Sunil Backs Houghton’s Selections

FROM GOAL.COM

Star striker Sunil Chhetri has backed his team-mates Mahrajuddin Wadoo and Samir Naik after the recent criticism by ex-Indian coach Syed Nayeemuddin over their selection by Coach Bob Houghton.

“If Bob has decided to choose them, I’m sure then that they deserve to be in the squad,” said Sunil.

Nayeemuddin had called for the selection of Alvito D’Cunha and Nirmal Chhetri and had branded Mehrajuddin Wadoo and Samir Naik as ‘bad players.’

“Samir has been with the national team for almost a decade. He is one of the few players in Indian football who has practically won every Cup. You name it and he has the medal – Federation Cup, I-League and what not.

“It is not a joke to have so many wins under your belt. Even in Maldives, he was brilliant.

“As far as Mehraj is concerned, he played his part. He was good whenever he came on especially as a right back in the Bhutan game.

“I have nothing against Alvito or Nirmal, they are talented in their own right,” said the now East Bengal player.

In the last few weeks, Indian team has been criticized by certain sections but Sunil is unruffled and believes that anyone can say what they want.

India Win Again In Portugal – Sunil Chhetri scores to make India proud

FROM GOAL.COM

India made it two out of two on their Portuguese tour after beating GD Gafanha 3-2 at Estadio da Gafanha.

Bungo Singh opened India’s account which Sunil Chhetri added to the scoreline from the spot.

The Portuguese side pulled one back through Cotrim. Tarif Ahmed found the back of the net for the second time in two games to give India a two goal lead.

However, Gilmar scored for the first division side of the Aveiro League to make it 3-2.

The match ended with the same scoreline.

Final Score: 3-2

Goalscorers India: Bengo Singh, Sunil Chhetri (pen) and Tarif Ahmed.

Goalscorers Gafanha: Cotrim and Gilmar.

GJMM seeks divine intervention for separate homeland

FROM ANI

Members of Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJMM), waging a struggle for separate state for Gorkha people, switch to religious mode and offer prayers for attaining Gorkhaland in Siliguri.

Siliguri, July 13 : Members of Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJMM), waging a struggle for separate state for Gorkha people, switch to religious mode and offer prayers for attaining ‘Gorkhaland ‘in Siliguri.

Gorkhas, the Nepalis are demanding a separate “Gorkhaland” to be carved out of West Bengal to protect their culture and heritage.

GJMM members now believe that their prayers will help in strengthening the Gorkhaland movement.

People are chanting religious hymns and they are also performing religious rituals at the prayer service organised for the achievement of Gorkhaland.

“There are various sub-castes of Gorkha, all of us will be offering prayers here till August 7. This is a part of our non-violent movement. We are offering prayers from the bottom of our heart and all this is not a show-off. We believe that with our prayers we will gain strength,” Aman Lama, a GJMM leader.

The GJMM, comprising about half a dozen parties, has been organizing protests over the past few months in the Darjeeling Hills.

GJMM has relaxed the indefinite shutdown till August 7, which it had called from June 10 to mount pressure for their demand.

On GJMM’s demand, the West Bengal government has urged the centre to hold tripartite talks on the issue.

Gorkhas constitute one million of West Bengal’s 80 million people, most of them concentrated in Darjeeling.

A Pamphlet circulated by Gorkha Creative Associates

A Pamphlet circulated by Gorkha Creative Associates

An Unidentified Flying Object that fell over Kurseong Village

Underground expressway proposed between Siliguri & Sikkim

FROM PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Gangtok, Jul 11 (PTI) Sikkim’s overdependence on the vital National Highway 31A for connectivity with the rest of the country may soon be addressed with an overseas construction company proposing to build a state of the art underground expressway between Sevoke in West Bengal and Gangtok by 2012.

In the first of its kind road infrastructure for the North-East, US-based construction major ‘Star universal Resources Company’ has proposed to build the 53 km expressway having tunnels and bridges between Sevoke and Gangtok, official sources said.

It would built at the estimated cost of Rs 1550 crore to be borne by the company itself under private-public -partnership (PPP), the sources said. The proposed expressway between Coronation bridge (Bag Pul) at Sevoke to Gangtok would have two pairs of tunnels of about 100 square km each of which one pair would be used for road raffic and the other standard broad gauge railway tracks, they said.

The mega project, for which the memorandum of understanding (mou) would be signed between Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling and the Star Universal Resource company at Gangtok on July 15, would be built on the build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis, the sources said.

WB govt actively considering reservation for OBC

FROM PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Kolkata, Jul 11 (PTI) West Bengal government is actively considering reservation for OBC in admission to higher educational institutions which were under its financial control or aid, Jogesh Burman, Minister for Backward Classes Welfare informed the assembly today.

Necessary formalities for the introduction of reservation for OBC in higher education has already started, the minister said in reply to a calling attention motion in the House. PTI SUN PR PAL 07112026 DEL

HC issues contempt rule against Biman Bose, two other leaders

FROM PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Kolkata, July 11 (PTI) The Calcutta High Court today issued contempt rule against three CPI-M leaders, including Left Front chairman Biman Bose, for allegedly making derogatory comments against the judiciary and judges over its order on Nandigram police firing.

Apart from Bose, who is a CPI-M Politburo member, party central committee members Binoy Konar and Shyamal Chakraborty were directed to appear before the court on August eight for reportedly making the remarks after the court termed as unconstitutional and illegal the Nandigram police firing of March 14, 2007 which left 14 people dead.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice S S Nijjar and Justice P C Ghose passed the order after being dissatisfied by the political leaders’ reply to a showcause by the court that asked them to explain why contempt rule would not be issued against them.

The court had on November 16 termed the police firing unconstitutional and illegal and on the very next day, these leaders in public meetings had allegedly made derogatory comments with an intention to malign and undermine the judiciary, petitioners the High Court Bar Association and Bar Library Club claimed.
The petitioners had moved the court seeking issuance of criminal contempt against the three leaders for making the comments.

The court, after hearing lawyers for the petitioners and for the three leaders, had issued the contempt notice on November 27, asking them to explain why contempt rule would not be issued against them. PTI AMR MD PAL 07112019 DEL

HC directive to state on smooth running of Darjeeling courts

FROM PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Kolkata, Jul 11 (PTI) The Calcutta High Court today directed the West Bengal government to state what steps it has taken to ensure smooth running of courts in Darjeeling hills where the judicial system has been paralysed for more than a month over an agitation demanding statehood of the hills.

A PIL was moved before a division bench comprising Chief Justice S S Nijjar and Justice P C Ghose seeking its intervention to ensure smooth running of the courts in the hills as the agitation was affecting thousands of litigants and accused persons.

It was also claimed by petitioner’s counsel Rabishankar Chatterjee that many undertrials and arrested persons were unable to move bail applications as lawyers sympathising with Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, which is spearheading the agitation, and court staff were not attending courts.

The bench directed the state government to file a report within two weeks stating therein the steps taken to ensure smooth functioning of the courts. Apart from the district court in Darjeeling town, two other sub-divisional courts at Kurseong and Kalimpong in the hills were not functioning since the agitation began. PTI AMR MD PAL 07112022 DEL

Sikkim government decides to lift ban on poultry trade

FROM THE STATESMAN

GANGTOK, July 11: The Sikkim government has decided to lift the state’s ban on the import and trade of poultry, which was imposed six months ago, following an outbreak of bird flu in West Bengal. The initiative to lift the ban comes after the poultry dealers, today, sought the state government’s stand on the matter.

The dealers and the public have agreed with the government’s decision to lift the ban since no fresh report of bird flu was reported from West Bengal, lately. “Our business had been adversely affected, this year, especially when the ban came into play in the middle of the tourist season,” regretted a chicken dealer from the local Lall Market. To sustain their business for the time being, chicken dealers have started dealing in poultry, brought from various parts of the state.

“The price of chicken has shot up due to the ban and it is the common man who has to dole the extra money,” said a customer.

According to people in the hotel business, last season, there was no chicken on the menu. “It was really difficult for us to run the hotel business only with mutton and fish,” said Mr Mukul Dey, a hotel spokesperson based in Gangtok.

GJMM to answer for NH~31A block

FROM THE STATESMAN

DARJEELING, July 11: The GJMM has received an order from the counsel of the West Bengal Government to reply in affidavit on the issue of the National Highway 31A blockade during its recent bandh. The order is a follow-up of a case filed at the Supreme Court by the Sikkim state government against the GJMM, Aamra Bangali, Jana Jagaran and Jana Chetna Mancha.

The Supreme Court holds these organisations responsible for the disruption of movement over NH 31A. Treating it as an opportunity to also plead the demand of a separate state of Gorkhaland at the nation’s apex court, the GJMM central committee leader Mr Amar Lama today said: “We respect the verdict of the Supreme Court and take this opportunity to explain the rationality of the demand before it. We expect our pleas to be heard and serious steps to be taken on the issues.”

The case is under interim observation by the Supreme Court, which has vested the West Bengal government to ensure free movement on the highway. “On earlier occasions verdicts against bandhs and demonstrations by the judiciary have been flouted. But our demonstrations are not for trivial issues because we are demanding the right to self-determination,” Mr Lama said.

No talks till Trust vote

FROM THE STATESMAN

DARJEELING , July 11: The GJMM’s has accepted the state government’s initiative for a tripartite meeting on Gorkhaland with a rider. “The dialogue should be held after the trust vote sought by the UPA government as the stability of the government is doubtful. We think that under such circumstances tripartite talks would be futile. It would be better to schedule the meeting only when the government is stable,” said party general secretary Mr Roshan Giri today.

The move of the state government comes following GJMM’s refusal to attend bipartite talks and urging the chief minister to arrange a tripartite meeting with the Centre.

Darjeeling SFI protests against college violence

FROM THE STATESMAN

SILIGURI, July 11: The Darjeeling district Students’ Federation of India (SFI) sponsored students’ strike, in protest against violence at the Siliguri Commerce College on 9 July. It also raised its voice against the failure of Siliguri colleges in admitting surplus applicants, who have recently passed the class XII exams.

The commotion affected classes in the educational institutions of the Siliguri sub-division. The strike, however, passed off peacefully. The SFI submitted memoranda to the SDO and ASP, Siliguri, demanding admission of all students, who have applied for under-graduate courses, to the colleges of Siliguri sub-division.

The Darjeeling district wing of the West Bengal College and University Teachers’ Association (WBCUTA), in a Press release this evening, condemned the violence at the Siliguri Commerce College on Wednesday, demanding severe and exemplary punishment to those involved in the racket. “Those who ransacked the college on Wednesday evening were not students. They should be arrested immediately,” Mr Ajit Dey, secretary, Darjeeling district WBCUTA, said.

Today was the third day of the hunger strike by the Darjeeling district Trinamul Chhatra Parishad (TCP) at the Bagdogra College premises

Red hot ‘UFO’ falls from sky!

FROM THE STATESMAN

KURSEONG, July 11: A circular polymer object measuring about 3 ft in diameter and around 1.5 ft tall dropped from the sky at Lower Sirubari Busty in Castleton Tea Estate, Kurseong sub division last evening creating fear and confusion in the area.

The Kurseong police took the object into its custody in the presence of the Kurseong BDO Mr Manish Verma today. The administration has contacted the Air Force authorities at Bagdogra near Kurseong for the identification of the object.

The object landed near the house of Mr Hari Kumar Chettri at around 6.30 p.m. yesterday. “The object was hot glowing orange when it fell with a thud. Its heat turned the tin wall of my cattle shed red,” Mr Chettri, said. According to the Kurseong BDO, the object has changed colour after cooling down. “The object is not more than 15 kg, is blackish in colour and has several concentric rings,” Mr Verma said. “What is curious is that the object did not create a major crater although it fell from the sky,” he added. Curiosity prevails in the area about the identity of the object. Many believe it is a part of a satellite.

SFI: arrest college attackers

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Siliguri, July 11: The SFI today organised a rally here as part of the strike it had called in the subdivision to protest against the ransacking of Siliguri Commerce College on Wednesday night. The student wing of the CPM had exempted examinations from the purview of the agitation.

Members of the Chatra Parishad had allegedly gheraoed the principal and other teachers of the college and destroyed furniture and other items of the institution.

After holding the rally at Hill Cart Road, the SFI leaders submitted memorandums to the Siliguri subdivisional officer (SDO) and Siliguri additional superintendent of police.

“We have requested both the officials to take steps to arrest the culprits, who were involved in the ransacking of the Commerce College, within 24 hours,” said Sudip Roychoudhury, the general secretary of the SFI’s Darjeeling district committee.

Ashim Mukherjee, the principal of the Commerce College, today met the SDO, Smita Pandey, and Arunava Basu Majumdar, the vice-chancellor of North Bengal University, separately to discuss the incident.

“I have told the VC and the SDO about the attack on the college,” said Mukherjee.

The principal also said classes of BCom first year would commence tomorrow and the institution would function normally.

Facelift for New Jalpaiguri – Station to get facade

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Artist’s impression of the new facade of New Jalpaiguri station

Siliguri, July 11: Parking space for vehicles alongside platforms, a concourse similar to the ones at airport terminals, new ticket booking systems and a contemporary facade are some of the major changes being introduced at New Jalpaiguri (NJP) railway station.

Perhaps the most important gateway for passengers in the Northeast Frontier Railway, the new-look New Jalpaiguri station will be ready with all these improvements in two years, a senior railway official said today. Some of the work has started already, he added.

The most expensive and time-consuming — and alluring — of the projects is a carriageway that will take vehicles right alongside the two most important platforms at the station — 1 and 1A — from where trains like the Darjeeling Mail and Rajdhani leave.

“It will be like the carriageway at Howrah station, where parking is right next to the platforms,” said Mehtab Singh, the divisional railway manager of Katihar, within whose jurisdiction New Jalpiguri is located. “Passengers, especially the elderly and the sick, can thus dispense with the long trek up the over-bridges, which is the only way to reach the platforms now.”

Singh added: “We have hired a consultant and the design is being finalised.” Instead of going to the current parking lots outside the main building of the station, vehicles will in future reach the platforms by either going under (through a subway) or over the railway tracks that pass in between. “This project will take about two years to complete.”

What is nearing completion and is likely to be inaugurated next week, is a new and spacious passenger reservation counter on the right of the main entrance to the station complex. “The modern structure will house four counters. The new system to be followed here will replace queues with coupons,” the DRM said.