIETY

Training camp for SHGs concludes

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 19: The five-day residential training programme for the members of the self-help groups (SHG) has concluded in Cooch Behar today. Thirty participants from fifteen social organisations – both male and female - attended the SHG-bank linkage training programme. The National Agricultural Bank for Rural Development (NABARD) sponsored the programme that was organised by the Consortium for Training, Research and Development (CTRD).

 

NABARD's district development manager Mr Debasis Ganguli and CTRD's training director Mr Vijay Krishna conducted the five-day training programme at the Panchayati Raj Training Centre (PRTC) in Cooch Behar.

 

Mr Vijay Krishna said they organised the training programme to teach how to form SHGs, nurturing of SHGs, various aspects of SHG related activities and bank credit linkage. []

 

PHOTO : CTRD training director Mr Vijay Krishna explains a point at the SHG-bank linkage training programme. In Cooch Behar on Friday.

FESTIVAL

Artisans busy in making clay idols of Goddess Durga at their roadside studio in Cooch Behar of West Bengal on Thursday. – Debashis Bhaumik.

FESTIVAL

An artisan busy in making Durga idol at his roadside studio. In Cooch Behar on Thursday.

DEMONSTRATION

Trainee teachers on warpath

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 18: The members of the All Bengal Primary Teachers' Trainee Association (ABPTTA) staged a roadblock along Keshav Road in Cooch Behar today. Traffic movement was heavily disrupted during the agitation. They lifted the agitation after police intervention. Before leaving they handed over a memorandum addressed to the state school education minister through the police officer on duty.

 

Later, the ABPTTA members staged a demonstration at the office of the chairman of the district primary school council and submitted a memorandum containing four-point of charter of demands to the chairman, Md Nuruddin Mian.

 

ABPTTA president Mr Bhajan Barman said they organised today's programme demanding appointment of trained candidates in all vacant posts of primary teachers in different primary schools in this state. They also demanded assurance of appointment of all trained teachers and starting of new academic session in the Primary Teachers Training Institutes. []

 

PHOTO : Members of ABPTTA demonstrate at the office of the District Primary School Council. In Cooch Behar on Thursday. – DB

ACCIDENT

Road mishap : 2 killed

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 17: In a fatal road mishap two young men were killed on National Highway-31 in Pundibari of Cooch Behar today. It was learnt that Subhajit Guha Neogi (35) and Kaushik Narayan (31) were going towards Pundibari in a Maruti car at the early morning today. Near the Pundibari campus of the Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya their car rammed into a lamppost and then it hit a roadside tree. The two died on the spot. Police rescued the bodies and sent them to the MJN Hospital for post-mortem. Police are yet to know where the two young men were going at the early hours of the day. []  

UNHEALTHY INCIDENT

Doctor assaulted

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 15: Following a dispute between a doctor and a gram panchayat pradhan over admission of a patient the doctor was assaulted and his office room in JD Hospital near Cooch Behar town was ransacked today. Police took the doctor to safe custody to pacify the situation and admitted him to the MJN Hospital in Cooch Behar.

 

It was learnt that the pradhan of Khagrabari gram panchayat Mr Naresh Singha brought a patient to the JD Hospital this noon for treatment. During the admission process a dispute arose between the doctor on duty Dr Tushar Bhaumik and the pradhan. The dispute turned into scuffle. Locals from nearby areas rushed to the hospital and assaulted the doctor. They also ransacked it. On being informed the police appeared and controlled the situation. They took the doctor in their safe custody and admitted him to MJN Hospital. []

COOCHBEHAR NEWS

DYFI rally

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 15: Demanding all-out development of Cooch Behar district, eradication of unemployment problem and maintaining of peace in the society the Cooch Behar district unit of the Democratic Youth Federation of India brought out a large procession in the town today. The programme was organised on the occasion of "All India demand day for employment". A huge gathering was also held at Shahid Baag where front ranking leaders of the DYFI spoke. []

 

Conference

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 15: The annual conference of Agragami Anganwadi Karmochari Samiti was held at Netaji Bhavan in Cooch Behar yesterday. The state AAKS chairperson Ms Doli Roy (MLA) inaugurated the conference. Mr Akshoy Thakur (MLA), Mr Dipak Sarkar (MLA), Mr Debasis Banik, Ms Champa Dutta and other leaders spoke on the occasion. Resolutions were adopted at the conference to organise massive movements following a 22-point charter of demands. []

 

Remedial course

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 15: Inauguration of remedial courses for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Minority students will be held at Cooch Behar College tomorrow according to the principal of the college Dr Pankaj Kumar Debnath. []

COOCHBEHAR NEWS

Convention

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 14: Cooch Behar unit of the Shilpi-Sanskritik Kormi-Buddhijibi Mancha organised a cultural awareness convention at Rabindra Bhavan in Cooch Behar today as a follow up of the recent happening in Nandigram. Eminent intellectuals and personalities attended the convention. []

 

Legal camp

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 14: Thakur Panchanan Mahila Mahavidyalaya organised a legal awareness and legal aid camp yesterday in co-operation with the sub-divisional legal services authority and additional district and sessions judge of Cooch Behar. []

 

BSNL

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 14: Cooch Behar district merchants chamber of commerce threatened of an intensive movement including gherao of BSNL offices. Submitting a memorandum to the telecom district manager they demanded immediate improvement of BSNL mobile phone service in Cooch Behar. The ongoing poor and disturbed services of BSNL mobile and broadband are nothing but a pre-planned conspiracy to help other private operators, they alleged. []

 

Drive against cattle smuggling

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 14: During a special joint drive against cattle smuggling the jawans of the 113-Battalion of the Border Security Force under Cooch Behar Sector Headquarter seized 32 cattle worth Rs 1,98,400 from Chaukushi in Dinhata yesterday. The operation was done in association with police and customs officials.

 

BSF jawans from Notafela, Azampara and Chengmari border outposts launched special operation alongwith ASI Mr MN Shil of Tufanganj Police Station and inspector Mr Sadanand Kumar of Gitaldah custom office. Mr Varinder Datta (second-in-command of 113 Bn BSF) from Azampara BOP supervised the special operation. They conducted combing operation in the entire village and handed over the seized cattle to the custom department. The seized cattle were to be smuggled into Bangladesh. Timely information provided to the BSF followed by prompt action resulted in seizure of cattle. The drive and seizure has demoralized the cattle smugglers operating along the bordering area, BSF sources claimed. []

ARREST

Senior Maoist leader arrested

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 10: A front ranking Maoist leader, Mr Rabindra Nath Dasgupta (49) was arrested today from Changrabandha in Mekhliganj sub-division in Cooch Behar district while he was allegedly trying to cross the International border to go to Bangladesh without any valid document. Police produced the Maoist leader to the court. He was remanded to police custody for further investigation.

 

Police said Mr Dasgupta is a resident of Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas. He is a front ranking leader of a Maoist organisation named Tritiyo Sammilani Prastuti Committee (TSPC). Earlier, he was the secretary of Kolkata suburb committee of the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) till 1989. Later he joined the TSPC.

 

Police sources claimed that a few fake currency notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denominations were seized from his possession. Interrogation is going on to know why he came to Cahngrabandha and trying to go to Bangladesh, police said. []

KAMTAPUR

KLO militant arrested

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 10: Police arrested one Ramanath Roy (25), stated to be a Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) activist, from Baxirhat near Assam-Bengal border on Tuesday night. Today, he was produced in Tufanganj court and remanded to police custody for eight days.

 

Police said Roy was nabbed last night when he was found roaming suspiciously at Laukuthi village under Baxirhat police station. One country-made pistol, three-round ammunition and some documents were seized from his possession. During interrogation he confessed to the police that he was a resident of Chhoto Goma of Kokrajhar in Assam. As a participant of ninth batch of KLO trainees he recently underwent militant training at Chittagong in Bangladesh that concluded in March of this year, he told the police.

 

DIG (Jalpaiguri range) Md Julfikar Hossain, Cooch Behar SP Mr DP Singh and other senior police officials questioned Roy today. Questioning is still going on to learn more from him about the KLO's organisation and whereabouts of its activists, police said.

 

It was learnt that the police were aware of the KLOs recent reorganisation move in this region. After the Operation Flush Out in Bhutan Hills the KLO had turned into a disordered organisation. This time they are trying to recruit activists mostly from Assam instead of Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri, a senior police official said. []

DEMONSTRATION

Demand

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 10: Submitting a memorandum to the district land and land reforms officer in Cooch Behar today, the supporters of Trinamul Youth Congress demanded transparency in functioning of the DL&LR office. They also demanded end of corruption and unwanted activity of middlemen in the office. In the memorandum they pointed out 9-point charter of demands to better the situation. []

 

PHOTO : Trinamul Youth Congress supporters demonstrate at the office of the district land and land reforms officer in Cooch Behar on 10 September.

MOVEMENT

Trinamul demonstration

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 10: Trinamul Congress organised a daylong sit-in demonstration at the office of the block development officer in Mathabhanga-II block in Cooch Behar today. At the huge gathering the Trinamul leaders including the party's district president Mr Rabi Ghosh and vice-president Mr Niranjan Dutta demanded seizure of all fake job cards of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, deletion of false names from the BPL list, adequate compensation to the affected potato growers and end of black-marketing of fertilizers. Later, they submitted a memorandum containing thirty-point charter of demands to the BDO. []

GREATER COOCHBEHAR

GCDP supporters stage roadblock on NH-31 at Jagnanarayaner Kuthi in Cooch Behar on Tuesday.

TRINAMUL STIR

Thana Gherao stir

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 9: Trinamul Congress supporters organised a daylong 'thana gherao' programme at Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar today. The programme was organised to stage protest against ongoing atrocities done on Trinamul supporters by the CPI-M and the police. Senior Trinamul leader Mr Niranjan Dutta alleged that the police are arresting Trinamul supporters on false and fabricated charges. The law and order situation is also deteriorating in this district. Mr Dutta also said that they will gherao the district magistrate's office on 25 September demanding withdrawal of the false cases brought against Trinamul supporters. []

GREATER COOCHBEHAR

Greater Cooch Behar : ASP murder case hearing and roadblock

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 9: Fifty-six inmates including Mr Bangshi Badan Barman associated with 'Greater Cooch Behar' movement observed the death anniversary of Roysaheb Thakur Panchanan Barma inside Cooch Behar District Correctional Home (CDCH) today. They garlanded the image of the great social reformer of this region and offered floral tribute to him.

 

Hearing of a case related to the murder of an ASP against the fifty-six undertrials was also held in the court of District and Sessions Judge Mr KYS Manhas inside the CDCH today. Only one witness appeared today. The lawyer of the accused, Mr Shibendra Nath Roy said five witnesses out of twenty-nine were examined in the court till today. The hearing will continue till Friday, Mr Roy said.

 

On the otherhand, demanding formation of a separate Graeter Cooch Behar state the Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party (GCDP) organised a two-hour roadblock programme on NH-31 at Jagnanarayaner Kuthi near Pundibari in Cooch Behar today. The GCDP activists staged the roadblock from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Traffic movement was heavily disrupted during the agitation along the National Highway.

 

President of the GCDP, Mr Ashutosh Barma said they organised today's programme to highlight their demand to get a separate state following the agreement signed between the then Maharaja of Cooch Behar and representative of Indian government before the merger of Cooch Behar State with Union of India.

 

Mr Barma also demanded introduction of national holiday on the birthday of Roysaheb Thakur Panchanan Barma, inclusion of Cooch Behar's history in the curriculum of schools, setting up of a Central university in Cooch Behar and appointment of a senior representative of Cooch Behar royal family as the president of Debottar Trust Board (DTB). Mentionworthy, DTB is the guardian body of all religious places and temples of the erstwhile princely state of Cooch Behar. []

COOCHBEHAR NEWS

Body found

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 8: Police recovered the slit-throat body of a teenager boy from the hawkers' market in Dinhata today. It was learnt that Raja Harijan (14) of Boarding Para was engaged in that market as a night guard. His parents work as scavengers. Last night he reportedly went to the market with three friends to attend his duty, earlier than other days. This noon, his blood stained body was found at the second floor of the market building. There were several marks of injury in his body. The throat was also found slotted. Police sent the body for post mortem and a probe initiated into the matter. []

 

Body unearthed

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 8: Police dug out the decomposed body of one Afjal Hossain (40) from a paddy field at Nagarer Bari village of Choudhurihat in Dinhata today. He was missing for about fifteen days. After primary investigation police learnt that Afjal was living in his in-laws' house, but he went missing for about fifteen days. Today, after recovery of his body all the members of his in-laws' family absconded. A probe started to ascertain the reason behind the man's death. []

 

Robbery

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 8: In absence of the owners of a house the burglars looted all the household valuables including ornaments from Ward No. 13 in Dinhata town today. The loss was estimated about Rupees one-lakh or more. Mr Prabhat Saha and his wife Mrs Krishna Saha were out of the residence in connection with their jobs and the burglars took the advantage of it. []

 

Literacy Day

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 8: World Literacy Day was observed through different programmes in Cooch Behar today.  Cooch Behar Zilla Saksharata Samiti organised a colourful procession in the town. Seminar and cultural function were also held at Rabindra Bhavan in Cooch Behar to mark the occasion. []

CONFERENCE

Trinamul conference

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 7: Expressing their support to the movement of the farmers in Singur and Nandigram the Trinamul Congress organised a political conference at NBSTC Hall in Cooch Behar today.

Dinhata MLA Mr Ashok Mandal, state Trinamul Congress general secretary and ex-MLA Mr Mihir Goswami, secretary Md Abdul Jalil Ahmed, district Trinamul president Mr Rabi Ghosh, vice-president Mr Niranjan Dutta, district INTTUC president Mr Sachin Adhikary, Mr Ranjit Gupta Choudhury and other leaders attended the programme.

In the convention the leaders came down heavily on the anti-people policies of the CPI-M run state government. They said, industrialisation was needed in this state but the government should not do that by forcibly acquiring cultivable lands and doing harm to the farmers. Senior Trinamul leader Mr Mihir Goswami warned that Trinamul Congress would no more allow the CPI-M and police to carry on their atrocities on Trinamul supporters especially in rural areas in this district.

Trinamul leader Mr Niranjan Dutta asked party activists to get ready for a movement to better the civic services including drinking water supply and proper drainage system in Cooch Behar town. He also demanded speedy completion of Sagardighi beautification drive and correction of BPL list. []

CoochBehar News

Damaged roads

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 5: Congress supporters organised a demonstration in Cooch Behar today demanding repairing of damaged roads in the town before the festive season. Submitting a memorandum to the PWD executive engineer today, the Congress demanded immediate repairing of roads including RRN Road, RN Road, Khalasipatti by-lane and PN Road. []

 

Teachers' Day

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 5: Teachers' Day was observed at Lansdowne Hall in Cooch Behar today. Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad sabhadhipati Mr Dilip Biswas, district magistrate Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha and other dignitaries attended the programme. []

 

Power cut

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 5: The traders in this district town and also in the sub-divisional towns are aggrieved of regular power cuts without any notice. As the festive season is on the corner and the district is suffering from incessant downpour the pre-puja trading is not good enough. The loadshedding for long periods is making the situation worse. Members of the business community demanded non-stop power supply at least for the festive season. []

CoochBehar News

Burglary in Cooch Behar

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 4: Taking advantage of absence of house owners the burglars robbed out almost all household valuables from a residence at Hazrapara in Cooch Behar town. No one however was arrested till now.

 

It was learnt that Mr Akhil Kumar Saha, an employee of Central Bank of India in Madarihat and a resident of well-populated Hazrapara in Cooch Behar left for Chennai with family members on 21 August for medical check up. He left the residence under lock and key.

 

Today, the Sahas came back and noticed their house as a ransacked one. On inquiry they found that the burglars who broke open the back door in absence of them robbed almost all valuables including jewelleries by breaking the steel almirahs. According to their complaint to the police the total loss is more than Rupees one-lakh. Kotowali police initiated an investigation into the incident. []

 

Swimming camp in Cooch Behar

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 4: A one-month swimming training camp for prospective and budding swimmers was launched in Cooch Behar today. Cooch Behar Swimmers' Association (CSA) organised the programme in association with West Bengal State Council for Sports and Bengal Amateur Swimming Association. Sabhadhipati of Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad Mr Dilip Biswas inaugurated the camp at Sagardighi.

 

CSA sources said the objective of the camp is to make swimmers of National and International standards from the budding swimmers of this region. Reputed trainers from Kolkata and other places are to impart training to the participants at Sagardighi for one month. []

BOAT MISHAP

Boat capsizal : girl-student still missing

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 3: Chandana Sarkar, a girl-student of Sitalkuchi who was missing since yesterday afternoon after an incident of boat capsizal is yet to be traced out. The incident had occurred at Pancharhat village in Sitalkuchi of Cooch Behar.

 

Locals said a country boat was crossing the inflated Singimari river with about thirty passengers including four girl-students of Chhoto Salbari Jamiruddin High School on yesterday afternoon. The girls were returning their residences from school. Pancharhat village is under Chhoto Salbari gram panchayat of Sitalkuchi block. Singimari river is flowing beside Pancharhat village. Yesterday afternoon, when the boat came near the Pancharhat ferry-ghat the passengers reportedly tried to come down in haste. As a result the boat capsized. By swimming the other passengers arrived on the bank of the river but the four girl-students failed to save themselves. At last locals were able to rescue three of them. They were sent to health centres for treatment. But, since then, Chandana Sarkar, a student of Class VII went missing.

 

Search operation was done yesterday and today too but Chandana is still missing. On Wednesday afternoon, Mathabhanga SDPO Mr Ananda Roy said searching was going on to rescue the missing girl. []  

BJP PRESIDENT IN COOCHBEHAR

BJP not in favour of Singur dharna

 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 1: The BJP may extend support to the movement at Singur if it is a movement of the unwilling peasants whose cultivable lands were acquisitioned for the Tata's small car project. But, if the dharna is for dharna only they will not proceed. Going a bit farther the president of the state unit of the BJP Mr Satyabrata Mukherjee said on Tuesday that West Bengal will have to suffer a great loss if the Tatas go back from this state. It will certainly sent wrong message to the entrepreneurs and industrialists and following that the industrialisation process in this state will have to face a set back, the BJP leader believes.

 

Referring the dharna led by Trinamul chief Miss Mamata Bannerjee, the BJP leader said the Governor might not come up as the mediator to solve the stalemate because he has many constitutional limitations.

 

The state BJP president was talking with media persons at the Circuit House in Cooch Behar on Tuesday. He came here as a part of his district tour after being the president. He will visit Alipurduar tomorrow and then he will go to Jalpaiguri and Siliguri too.

 

Mr Mukherjee said the government should arrange tillable land as alternative and adequate compensation for the unwilling farmers of Singur whose lands were acquisitioned. The government should consider extending financial assistance, employment and compensation to the affected farmers.

 

The BJP leader emphasised on discussion over the Singur issue to solve the problem. The government should disclose the contents of the agreement that was signed with the Tatas. They should make public the special privileges offered to the Tatas. The problems of the peasants should be considered on humanitarian ground. "We also want industrialisation but there should be transparency. It is hard to understand why the government is keeping the contents of the agreement concealed", he said.

 

"We wanted to know the details under the Right to Information Act but the government is yet to satisfy us with the details. I met the chief minister on 28 August and he assured me that he will disclose everything within seven days through website. Let's see what he does", the senior BJP leader said.

 

The state BJP president alleged that the country achieved its Independence 61 years ago but the north Bengal is still a deprived and neglected region. The elected public representatives too failed to do good for the people. The tea industry is also a suffering one. Communication systems like National Highway, air service and train service are also not satisfactory enough, he alleged. []