EXHIBITION

Exhibition inaugurated

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 9: State forest minister Mr Ananta Roy inaugurated an exhibition of arts and crafts including paintings and embroidery works at Athi Nivas in Cooch Behar on Friday. Siliguri Bodhi Bharati Vocational Institute is the organiser of the exhibition. []

 

PHOTO : After inaugurating an exhibition of arts and crafts, state forest minister Mr Ananta Roy visits the beautiful items at Athithi Nivas. In Cooch behar on Friday.

SAGARDIGHI

Rs 50-lakh for fresh beautification of Sagardighi

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 9: Failing to complete the beatification of the Sagardighi the state tourism department handed over the responsibility to the district administration of Cooch Behar. The beautification drive was under the tourism department for the last four years. The agency that was working under tourism department left the job without completing it.

 

Complying the responsibility the district administration already called tender and work order was also issued yesterday to an agency of Dinhata. The agency was instructed to complete the job by six months. District planning and rural development officer Mr Sunil Agarwala said the tourism department was to extend a fund of Rs 50-lakh to the district administration for the purpose.

 

It was learnt that under the fresh beautification plan pavements would be constructed along the four sides of Sagardighi. Plantation of trees, setting up of railings and electrifications will also be done to beautify the large waterbody. Fifty lampposts will be placed on the four banks to illuminate the pavements.

 

On earlier occasions, state tourism minister Mr Manabendra Mukherjee had assured of speedy completion of the beautification but that was not done. At last, his department shook off the responsibility.

 

Sagardighi is a large pond situated in the midst of Coochbehar town. It was dug in the days of Maharajas of Coochbehar as a source of water.

 

A senior Congress leader and also a member of All India Congress Committee Mrs Sabita said that the Congress run Cooch Behar Municipality had added fencing and installed music system surrounding the Sagardighi a few years ago. The railings and the garden on its banks made it more beautiful. But, the state tourism department demolished the railings. The then Maharajas introduced a scientific drainage system but that was also destroyed.

 

Mrs Roy alleged that the tourism department was engaged in defacing the beauty of Sagardighi in the name of beautification during the last four years by wasting a huge amount of government money. But no one should be allowed to take it as an advantage to do anything to make the 'city of beauty' as an ugly one, she said. []

FUEL CRISIS

Fuel Crisis : NBSTC suspends bus services

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 9: Following acute crisis of fuel due to strike of officers of Indian Oil Corporation, the passenger bus services of the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) is on the verge of collapse. Already plying of buses in several routes except priority ones has been suspended. If the strike goes on the situation will be worse from Monday because the NBSTC may not be able to run any bus from that day.

 

NBSTC sources said they bring fuel from the IOC following a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The NBSTC has its own Central Fuelling System in a few pumps in its twenty-one depots under four divisions in the state. There are five such pumps in Cooch Behar Division. The number of running buses of the NBSTC is about 500 and that number in Cooch Behar depot is about 100. Cooch Behar depot needs about 4,500-litre fuel per day to run the buses. The fuel comes from IOC's Hasimara depot.

 

When asked, the divisional manager of the NBSTC, Mr Subrata Biswas said they were not getting fuel from the Hasimara IOL depot from yesterday. Now the buses are plying with fuels from reserve stock but that stock is going to be finished at any moment. Violating the MOU they bought some fuels from outer pumps yesterday to maintain passenger bus service. But, that also stopped from today as stocks in those pumps are also running out of fuel.

 

Compelled by the situation the NBSTC authorities began suspending bus services in several routes from yesterday. It is expected that they may run buses in rest of the routes till Sunday and then they will have to stop all services if the strike goes on, Mr Biswas fears. []

 

PHOTO : A bus takes fuels at the NBSTC's Cooch Behar depot on Friday.

MATHABHANGA

No petrol pump in Mathabhanga town

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 8: There is no petrol pump functioning at this moment in the sub-divisional town of Mathabhanga in Cooch Behar district. As a result all the non-government transport services, private vehicle owners and motorbike riders are suffering. Trinamul Congress is planning to organise a massive popular movement over the issue.

 

A vice-president of district Trinamul Congress, Mr Girindra Nath Barman said that there were two petrol pumps in Mathabhanga. One is situated at College Morh and the other at Shikarpur. Both the pumps have been lying defunct for more than a year. Taking the advantage of absence of official petrol pumps a section of unscrupulous traders are illegally selling petrol and diesel from different outlets. As there exists no precautionary measures in those shops a massive incident of fire may occur any day, he fears.

 

Chairman of Mathabhanga Municipality, and also a CPI-M leader, Mr Arun Chaydhury too admitted the situation. He said, "We are trying our best for a long to get petrol pumps in the town. We made appeals to the district magistrate and Indian Oil authorities but all that gone to deaf ears." The farmers are the worst sufferers because they have to buy diesel against higher price from the clandestine market to run pumps for irrigation, Mr Chaudhury said.

 

It was learnt that there is a problem of succession after the death of the actual owner of the petrol pump of College Morh. The outlet at Shikarpur is suffering from disputes among partners.

 

The Trinamul leader, Mr Barman said a few incidents of fire occurred earlier in Mathabhanga town but the present situation is grim. In case of any outbreak of blaze the total town may reduce to ashes. Trinamul Congress is readying to launch an intensive movement demanding opening of legal petrol pumps in Mathabhanga, Mr Barman said.

 

Trinamul Congress will also organise movement against illegal and indiscriminate selling of country liquor in the town. At present country liquor is openly available at roadside tea stalls but this cannot go forever, Mr Barman said. []

GODDESS OF LEARNING

Clay idols of Goddess Saraswati being dried up in a roadside in Cooch Behar on Thursday.

MUHARRAM

STREET SHOW - Demonstration of mock fight at a Muharram procession in Cooch Behar on Thursday.

GREATER COOCHBEAR

GCDP demand statehood of Cooch Behar

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 7: Supporters of the Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party (GCDP) demonstrated at the offices of all the block development officers in Cooch Behar district today.  

 

GCDP president Mr Ashutosh Barma said they organised rallies and sent memorandums today to the President, Prime Minister and Union Home Minister through the BDOs reiterating their demand for a separate state by proper implementation of the agreement by which the erstwhile princely state of Cooch Behar was merged with Indian Union. Proper implementation of the historic agreement inked by the then Maharaja of Cooch Behar and the representative of government of India may make Cooch Behar a C-category state under the framework of Indian Constitution, Mr Barma said. []

GOVERNOR IN DOOARS

Governor heard new district demand

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 7: State Governor Mr Gopal Krishna Gandhi heard the demand for declaring Alipurduar a new district from the proponents who have been struggling for a long to get their demand fulfilled.

 

Today, the Governor released a souvenir published on the occasion of Buxa Tiger Reserve's (BTR) silver jubilee at a brief function organised at Jainti forest rest house in the Dooars. Rovers' and Mountaineers' Club of Alipurduar organised the programme. State public works minister Mr Manohar Tirkey, Alipurduar MLA Mr Nirmal Das, senior BTR officials and others were present at the programme.

 

After the souvenir release programme the Governor inquired about the problems from the local residents. Leaders of Alipurduar Jela Nirman Dabi Mancha (AJNDM) conveyed him about the necessity of a separate district curving out from Jalpaiguri. Mr Nirmal Das, who is also a secretary of the AJNDM said they highlighted and explained the points for considering Alipurduar a new district. The Governor heard their points patiently, Mr Das said.

 

The AJNDM leaders also told the Governor that they would meet the state chief secretary Mr Ashok Mohan Chakraborty in Kolkata on 9 January to discuss different aspects of the proposed new district.

 

On behalf of local residents appeals were made to the Governor to include Jainti in the tourism map and revival of the long defunct train service between Alipurduar Junction and Jainti to better the socio-economic situation of the region. The Railway service was winded up after declaring of the formation of the BTR. The ongoing scarcity of drinking water was also came up during the discussion. []

DOOARS FESTIVAL

Dooars Utsav helping as tourism booster

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 7: The seven-day Dooars Utsav that began yesterday at Alipurduar Parade Ground is highlighting the prospect of tourism in Dooars and adjoining areas in this region. This is the fifth year of the festival. It will continue till 12 January.

 

The organisers said the aim of the festival is to highlight the prospect of tourism through the rich culture of this region.

 

There are more than one hundred stalls in the festival ground including that of state departments like tourism, information and cultural affairs and agriculture. Stalls from far away areas like Delhi and Bangladesh are also there. The main attraction of the Bangladeshi stalls is display of Jamdani Sarees. Several self-help groups (SHG) too put up stalls here. Bengal's very own sweets and homemade recipes like Pithe, Puli and Payas are also attracting visitors in the SHG stalls.

 

As in other fairs there are merry-go-round and other rides for the younger ones. At the food plaza one can taste local and foreign foods, continental and Chinese, as one desire.

 

Cultural programmes including that of folk culture are being staged on three daises at the Parade Ground. Seminars are being held everyday on different topics. There is a dais for the members of the younger generation.

 

The organisers claimed that the Dooars Utsav was helping flourishing of tourism industry in this region for the past five years. []

G-NESEP'S SOCIAL SERVICE

Blankets disbursed among poor people

 

As a part of their commitment to the society and suffering people the Godhulibazar North East Society for Empowerment of the People (G-NESEP) recently organised a blanket distribution programme at Godhulibazar in Dinhata. Poor and destitute persons especially aged men and women from Below Poverty Line (BPL) families were the main beneficiaries who came from different gram panchayat areas of Dinhata-I block.

 

Chairman of G-NESEP Charity and Welfare Board, Adyut Kamal Saha said this type of programme would be continued from now on at different villages. The blanket distribution among poor people held at Godhulibazar was only a beginning, he said. It will be of immense help to the recipients because the region is shivering in the ongoing cold wave, he observed.

 

Jailor of Dinhata sub-divisional correctional home Annada Kumar Roy, senior journalists and writers like Dilip Roy (editor of Torsa Prabaha), Ramendra Narayan Dey (editor of Aamake Bolte Daao) and Ramani Mohan Barma (editor of Kalbaishakhi), secretary of Dinhata Bar Association Tapan Kumar Ghosh, secretary of Dinhata Byabasayee Samity Rana Goswami, Gautam Kumar Saha, president of G-NESEP Partha Nath Sarkar, secretary Mr Partha Pratim Sarkar and other dignitaries spoke on the occasion and handed over the blankets to the recipients.