GJMM to seek date for meeting today

SILIGURI, April 25: The Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha has sought an alternative date for a public meeting at Baghajatin Park in Siliguri. The GJMM had proposed to hold a rally at the venue on 27 April but permission for the same was denied. The GJMM leadership would be meeting the state home secretary Mr Ashok Mohan Chakroborty in Siliguri tomorrow and seek the new date. The home secretary is scheduled to arrive in Siliguri tomorrow for a meeting on the forthcoming panchayet polls. “We called off the 27 April meeting, but at the same time submitted an application to the district administration this evening asking for an alternate date in between 28 and 30 April to hold the rally in Siliguri. We expect the administration to consider our appeal or else we would have to resort to some other means to keep our democratic rights alive,” the GJMM general secretary, Mr Roshan Giri said.The GJMM leadership had a discussion on the subject with the Jalpaiguri divisional commissioner Mr BL Meena over the phone today. Mr Meena, however, reiterated that the administration could not grant the GJMM permission for a mass gathering in Siliguri any day immediately on security considerations. Meanwhile, authorities of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation today said that they had to turn down the GJMM application asking for the Baghajatin Park venue on 27 April, as the CPI-M affiliated All India Democratic Women’s Association had reserved the venue on that date. “The AIDWA has booked the Baghajatin Park on 27 April to observe ‘Nari Diwas,” the SMC CEO Mr Paritosh Roy said. [The Statesman]

Sikkim CM calls for steps against hoarders

GANGTOK, April 25: Price rise has hit Sikkim causing severe inconvenience to the people. Taking steps against the situation, chief minister Mr Pawan Chamling held a meeting with officials of the state food and civil supplies and consumer affairs department along with the urban development and housing department and has asked them to ensure the people do not suffer from hoarding or black marketing in the state.
The CM has asked department officials to take strict action against any one found guilty on those two charges. He also directed the departments to initiate various schemes to make Sikkim self-sufficient in food production. The state government has also sought the people’s cooperation to tackle the problem of price rise. Mr Chamling has also urged the army to provide a new place for the trade mart at Nathu La. Trade through Nathu La is likely to resume next week. The present trade mart at Sherathang is located above Manju Shree Lake, a sacred lake of the state. Mr Chamling said: “The water seepage and junk from the trade mart may damage the sanctity of the lake. I request the army to provide a new spot for the trade mart at Sherathang.” [The Statesman]

New CII head charts path to growth

Siliguri, April 25: The success of the Russia mission, in which the seeds of resuming export of north Bengal tea to that country were sown, was the highlight of the third annual general meeting of the CII’s North Bengal Zonal Council today.

A branch of the Confederation of Indian Industry was established here three years ago as it was found that an influential trade body was needed for the region’s industrial growth.

The outgoing chairman, Kamal K. Mittal, announced a new team today to run the council for the coming year. G.S. Hora will succeed Mittal, while Ramgopal Jajodia will be the vice-chairman.

Outlining the tasks before him, Hora said other than interactive sessions with various government departments to sort out the problems faced by the industries, matters relating to power, pollution control, land reforms and financial institutions would also be taken up.

“We are planning a North Bengal Conclave in June and hope that chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will inaugurate it. The conclave will discuss business opportunities in the region,” said Hora.

Aspects relating to tea tourism, agro industries, food processing, information technology, health and education would be taken up at the conclave, said Hora. “The speakers will include individuals from government departments and large corporate houses,” he added.

The new chairman said since many of the 85 members in the council are from Siliguri, a drive would be lunched to enroll more businessmen from other north Bengal districts. He added that the CII would set up its own building in the coming year.

Brands before mini factories

Siliguri, April 25: Self-help groups of small growers plan to merchandise made-tea from bought-leaf factories (BLFs) in a bid to promote their own brand of the produce.

“Considering the Tea Board’s decision to set up small-scale cooperative-based BLFs, some SHGs of small tea growers are thinking of merchandising tea under their own brand names,” said Bijoygopal Chakraborty, the vice-president of the United Forum of Small Tea Growers’ Associations. “The exercise is aimed to create a market for the brands before the mini factories come up.”

The idea was mooted at a workshop organised by Tradecraft, an UK-based NGO in Jalpaiguri, last month.

In north Bengal, there are around 15,000-odd small growers. They have formed 41 SHGs, including 15 in Jalpaiguri. Across the country, there are 156 such groups.

BLF owners have welcomed the idea. “Given the present market of CTC tea, we appreciate any initiative taken to sell tea. The more tea is sold, the more the industry earns and recuperates from the slump,” said Prabir Seal, president of the North Bengal Tea Producers’ Association. [The Telegraph]

Tibetan meet

Darjeeling, April 25: More than 1,000 Tibetans today participated in a programme at Chowrastha here to mark the 19th birthday of the 11th Panchen Lama, Tibet’s second most important religious leader after the Dalai Lama.

Gendhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama, was allegedly abducted by the Chinese in 1995 when he was only six-years-old, and has been missing since.

Three hundred and eight members of the Tibetan community left thumb impressions with blood on a piece of cloth and a paper to express their solidarity with the “prisoner”.

“The blood impressions on the cloth will be kept for our record and the paper sent to the UN to draw its attention to this youngest political prisoner in the world,” said Lakpa Bhuti, the secretary of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress in Darjeeling.

A sit-and-draw competition for schoolchildren on “human rights” and the “youngest political prisoner” was also held.

“The younger generation must be made conscious of these issues,” said Bhuti. [The Telegraph]

Taxi rule for tourists

Kalimpong, April 25: From Monday, tourists to Kalimpong will have to hire local taxis to visit the various sites in and around town, paying fixed rates that are higher than the fares offered by some hotels here.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-affiliated taxi-owners and drivers’ association has initiated the move to safeguard its members’ business interests.

“Out-station vehicles can ferry tourists to the town, but cannot take them on sight-seeing trips,” said T. D. Bhutia, the president of the Janmukti Morcha Chalak Mahasangh. He added that the decision was taken after discussing the matter with other tourism stakeholders like travel agents and hotel owners.

Bhutia said vehicles would charge between Rs 600 and Rs 800 for each trip covering 11 tourist points between Durpin and Deolo. “The move is also aimed at ensuring uniform rates. Earlier, we were often accused of short-changing tourists because some hotels used to charge sight-seeing fares that were lower than the market rate,” he added.

Fire notice to 80

Siliguri, April 25: A taskforce of the Bengal fire department has served notices on 80 buildings in town after it found their safety measures inadequate.

Twenty nursing homes, 18 mercantile buildings, 29 hotels and restaurants and 13 public halls and other establishments have been asked to initiate safety measures within 15 days. The measures include constructing underground and overhead reservoirs, alternative staircases and installing fire extinguishers in the buildings.

Udainarayan Adhikari, the divisional fire officer of Calcutta who heads the taskforce, said: “After serving the notice if we find that the owners are not responding, we will seal the buildings.”

Bengal fire minister Pratim Chatterjee had hinted that a taskforce was being formed when he came here earlier this month to inaugurate Siliguri’s second fire station at Matigara. The task force arrived here on April 20 and inspected the buildings on Sevoke Road, Burdwan Road, Station Feeder Road and Hill Cart Road for the next three days. The notices were served afterwards.

Tour & get branded tea for life- Refurbished and ready

Tumsong Tea Garden, April 25. Savour a colonial lifestyle in a century-old bungalow and forge a life-long bonding with a garden situated amid mountains.

Tumsong Retreat — resplendent with well manicured gardens and sparkling river — has been spruced up and is getting ready to roll out red carpet to receive its first group of visitors in May.

“The idea to start tea tourism struck us when our foreign clients wanted some facility where their customers could be in harmony with nature. And we decided to refurbish this bungalow built in 1867,” said Arvind Nevatia, director of Chamong Chiabari Resorts Pvt Ltd.

The Retreat, situated about 30km from Darjeeling, will be a launch pad for tea tourism Chamong group is planning to start in the hills. The group owns 13 gardens in the hills, besides three in Assam. [Inset: Tumsong Retreat and a room (below) in the bungalow. Pictures by Suman Tamang]

“We are exploring the possibility of tying up with foreign investors who can pump in about Rs 200 crore. They will take a decision once the infrastructure is in place,” said Nevatia.

The Retreat promises to attract not only foreign but also domestic travellers who are looking for a serene spot.

“We will charge 150 Euros (Rs 9,300) for a single night stay in a room,” said Nevaita. The amount is inclusive of pick-up and dropping of tourists from and at either Bagdogra airport or New Jalpaiguri railway station.

Result fiasco rerun in NBU

Siliguri, April 25: A section of students of North Bengal University (NBU) confined the vice-chancellor and other executive council members to a room of the administrative building for nearly four hours this evening after the revised results of the BBA and BCA courses were announced.

The slogan-shouting protesters who squatted in front of the building from 7.30pm claimed the revised results were the “photocopies” of the earlier results published on March 31.

The BBA and BCA students of NBU’s IT Centre had gone on the rampage on March 31 after it emerged that less than 10 per cent had passed the first semester exams and those who had, scored less than 50 per cent. Students of Siliguri College, which offers BBA, had later joined the protests. They had sought re-examination of their answer scripts and increased marks.

Morcha changes plan, gets ready for talks - for Gorkhaland and Chattrey Subba

Darjeeling, April 25: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has said it will hold rallies in Siliguri anytime between April 28 and 30, despite the Bengal government making it clear that no permission would be granted for such a programme.

The Morcha has, however, scrapped its earlier plan of a public meeting at Baghajatin Park in Siliguri on Sunday.

Today’s announcement comes a day after party president Bimal Gurung had said in Birpara that the Morcha would stick to its April 27 programme in Baghajatin Park. Observers said the change in stand has been done to keep an avenue for talks open with home secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti. [Inset: CPRM members, who were on hunger strike demanding Gorkhaland and the speedy trial of Chattrey Subba, break their fast after two days in Kalimpong. Subba was arrested in 2001 for his alleged role in an assassination bid on GNLF chief Subash Ghisingh the same year. Picture by Chinlop Fudong Lepcha]

“We will be meeting the home secretary in Siliguri tomorrow. We will ask him for permission to hold a rally, which if denied, we will go ahead and hold anytime between Monday and Wednesday,” said Roshan Giri, the Morcha secretary, over the phone from Kalchini where Gurung held his last rally in the Dooars today.

On Wednesday, chief secretary Amit Kiran Deb had said Siliguri was too tense for a rally. Sources in the Writers’ Buildings said the home secretary, too, has made it clear that permission would not be granted.

In another development, all government offices that have been closed for almost 15 days in the Darjeeling hills will be allowed to remain open from April 28 to May 5. The relaxation has been granted keeping in mind “pending work, important in nature” and to allow government employees get their salaries, said Giri.

Government offices usually need a week’s time to prepare the salary statement of employees and get them sanctioned from higher authorities. Tourists planning a joy ride on the toy train could be lucky if they visit Darjeeling during this time.