NORTH BENGAL

Home secretary reviews situation of north Bengal

COOCH BEHAR, Nov. 24: State Home secretary Mr Ashok Mohan Chakraborty said a tripartite meeting was held over the Darjeeling Hills issue. Similar meetings will be held again. Before that all concerned were asked to maintain peace on the Hills. He believes that all concerned will come out to maintain peace during the interim period.

 

The Home secretary admitted that the movement on the Hills was affecting the Dooars area of north Bengal. The district administration and the police were asked to keep constant vigil over the situation.

 

Mr Chakraborty arrived in Cooch Behar on Sunday evening. He visited the Raas Mela and inquired about the security measures taken there. Today, he took a meeting at the Circuit House with senior officials like Divisional Commissioner, Jalpaiguri, Mr Beharilal Meena, IGP (Law and Order) Mr Raj Kanojia, IGP (North Bengal) Mr Kundanlal Tamta, IG-IB Mr Gaurav Dutta, Cooch Behar DM Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha and SP Mr Devendra Prakash Singh.

 

In the meeting the law and order situation of north Bengal was discussed. Ways and means to maintain peace were also discussed. The post-panchayat poll situations in Tufanganj and elsewhere also examined. The Home secretary advised the officials how to beef up security, said Mr Meena. It was decided that additional security forces are to arrive to this region to strengthen the existing forces. The volume of the extra forces is to be decided after an assessment made by the IGP (Law and Order), Mr Meena said.

 

The formation of village development committees was postponed recently in Cooch Behar district due to lack of policemen needed to be deployed during the meetings. This issue was also came up in today's meeting. It was decided that the process for committee formation might resume after assessing the situation. There exists no rule to complete the process by 30 November, the Cooch Behar DM said.

 

Today, a team of Trinamul Congress leaders met the Home minister and submitted a memorandum to him. Depicting some specific complaints they demanded stern action against some police officials who are working instigated by the CPI-M leadership. The Home secretary instructed the officials to look into the matters and take measures impartially. [END]

 

State Home secretary Mr Ashok Mohan Chakraborty talks with media persons while Divisional Commissioner (Jalpaiguri) Mr Beharilal Meena and Cooch Behar DM Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha look on. At Cooch Behar Circuit House on Monday.