Cooch Behar News

Pensioners' agitation in Cooch Behar

The members of the NBSTC Pensioners Association staged a sit-in at the
Divisional Office complex of the corporation today. They shouted
slogans and delivered speeches from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Later, they
submitted a memorandum to the Divisional Manager.

The general secretary of the association, Mohanbanshi Barman said that
they organised the demonstration in support of their four point
charter of demands. They want regular disbursement of pension on the
beginning of a month, clearing of all due payments since last
November, retirement benefits and festival allowance. On Monday they
will stage a two-hour road block at Transport Chowpathi from 12 noon,
Barman said.

The Cooch Behar Divisional Manager of the corporation, Subrata Biswas
admitted that he received a memorandum from the association. As he has
nothing to do with the demands submitted by the pensioners, he
forwarded it to the Managing Director of the NBSTC for consideration,
Biswas said.

CPI-M prepares for Panchayat election

A four-day marathon meeting of the CPI-M was held recently in Cooch
Behar. A senior leader of the party's state unit, Madan Ghosh also
attended the meeting. Party sources said the objective of the four-day
meeting was to strengthen the party's organisational base in Cooch
Behar district.

The CPI-M is not in a happy mood in this district since the last
Panchayat election. They had to lose many seats in that election. In
the last Assembly election too they failed to secure any seat in Cooch
Behar district. Now, to regain their lost popularity they are trying
to reorganise the party's base in this district. At the same time they
want to strengthen the unity of the Left Front as a united force to
combat the 'atrocities' of the Trinamul Congress.

The secretary of the Cooch Behar district CPI-M, Tarini Roy, who is
also a Member of the Rajya Sabha, said today that they spent four days
discussing ways and means to strengthen the party's organisation. It
has nothing to do with the ensuing Panchayat election because they
consider the election as a part of movement. They are being engaged in
movements round the year and so they believe the people are the main
deciding force. If the people supports us and they come up to
participate the movements then the Left Front will be able to return
back in the next three-tier Panchayat election, Roy said.