DOUBLE-TAX ON JUTE

Double-taxation on jute products still persists

Violating the memo issued by the district magistrate to the Regulated Market Committee (RMC) requesting them not to collect market fee over jute products the latter are still trying to collect the fee from the lorries of jute units. On Thursday they detained three lorries at Ghoksadanga and Akrahat and demanded fees. The lorries were going to Raigarh, Khurja and Kolar from two factories situated at Chakchaka Industrial Growth Centre in Cooch Behar. The local managements of the Essem Jute Industries Limited and Kamakshi Jute Industries Limited reported the matter to the district magistrate on Friday.

When asked, the additional district magistrate (development) Mr Sudip Mitra said on Saturday that following the complaints received they issued instruction to set the detained lorries free. The problem will be officially sorted out in a meeting that to be held on Monday, Mr Mitra said.

Secretary of Cooch Behar District Merchants' Chamber of Commerce (CDMCC) Mr Rajendra Kumar Baid submitted a memorandum to the DM protesting the detention of the lorries at the RMC tollgates by violating the DM's order. If the managements of the two jute units decide to stop production and close down their units then the RMC will be responsible for the unfortunate matter. Who will take the responsibility of the 3,000 jobless workers, he questioned.

Condemning RMC's role the president of Cooch Behar District Trinamul Congress Mr Rabindranath Ghosh demanded winding up of all the tollgates of the RMC. The gates are nothing but centres of unscrupulous collection of money, he said. As result of collection of taxes on agricultural produces the cultivators are the actual sufferers, he said. Taxes are being paid for three times on jute, he believes.

It may be recalled here that in April, the managements of Essem and Kamakshi jute units had sent memorandums to the state chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. They conveyed him that they buy raw jute by paying regulated marketing tax but during transportation of finished products outside of the district they have to pay tax for the second time. The authorities of the two jute units appealed the CM to save them from paying of double-tax. Receiving no positive response against their appeal they had to announce that they might stop production in their units at Chakchaka.

Secretary of CDMCC too conveyed the problem to the CM, the state industries minister and even to the Union railway minister Miss Mamata Banerjee. Mr Baid argued that forcing the units to pay double-tax was illegal.

On 1 July, issuing a memo bearing memo no. Dev/470(2) the DM of Cooch Behar Ms Smaraki Mahapatra asked the chairman and the secretary of the Cooch Behar RMC to temporarily stop the collection of market fee over jute products that are being manufactured by the Essem and other manufacturing units of jute products situated in Cooch Behar regulated market area. Explaining the reason the DM mentioned that it appeared to her that 'there remains some prima-facie reason to believe that such type of realisation of fees may not be proper as per the West Bengal Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act 1972.'

The memo failed to evoke positive response from the RMC and detention of lorries loaded with jute products continued at RMC tollgates for want of taxes. About 3,000 workers of the two jute units are once again suffering from fear of being jobless if the discontent managements actually close their manufacturing units. 

SFI observes 45th anniversary of Chhatra Sangram

The Students' Federation of India observed the 45-th anniversary of its Bengali mouthpiece Chhatra Sangram at a convention organised at Rabindra Bhavan in Cooch Behar on Saturday. Student-delegates from all the six districts of North Bengal attended the programme. Earlier, a similar programme was held for students from south Bengal districts at Kolkata on 15 June.

State industries minister Mr Nirupam Sen was the chief speaker at the convention. He called upon the students and all others to come forward to protest the bid to make education a mere commodity. It is time to change the aim of education to make the world better. The students should dedicate them for the welfare of the society leaving the recent-growing self-centric attitude among the people, he said. Forest minister Mr Ananta Roy, general secretary of the SFI Mr Writabrata Bannerjee, state unit secretary Mr Kaustuv Chatterjee and editor of Chhatra Sangram Mr Anirban Hazra were among the other speakers in the convention.

DEMONSTRATION

Demonstration over schoolboy's death

Local residents and guardians demonstrated at Kalabagan High School premises in Cooch Behar on Friday. They were expressing their anger over the death of a Class-V student of that school. Later, police appeared to pacify the demonstrators. The situation came under control after a meeting among the school authority, guardians and locals.

Sources said, a student of Class-V, Moni Jaswara (10) reportedly appealed for leave during school time due to sudden illness on Thursday. The teachers allegedly denied him from leaving school. In the afternoon he returned home with heavy fever and was shifted to a local hospital. As his condition worsened he was referred to a Siliguri hospital for treatment. On way to Siliguri he died at Jalpaiguri at about 3 a.m. in the ambulance.

The news of the boy's death turned the guardians and the locals angry. They started demonstrating at the school from Friday morning demanding punishment to the teachers concerned who denied the ailing boy to leave school.

DEMAND TO MAKE JAIGAON A MUNICIPAL TOWN

Locals demand facelift of Jaigaon town

Local residents are aggrieved over the shabby state of Jaigaon. This town is situated on the Indian side of India-Bhutan border. On the other side there is Phuentsholing. Hundreds of people including tourists from foreign countries pass through this town everyday, as Jaigaon is the gateway of Bhutan.

Aiming beautification of the town the authorities removed the earlier road-divider of MS Road. Also, digging of holes has been done to erect lampposts. The work was initiated a few months ago but no one saw any visible progress. The road is fast becoming a garbage dumping ground. The monsoon turned the situation worse. The Jaigaon Merchants' Association (JMA) conveyed the matter to the Jaigaon Development Authority (JDA) several times but that yielded no result.

JMA sources alleged that they made appeals on several occasions to improve the condition of the town. The beautification drive proved a failure but no initiative was taken to change the scenario. The members of the local business community collect Rs 50 per month from every trader and handover about Rs 20,000 per month to the local Gram Panchayat to make the town clean. A member of Kalchini Panchayat Samiti said the adjacent town in Bhutan (that is Phuentsholing) is a clean and beautiful town but its neighbour Jaigaon is an ugly one due to mismanagement.

Local businessmen complained that the situation turned so grave that it became hard for them to run business in the town. Residents too are suffering from discontent due to the unhealthy situation.

Alipurduar MLA Mr Nirmal Das said Jaigaon was suffering from many problems. They were demanding Jaigaon to be uplifted to a municipality for years but the state government did nothing to make it a municipality, he alleged. The municipal affairs minister Mr Ashok Bhattacharya too promised to the effect but he failed to keep that promise, Mr Das said. The existing Jaigaon Development Authority is kept as a defunct body and it has no power to do anything, Mr Das alleged.

Jaigaon-II Gram Panchayat sources said the subscription given by the merchants was not enough to complete all the work. There is a requirement of a separate fund. Otherwise, the town should be declared as a municipal town, the GP sources said.

Sub-divisional office sources at Alipurduar said that the Alipurduar MP Manohar Tirkey already approved a fund of Rs 7-lakh for the beautification of Jaigaon town. But, to complete the whole work they need about Rs 25-lakh. Fund crunch is one of the main reasons behind delaying of implementation of the beautification drive. But, the problem may be sorted out by about three months, the sources hoped.

TRINAMUL YOUTH CONGRESS

Bid to gear up morale of TYC activists

In a bid to make the 'change of wind' stronger the Trinamul Youth Congress is now revamping its organisation in the districts.

State unit president of the TYC Mr Suvendu Adhikary would visit Cooch Behar district on 13 July. On that day he will address a gathering of TYC activists at Netaji Subhas Indoor Stadium in Cooch Behar town. During his visit here he is expected to advise the local TYC leaders and activists to make the organisational base of the TYC wider and stronger. As they believe that the Trinamul Congress is going to pull down the Left Front from the seat of power in the next state Assembly election it is necessary to gear up the youth wing to make the process speedy, said the district TYC president Kumar Rajib Narayan.

Mr Narayan said the CPI-M was engaged in tyrannical activities especially in the rural areas of Cooch Behar district. At many areas the lower level Trinamul supporters are suffering from fear psychosis. Taking this as advantage they are to intensify their campaign against the Leftists. Mr Adhikary's visit may act as a booster to restore the morale of the Trinamul activists, Mr Narayan said.

TYC sources said Mr Adhikary, who is also a member of the Parliament, would ask the Trinamul Youth Congress supporters to attend the Martyrs Day rally that is to be organised in Kolkata on 12 July as in previous years. Mr Narayan believes that a record number of their supporters from Cooch Behar district may attend the programme in Kolkata this year.

MRS. AMINA AHMED

Vice-chairperson of Cooch Behar Municipality

Mrs Amina Ahmed of the Trinamul Congress is going to take oath as vice-chairperson of Cooch Behar Municipality on 8 July. Her party recommended her name to the chairman of the civic body Mr Biren Kundu and he would nominate her to the post on that day.

On Tuesday, Mr Kundu, who is also the president of district Congress, said that Mrs Ahmed's name was recommended to him on behalf of the Trinamul Congress and according to the alliance-formula adopted by the leaderships of both parties he would nominate her to the post of vice-chairperson. A special session of the civic board will be held on the occasion on 8 July, Mr Kundu said.

District Trinamul Congress president Mr Rabindranath Ghosh said the state leadership selected Mrs Ahmed's name for the post of vice-chairperson. Accordingly he recommended her name to the chairman of the civic body. After her swearing-in the alliance-led board would gear-up its civic services drive and initiate newer schemes for development of the town, he said.

It may be mentioned here that in the recently held municipal election the Congress bagged only eight seats out of twenty wards in Cooch Behar Municipality. The Trinamul Congress progressed from one seat to three seats in the election. The CPI-M got five seats and the Forward Bloc four seats. Naturally, to retain the power of the civic body the Congress approached the Trinamul Congress and sought support from them. Though in the election the parties fought against each other they agreed to come closer in the perspective of post-poll scenario. They agreed to form the civic board jointly. It was decided that the Congress will get the post of chairman as earlier, and the Trinamul Congress will get the post of vice-chairman. Accordingly, Mr Biren Kundu became the chairman once again.

In the Trinamul Congress there were differences over the post of vice-chairperson. Mr Dilip Saha's supporters argued that as Mr Saha won in the previous election too he should be offered with the post considering his seniority as a two-time councillor of the party. Smelling trouble over the issue, the district leadership of the party pushed the ball to the court of the state leadership and sought their opinion. After much deliberation the state leadership recommended Mrs Ammed's name. The argument behind her selection was that she is the lone minority woman councillor in North Bengal. It may be noted that her husband Mr Abdul Jalil Ahmed is a secretary of the state unit of the party. It is feared that Mr Saha may submit his resignation from the councillor's post on the oath-taking day of Mrs Ahmed.

SALBAGAN

Salbagan still a den of miscreants

Salbagan at the outskirt of Cooch Behar town is going to be recognised as a nature observation centre. Earlier, the area was known as a den of antisocial elements. It is still a place for many of them to run their regime without any resistance.

The Bengali word 'Salbagan' means a garden of Sal trees. It came up in the days of Maharajas of Cooch Behar. Though the garden was named after Sal trees the garden is mostly of Teak trees. It is believed that saplings of the world famous Burma Teaks were planted here in those days.

On 22 April, state tourism minister Mr Manabendra Mukherjee laid the foundation of a nature observation centre here. State forest minister Mr Ananta Roy and many other senior forest department officials attended the programme. It was announced that the state tourism department approved a Rupees one-crore plan to make the place an eco-tourism centre. Weaving a beautiful picture of future the speakers told that Salbagan would turn into a charming place of tourist attraction after a facelift. They also said that arrangements would be made here to conserve different species of butterflies and birds. Pedal boating facility will be added after renovating the almost dry canal of Mara-torsa river.

But, the ambitious plan exerted no influence on the ruffians. Many of them are still active in the area. Salbagan is a popular place to the picnickers but many families go there to spend a few hours in the very own abode of nature. Taking this as advantage the hooligans very often snatch ornaments and valuables from the visitors. Armed with daggers and other arms they even molested young girls and housewives. Seldom the ashamed victims lodge complaints to the police only to keep their identities secret. Locals said after a few years of absence the hoodlums started appearing once again at Salbagan and disturbing the peace loving people. The police should keep watch on the area to maintain peace, they opined.

Secretary of Salbagan Development Committee Mr Mahananda Saha said they constituted the committee to develop the area to promote tourism. They would never allow any disruptive activity there. They will appeal to the police and administration to take steps against the antisocial persons, he promised. On the otherhand, state forest minister Mr Roy said that security measures and vigilance at the area would be enhanced once the area promoted as a tourist spot. He opined that local residents should come up to resist and drive away the miscreants. 

BJP'S MOVEMENT PLANS

BJP plans to strengthen party base in Cooch Behar

The BJP is getting ready for the ensuing Assembly elections. In a bid to strengthen the organisational base of the party in North Bengal to fight against the Left Front and the Trinamul Congress the party's state unit president Mr Rahul Sinha already started visiting North Bengal.

Recently, Mr Sinha visited Falakata, Dhupguri and Jalpaiguri. He talked with party activists and local leaders and sought their opinions and proposals to make the party a stronger one. In August he will come again in North Bengal to visit areas in Cooch Behar district.

General secretary of the BJP's Cooch Behar district unit Mr Nikhil Ranjan Dey claimed that their organisational strength was rising in different areas in Cooch Behar district.    

Many deserted members and supporters who had joined other parties started to come back again to the BJP's fold. Right approach and right leadership made them feel that the BJP is the only party that can save them from the tyrannical rule of the Left Front, Mr Dey said.

The BJP leader said the common people were suffering from the excessive price hike of essential commodities. To stage protest against price hike of food items, household commodities and petroleum products they would organise a law-violation programme at the district magistrate's office on 8 July. On 14 July they will stage a demonstration at the offices of the sub-divisional officers in all the five sub-divisions of the district. Another programme will be held on 28 July. On that day they will submit memorandums to the block development officers at all the twelve blocks in the district. In Cooch Behar the trafficking out of cattle is a menace in bordering areas. The BJP will organise stir in villages near the Indo-Bangladesh border areas to stop cattle trafficking and infiltration of Bangladeshi people.

BJP sources said that they were preparing to field candidates in all the 294 seats in the next state Assembly elections. They believe that they may win in at least 30 seats. Mr Dey is confident about winning of two seats in Cooch Behar district.

DON'T PAY MORE FOR KEROSENE

Dishonest MR dealers cautioned in Cooch Behar

The recent price hike of fuels prompted a section of modified ration dealers to turn more dishonest. They are taking hiked price for kerosene though they lifted the item prior to the price hike. District controller of food and supplies department cautioned the dishonest dealers that strict steps would be taken against them if they take higher price than the stipulated price.

On Sunday, a number of ration-card holders staged demonstration at a MR shop at Takagachh in Cooch Behar. The locals alleged that the dealer was taking higher price for kerosene. They allegedly never get cash memos against the commodities they buy from the shop. They are even denied of the changes in return of the money they submit during buying of commodities. Smelling danger, the owner of the shop fled away. The agitated locals confined the shop assistant and the demonstration was held for a few hours.

Local people said the shop was of one Hena Talukdar but after her death one Satyaranjan Ghosh took charge of it. He is running the shop for about 15 years. On Sunday, after his escape the agitated locals confined the shop assistant Bachchu Das. They forced him to open the shop only to find that there was huge quantity of ration commodities inside the shop though they were denied of buying these. The Upa-pradhan of Takagachh Rajarhat Gram Panchayat Ms Surodhani Das said she got no complaints against the dealer so far. She assured of inquiring into the allegations.

When contacted today, the Controller of district Food and Supplies department Mr Shyamal Shil said he will make a probe into the Takagachh incident and if found guilty necessary steps will also be taken. There was a standing instruction that the dealers must give cash memos to the ration-card holders against the commodities they buy. Taking of higher price than the scheduled price will never be allowed. The recent disturbances in the oil companies created problems in smooth supply of kerosene but that problem was over. Now, the buyers can get kerosene from the MR shops without any trouble, he said. The difference of rates against the kerosene lifted by the dealers before and after the price hike may have brought an opportunity among a section of MR dealers to practice dishonesty, he admitted.

It may be mentioned here that in many MR shops in Cooch Behar the consumers never get cash memos and non-returning of small changes is also a regular practice. Complaints do not attract any action by the authorities, consumers allege. The agitation at Takagachh may act as a caution to the dishonest MR dealers, they believe. 

CHAKCHAKA INDUSTRIAL GROWTH CENTRE

Deadlock ends at two jute units in Cooch Behar

Intervention of the district administration prompted two jute units from not closing down their units. It saved about three thousand workers from being jobless. The entrepreneurs and members of the business community too welcomed the move.

In April, the managements of the Essem Jute Industries Limited and the Kamakshi Jute Industries Limited had sent memorandums to the state chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee describing a peculiar problem they were facing from. They said they established their units at Chakchaka Industrial Growth Centre in Cooch Behar district a few years back. The district was a backward one from the viewpoint of industrial development. About three thousand workers got jobs in these two units. But, from the very beginning they had to face many problems. They conveyed the chief minister that they buy raw materials (raw jute) by paying regulated marketing tax but when they send their produces outside of the district for sell they have to pay similar tax for the second time. The authorities of the two jute units appealed the chief minister to save them from paying of double-tax. They also conveyed the matter to the state industries minister Mr Nirupam Sen and administrative officials. But, as they received no positive response against their appeal they announced that they might stop production in their units and close down their units at Chakchaka. This news turned the workers of the two jute units panicky.

Secretary of Cooch Behar District Merchants Chamber of Commerce Mr Rajendra Kumar Baid and senior officials of the mills met the additional district magistrate (development) Mr Sudip Mitra several times and explained him that forcing them to pay double-tax was illegal. Mr Baid also mentioned that if the jute mills pull their shutters down the jobless workers might be a headache of the district administration as the jobless tea garden workers of Dooars. The ADM (D) assured them that the Cooch Behar Sadar SDO will probe into the matter and after considering the SDO's report the DM will take a decision over the issue.

Due to the municipal elections the inquiry process has been delayed. On 1 July, the district magistrate of Cooch Behar Ms Smaraki Mahapatra issued a letter bearing memo no. Dev/470(2). In the letter the DM asked the chairman and the secretary of the Cooch Behar Regulated Market Committee to 'temporarily stop the collection of market fee over jute products which are being manufactured by the Essem Jute Industries Limited and other manufacturing units of jute products' situated in Cooch Behar regulated market area. Explaining the reason the DM mentioned that it appeared to her that 'there remains some prima-facie reason to believe that such type of realisation of fees may not be proper as per the West Bengal Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act 1972.' 'However, you are free to collect market fees on raw jute as per the provisions of the said Act', she wrote. The RMC chairman and the secretary were advised to seek 'necessary clarification from appropriate authority over this issue' and to place the same before the DM for 'perusal and further necessary action'.

Expressing their pleasure over issuing of the instruction to stop collection of the alleged double-tax Mr Baid thanked the district administration for ending the stalemate and saving the workers from being jobless. 

ENCLAVE PEOPLE TO GO KOLKATA

Trinamul bid to woo the enclave people

The Trinamul Congress is going ahead with a plan to exert its influence among the residents of the Indian ''chhitmahals' (enclaves). They want to build up a massive movement by highlighting the problems and miseries of the enclaves and the people live there. The party wants to make it known that an enclave is nothing but a piece of land whose residents have no identity, no citizenship and nothing to prove that they belong to any country. They have to live there encircled by mainland of another country. The aim of the Trinamul Congress is to convince the Centre that exchange of 'chhitmahals' is the only alternative to dissolve the problems that the residents are suffering from for years.

It is believed that the hidden plan behind the Trinamul's initiative is to woo the enclave residents prior to the next Assembly elections. It will be easier if the exchange of enclaves between India and Bangladesh commences before the election. If the residents of the Indian enclaves get their names included in the voters' list and recognised as Indian citizens they may consider the Trinamul Congress as the saviour and the votes may go in favour of that party.

President of Cooch Behar district unit of the Trinamul Congress Mr Rabindranath Ghosh said they already sent memorandums to the Union home minister Mr P Chidambaram requesting him to take initiative to exchange the enclaves of the two neighbouring countries. Mr Ghosh said there were 131 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh territory and 95 Bangladeshi enclaves in Indian territory. About 2.5-lakh people reside in the Indian enclaves. Many residents of Bangladeshi enclaves have illegally collected Indian ration cards and voter identity cards too. They enjoy different facilities from India very easily as they live encircled by Indian mainland. But the residents of Indian enclaves get no such facilities. It is hard for them to enter Indian mainland crossing the Bangladeshi land. For them there was no hospital, no school, no government facility and no security too. Bangladeshi miscreants steal their cattle regularly. Abduction of young women is a regular crime in these enclaves. Parents of young daughters can never sleep quietly in the night.

In 1992, at the time of handing over of Tinbigha corridor to Bangladesh it was announced that the 'chhitmahals' of the two countries would be exchanged by two years but it is still to be implemented, Mr Ghosh alleged. The Union home minister should come forward to translate that promise into reality, he demanded.

It is learnt that a large group of people from different Indian enclaves may join the Martyrs Day celebration of the Trinamul Congress at Kolkata in this month. They may meet the Trinamul Congress supremo cum Union railway minister Miss Mamata Banerjee there to tell her their miseries. If they can convince her and Miss Banerjee takes up the issue to the Centre she has every possibility to turn into the saviour of the stateless peoples. And it may surely turn into a vote puller instrument in Cooch Behar district, local Trinamul leaders believe.

PHOTO : Enclave people in a procession in Cooch Behar town demanding an end to their miseries.