Normalcy returns to Darjeeling hills

FROM IANS

Kolkata, Oct 23 (IANS) Normalcy returned to West Bengal’s Darjeeling district Thursday as supporters of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) stopped the forcible use of Gorkhaland in vehicles number plates and signboards as part of their non-cooperation movement in the hills.”The situation is normal now, both in the hills and plains. No fresh incident took place Thursday,” said Rahul Srivastava, Darjeeling district police superintendent.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist’s labour wing Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) Wednesday called a 72-hour transport strike protesting the non-cooperation movement of the GJM in the hills.

CITU activists stopped all vehicles with GL number plates, including passenger cars, trucks and goods vehicles, to enter the plains. Later the strike was withdrawn in the evening after holding an administrative meeting in the district CITU committee.

The GJM, led by its president Bimal Gurung, has been spearheading a movement in the hills demanding a separate state and also opposing the Sixth Schedule status for Darjeeling.

Government of Sikkim signs MoU with Reserve Bank of India

FROM INDLAWNEWS

The Government of Sikkim and the Reserve Bank of India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with regard to Urban Co-operative Banks in the State of Sikkim. Consequent upon this, a State level Task Force for Urban Co-operative Banks (TAFCUB) has been constituted for Sikkim. Shri B.Mahapatra, Regional Director for West Bengal and Sikkim, Reserve Bank of India, is the Chairman of the TAFCUB and Shri W.T.Bhutia, Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Government of Sikkim is its Co-Chairman. The other members of the TAFCUB include a representative, each from State and National Federation of Urban Cooperative Banks, a nominee of State Government of Sikkim and a representative of Urban Banks Department, Reserve Bank of India, Central Office, Mumbai. The first meeting of the TAFCUB will be held shortly.

Similar MoUs have also been signed with the Governments of the States of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Chattisgarh, Goa, Maharashtra, Assam, NCT of Delhi, Haryana, West Bengal, Tripura, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Mizoram and Tamil Nadu, thus covering 98.6% of number of UCBs accounting for 99.2% of deposits of the sector.

As part of its developmental role, the Reserve Bank would also be assessing the training, computerisation needs of the Urban Co-operative Banks in the State of Sikkim with the objective of upgrading their human resources skills and technological infrastructure so that they improve their operational efficiency and quality of management information systems.

Back Jogbani-Biratnagar route to boost trade with Nepal

FROM THE HINDU BUSINESSLINE

By Santanu Sanyal

News shared by Aardee

Kolkata, Oct. 22 Nepal is all set to receive by train its containerised imports through Kolkata port by a second route – the Jogbani-Biratnagar route.

This will be in addition to the present Raxaul-Birganj route.

However, the Jogbani-Biratnagar route, according to Nepali trade sources, will be different as on the Raxaul-Birganj route, the container trains from Kolkata port move straight into Nepali territory right up to the Birganj inland container depot. This is possible because of the rail link between Raxaul, which is on the Indian side of the border, and Birganj, which is in Nepal.

In case of the Jogbani-Biratnagar route, a similar movement will not be possible. There being no railway connection between Jogbani, which is on the Indian side (north Bihar), and Biratnagar, which is on the Nepali side.

The loaded containers from Kolkata port will be offloaded and destuffed at Jogbani for onward transportation of the consignments by road to Biratnagar container freight station (CFS), a road-linked outfit located just across the border. The CFS, though owned by Napal Intermodal Transport Development Corporation, is run by Mumbai-based AllCargo.

Biman warns people of ‘unholy’ opposition

FROM EXPRESS INDIA

Kolkata, October 22 CPM state secretary and Left Front chairman Biman Bose said on Wednesday “unholy” powers are trying to destabilise West Bengal.

Referring to Trinamool Congress agitation in Cooch Behar, Maoist blast in West Midnapore and Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) agitation in Darjeeling, Bose asked people to fight unitedly against such powers.

“Unholy opposition forces are creating a dangerous situation in the state. Trinamool Congress in Cooch Behar, Maoists in West Midnapore and GJM in Darjeeling – all of them are trying to create anarchy in the state. There are attacks, intimidations and murders. The democratic environment in the state is being destroyed by their acts,” Bose said.

“We have asked supporters of Left Front in Darjeeling to maintain calm and peace,” he added.

Referring to Maoist blasts in West Midnapore, he said: “The Naxals are attacking doctors and nurses in medical camp meant for the poor. People should understand their motives.”

Politicians have turned ‘responsible’

FROM MERINEWS

BY SUJIT ROY

IN THE wake of electoral call, the political parties, both ruling and opposition parties in West Bengal have suddenly initiated a move to prove themselves responsible to their best, toward the citizens of the state. On one hand, the ruling party Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPIM) and its allies have abruptly woken up to solve the Gorkhaland issue after the Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha played havoc with the administration and society for months together. On the other hand, the opposition Trinamool Congress has decided to refrain from calling bandhs or blockade off and on.

People are looking at these abrupt change with caution toward political parties on the eve of the forthcoming Parliamentary elections. A The grapevine informs that all political parties are soon going to prove their sense of responsibility more vigorously.

West Bengal is one of states in India where political parties and the people do everything in their own interest but hardly for the interest of the people living in the state. This attitude has all through damaged the prospect of the state and developments have been stalled. This is more visible in the last 20 years, when the announcements and publicity materials on different issues have been given more importance than the actions in real sense.

In the name of democratic movement, Darjeeling, the hill queen of the state, is under the grip of vandalism for nearly a year. The democratic krantikaris have introduced home rule over there and have been pressurising people to go by their dictates. They are changing the number plates of the cars, signboards on the shops and establishments and those who negate their dictates, become prey of humiliation and attacks. The tourists are shaken to go up to spend the holidays resulting in serious damage to business overall.

Bhutanese refugees demand repatriation

FROM THE HINDU

By Prerana Marasini

KATHMANDU: After meeting Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda), a delegation of Bhutanese refugees is hoping for some relief in the form of repatriation soon.

“The Prime Minister was very positive on the issue and has assured us of talks soon,” said S. B. Subba, a member of the delegation and president of the Bhutan Human Rights Commission, on Wednesday in Kathmandu. Mr. Prachanda expressed his commitment to resolve the refugee crisis at the earliest emphasising the involvement of the Indian government.

Mr. Prachanda had earlier met Bhutan’s Prime Minister in New York, where he asked for a proposal from Bhutan to resolve the issue. Meanwhile, in Kathmandu, the delegation also submitted signatures of 1,546 families demanding the “right to return” to their homeland. They also demanded setting up of a taskforce to look after the Bhutanese refugee affairs in Nepal; hold multilateral talks between Nepal, India, Bhutan and the refugees; and suspend the Third Country Resettlement (TCR) programme launched by International Organisation for Migration.

Maoists may free child soldiers before Ban’s visit

FROM INDIA ENEWS

After distancing themselves from revolutionary Chinese leader Mao Zedong and negotiating with the US for taking them off the list of terror organisations, Nepal’s Maoist party could now finally discharge its disqualified guerrillas, including child soldiers, before UN chief Ban Ki-moon arrives in Nepal on a whirlwind tour, a report said.

With Nepal’s Peace and Reconstruction Minister Janardan Sharma, who is also a deputy of the Maoists’ once dreaded People’s Liberation Army (PLA), touring a PLA cantonment in farwest Kailali district Wednesday, private FM station Kantipur said there was growing speculation that the Maoists would free their disqualified combatants before the UN chief’s arrival.

Ban is scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu Oct 31 during which he will meet President Ram Baran Yadav, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav and lawmakers of the constituent assembly.

The UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), that has been supervising the arms and combatants of the PLA, said last year that it had verified the fighters and found that out of over 30,000 registered soldiers, only around 19,600 were eligible to stay on and be eventually integrated with the state army.

However, there are over 4,000 disqualified soldiers, the bulk of whom were recruited as child soldiers.

A report by the UN secretary-general, ‘Children and armed conflict in Nepal’, said that the Maoists, despite signing a peace pact, were continuing to recruit minors.

Initial investigations found over 512 cases of child recruitment in September 2006.

Though UNMIN and other UN agencies had been urging the Maoists to release the disqualified combatants from the cantonments, the former guerrillas ignored the calls.

Nepal Home Minister warns armed groups

FROM SOUTH EAST ASIA NEWS

Kathmandu, Oct 22 : Nepal Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam has said that the government will use force if armed groups in the Tarai ignore the government’s call for dialogue.

Speaking at an interaction here, Gautam said the government will spare no one in maintaining law and order in the country.

Stating that most armed groups in the Tarai are involved in violent activities, Gautam said, “If they keep on ignoring the government’s request, the government will take strong action against them.”

He said the government is committed to end the culture of impunity and will take stern action against those who violate the laws of the country.

“The government is facing problems in curbing violent activities in the Tarai due to the porous border with India,” he said.

“Many leaders of violent activities have made India their hideout,” he said, adding that, “This has made it difficult for the government to immediately nab them.” Kantipur reported.

Nepal to get new industrial policy under Maoists

FROM IANS

By Sudeshna Sarkar

Kathmandu, Oct 22 : Nepal’s new Maoist-led government Wednesday said it would soon unveil a new industrial policy that would not just adjust or reform the strategies of earlier governments but aim at a ‘breakthrough’.

The republic’s first prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, who had pledged an economic revolution in his first address to the nation and whose government has declared its plan to develop 10,000 MW of additional power in the next decade, announced that a new industrial policy was on the anvil while inaugurating a two-day symposium on private-public partnership in the capital.

Prachanda said the new policy was necessary for economic progress of Nepal and would pivot around private-public partnership, which, he said, was the best model for the country.

Prachanda, whose two-month-old government has taken initiative to resume talks with neighbour India on two mega hydropower projects that have been on the backburner for years, also said that the government was focusing on mega projects.

However, local investment was not sufficient to get them off the ground, he said.

During his official visit to India and the US, Prachanda has been urging foreign investors and non-resident Nepalis to increase investment in Nepal.

The declaration about a new industrial policy comes after an India-Nepal meeting on trade in New Delhi.

During the two-day meeting of the India-Nepal Inter-Governmental Committee on Trade, Transit and Cooperation to Control Unauthorised Trade that ended Monday, Indian Commerce secretary G.K. Pillai urged Nepal to create an “investor-friendly and enabling business environment with a view to attracting Indian investments”.

Besides an agreement to conclude the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement, Motor Vehicles Agreement and revised Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement at the earliest, India had raised the problems faced by prominent Indian joint ventures in Nepal.

Seven injured in blast in S Nepal

From Xinhua

At least seven people, including an accountant, were seriously injured when a powerful bomb went off at Land Revenue Office in Janakpur in southern Nepal’ s Terai district of Dhanusha Wednesday afternoon.

According to eKantipur.com, among the injured three persons are said to be in critical condition. The injured were taken to Janakpur Zonal Hospital, some 125 km east of Kathmandu.

Rajan Mukti faction of Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha, an outfit launching armed movement in Terai region, has claimed responsibility for the blast.

Drivers say no to high security no plates registration drive

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, October 21: The ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party has assured to take the problems voiced by local drivers over the recent High Security number plates registration drive before the Chief Minister.

Representatives from Main Line Taxi Drivers Association, Sikkim Truck Driver and Owner’s Association, Sikkim Local Taxi Driver Association and other bodies had met the SDF vice president KB Chamling and transport cell president TT Bhutia yesterday to highlight their reservations against the high security number plates registration drive.

During the deliberations, the driver’s bodies pointed out that high security number plates are not required in a peaceful State of Sikkim. They said that the drivers have decided not to put the above number plates in their taxis as it costs more than Rs. 2,000.

The representatives also requested that the drivers should be given necessary forms at reasonable prices from the Motor Vehicle Division of State transport department.

Voicing their concerns over the mandatory uniforms for drivers of luxury vehicles, the bodies said that many educated unemployed are not taking up this profession due to the uniforms.

Sikkim University can play a crucial role in conserving natural resources, says Prof Lama

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, October 21: The Vice Chancellor of Sikkim University Prof Mahendra P Lama today raised serious concerns over the colossal financial loss and development deprivations due to the lack of knowledge in the scientific properties and commercial values of natural resources of the Eastern Himalayas, which has been declared as the bio-diversity hotspot.

He was addressing the Guha Research Conference 2008, which was attended by top Indian scientists and fellows of National Academy of Sciences from different national research institutes, universities and organisations here today.

Informing that no one exactly knows how to conserve the natural resources and what need to be conserved except for the traditional way of using it, Prof Lama said that many of the resources and the intellectual properties related to them as per studies have surreptitiously been smuggled and commercialized by companies of both gigantic proportions and also by small petty agencies.

In this aspect, the Vice Chancellor felt that Sikkim University can play a crucial role in making major skill and knowledge development intervention in terms of raising awareness among the locals and try hand in the conservation effort.

“As an upcoming University, we have a firm conviction that one of the ways to really harness all these natural resources in a scientific manner is to enhance the level of their usage and intensify the degree of their utility by making these herbs, medicinal plants and other biological resources as friendly and as popular as possible,” he said adding “this can be done by bringing the traditional knowledge and native wisdom of the faith healers like Dhami, Jhankri, Phendengba, Bonbo of Nepali and Pow and Nejum of Bhutia and Bongthing in Lepcha communities to an institutionalized forum like Sikkim University and under a well designed scientific framework.”

Terming the faith healers as dying wisdoms, Prof Lama said that they are today scattered as they are not confident and safe about bringing their traditional knowledge and intellectual resources to the public domain for fear of pilferage and tamper by the people and agencies for commercial use.

Informing about the University’s plans to create a scientific forum for all the faith healers to come together and capitalize on their traditional knowledge base by propagating and promoting the same at the national and global level, Prof Lama sought institutional support, intellectual guidance and academic interventions of a professional collective like Guha Research Conference in areas of higher learning, fundamental research and scientific management.

He also stressed on the support in generating a pool of skilled, motivated, committed and technically sound human resources to harness and conserve the natural resources. “It also means supporting us in designing and setting up modern research facilities and institutions. We have to do this both to consolidate our national power as an emerging global power and also to stop any cross border injuries,” he added.

CM to lay foundation stone of St Joseph’s School auditorium today

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, October 21: The Chief Minister Pawan Chamling will lay the foundation stone of St Joseph’s School auditorium tomorrow at Martam in East Sikkim, about 28 km from here.

The foundation laying ceremony is being organized on the sidelines of the school’s silver jubilee celebrations.

Set up in the year 1983, the school, located in the serene environs of Martam turns 25 this year and grand celebrations are planned ahead.

The parish church, which also attained 25 years this year observed the jubilee last month.

The Principal of the School Sr. Denise said that many past students are also expected to join in the celebrations. According to her, 15 batches of students have passed out their ICSE from the school and are doing well both in their profession and higher studies.

On the other hand, local residents have been spending sleepless nights, especially in the arrangements to welcome the Chief Minister, who is known to be visiting the village for the first time after forming his government in 1994.

It is informed that the area MLA cum Minister for the State Public Works Department Dorjee Tshering Lepcha will be present on the occasion as the guest of honour along with the State HRDD Minister Garjaman Gurung, MP, Lok Sabha Nakul Rai, MP, Rajya Sabha OT Lepcha, State Tourism Minister RB Subba, State Transport Minister Menlom Lepcha and former Indian Ambassador to Mongolia Karma Topden among others.

TB Thatal announced as SHRP candidate from West Pandam

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

T. Thatal

RANGPO, October 21: Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad (SHRP) vice president TB Thatal was declared today as the potential candidate of the party from West Pandam constituency in the upcoming Assembly elections.
This was announced by the party president Dr. AD Subba in his address during a public meeting at Sauney, West Pandam. “Elections will be held in April and our likely candidate from West Pandam constituency is the party in-charge for this constituency”, he said.

TB Thatal is the SHRP in-charge of West Pandam constituency.

In his address, the likely party candidate TB Thatal claimed that all communities of Sikkim will be integrated under the flag of SHRP. “Our first priority once our party comes to power will be to light up all villages which are without electricity now”, he said.

“SDF’s time has come to an end”, Mr. Thatal said. He claimed that a SHRP government will deliver jobs to all unemployed Sikkimese people within a period of 2 years.

Expectedly the SHRP meeting at Sauney saw much SDF bashing with the party president Dr. Subba leading from the front in the verbal assault. He accused SDF of fragmenting the Sikkimese society in the name of communities and castes.

Once our party comes to power, we will give rice at Rs.3 per kg and 50 kgs rice free to the BPL category, said Dr. Subba. He also promised various subsidies to the people in the event of a SHRP government.

BJP will be new alternative in next 6 months: Padam Chettri

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, October 21: Handing a key responsibility to a youthful face, State BJP unit is set to embark on a ‘village level mission’ from tomorrow to infuse fresh blood among the party ranks and supporters.
Thirty three year old Padam Bahadur Chettri had been anointed as the face of BJP few days ago for the upcoming elections and the party president HR Pradhan is upbeat for more support from the people especially the youths to the party.

While he was more reserved in his comments last time with media, the former lecturer Mr. Chettri spoke candidly on the party’s prospects and his cause today with youthful exuberance and flair.

“We will stand BJP as the alternative party within the next six months”, Mr. Chettri said. Time has come to search for democracy with a torch which was supposed to have been brought by a candle, he said.

“Our political stand will revolve on development which must be as per time. We are also committed to stamp out corruption in Sikkim”, Mr. Chettri said. He promised to make Sikkim a totally corruption-free State.

Accusing SDF of patenting corruption in the State, the BJP vice president said: “As per population, each family in Sikkim is entitled to Rs. 16 lakhs in the past 15 years but even then, the people’s standards have not risen”. There is electricity but no electricity, education but no teachers, roads but no vehicles, he observed.

Up in smoke Ignorant Sikkimese float ban on smoking

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

BY SAIMON PAUL RAI

GANGTOK, October 21: Despite the Union Government enforcing a strict ban on smoking in public places from October 2, the hotels and restaurants in the Capital are found floating the ban with indoor smoking still gaining ground.

As per the notified revised Rules on the Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places on May 30, 2008, smoking is banned in shopping malls, cinema halls, public/private work place, hotels, banquet halls, discotheques, canteen, coffee house, pubs, bars and bus stations.

An Act on no smoking in public places was enforced strongly across the country on October 2 this year.

“Just two days ago, I happen to dine at a local hotel wherein I saw a group of men smoking cigarettes inside an open cabin without any proper ventilation arrangements in the presence of the hotel owner and other diners as mere spectators,” rued a school teacher.

She added that no one from the group dared to question the men on violating the ban on smoking in public places as majority of them were still ignorant and unaware of the ban.

“If people are so addicted to smoking at regular intervals, they ought to smoke on roads or in their homes but not in any other public place like hotels and restaurants,” quipped a teenager Priscilla Rai. “By doing so, such people would not be found guilty of floating the ban,” she said.

According to an elderly lady, the impact of smoking inside closed environment is more than in open roads and streets.

It may be mentioned here that 40 per cent of deaths occur in India due to tobacco related diseases while two-third of deaths occur due to smoking, junk foods and usage of drugs.

The ‘workplace smoke-free policy’ of the Union Health Ministry, a total ban on indoor smoking was enforced in India from October 2, 2008. With such law enforced, even the private offices and other establishments cannot escape the ban by taking refuge in special rooms meant for smoking. The ban will apply to all companies, plus restaurants, cafes, pubs and discotheques.

As per this Act, hotels with more than 30 seats can create a separate enclosure for smoking purpose, with good ventilation arrangement. Those found flouting the ban will be charged Rs 200 initially. The amount will be hiked to Rs 1000 for individuals and Rs 5,000 for organizations.

Nepal Three Star’s glorious start

Nepal Three Star goalkeeper Kiran Chemjung sends the ball soaring for his central forwards in the match against BSF (Jhalandar) in front of roaring fans at Pajlor Stadium. The Nepal side marched towards their Gold Cup challenge by beating BSF in style on Monday’s quarter-final match.Photo by Sikkim Express

Four water tanks for hill residents

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Kalimpong, Oct. 22: The Kalimpong Municipality will construct four additional storage tanks in town to facilitate better distribution of water to residents.

The civic body will make use of the Rs 60 lakh it had received from the Bengal municipal affairs department about two years ago. “The previous board had received the money, but had diverted some of it to other purposes. The funds were replenished only a few days before C.K. Kumai resigned as the civic chief,” said Norden Lama, the municipality chairman.

The new tanks will be set up at CarMichael Ground, Mission Compound, Haat Ghar and Lalgully. “We have issued tenders and once the formalities are completed, we will release work orders,” Lama said.

The capacity for the Haat Ghar tank will be 10,000 gallons water and the ones at Mission Compound and Lalgully will be 15,000 gallons each. The CarMichael Ground tank will store 1 lakh gallons, sources said.

The daily requirement of Kalimpong town is nine lakh gallons, while the municipality gets five lakh gallons a day. The shortfall has led the civic authorities to supply water to the residents on alternate day for an hour or so.

Army in final, eyes on ‘India-Nepal’ clash

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Gangtok, Oct. 22: Army XI entered the final of the 30th All India Governor’s Gold Cup by thrashing Titanium Kerala 2-0 in the first semi-final held at Paljor Stadium here today.

In the match (in picture by Prabin Khaling) dominated by the jawans, the Kerala team looked hapless right from the start, faltering in every department.

Army XI marksman M.G. Rana scored the first goal in the 59th minute. The second goal was scored by Somnath Das in the 79th minute.

Despite several chances and shots in the goal post, Titanium failed to score any goal and lost to the deftness and agility of the army boys whose clean passes and team combination gelled well. Both the strikers and the defence of army were too strong for the Kerala team to breach.

The second semi-final between Three Star Nepal and Tata Football Academy will be held tomorrow with the match is expected to be the thriller of the year.

The match is touted as India versus Nepal clash like the one witnessed in 2005 when the same two teams played and the venue saw the flags of the two countries fluttering. The Nepal team had lost the match then.

Three Star coach Upendra Mansingh said his team was prepared to take revenge this time round. Mansingh was the goalkeeper in 2005.

Students cry for bus halt, attack passengers

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Pal at the district hospital on Wednesday. (Nantu Dey)

Raiganj, Oct. 22: A group of students today threw stones at a Siliguri-bound bus near the Nagar bridge, 11km from here, injuring five passengers. The students were demanding halt for buses at the spot.

Biswanath Pal, a sales representative, was admitted to the Raiganj district hospital with injuries on the right eye. Four others were released after first aid.

Following the incident, the driver parked the bus in the middle of NH34, blocking the highway for two-and-a-half hours from 10am and demanded the arrest of the culprits.

Bijoy Chakrabarty, the driver, said earlier, too, the students had attacked the buses that pass through the area by voicing the same demand.

Today, Bijoy said, he was forced to stop the bus when about 50 students blocked the road. “I requested about 10 of them to board the bus, but they insisted that all of them should be taken. When we refused, two of them started throwing stones which smashed the left windscreen and hit Pal.”

The driver also alleged that the students dragged him and the conductor out of the vehicle and thrashed them.

Harul Khan, a Class IX student of Rahatpur High Madarsa in Domohana who took part in the agitation, said: “We have to depend on the long-distance buses on the highway as there is hardly any local transport from here to go to school, 26km away. We had requested the bus association for a halt but they refused to pay heed. None of us had thrown stones to hurt the passengers.”

Transport office plan for Siliguri

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Siliguri, Oct. 22: Darjeeling district administration has sought permission from the Bengal government to open a camp office of the regional transport authority (RTA) here to help vehicle owners.

The RTA office in Darjeeling town has not been functioning since August after the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha asked the hill residents not to deposit any revenue at government offices.

As a result of the closure, licences, route permits, fitness certificates and other documents necessary for running vehicles have not been issued or renewed from the hill office.

“The camp office will be opened at a rented house in town or on a government office premises and will function until the situation turns congenial in the hills and the RTA office can operate in Darjeeling. We are now awaiting government instruction,” said Surendra Gupta, the district magistrate of Darjeeling.

The move, according to officials, will contribute in reducing the woes of vehicle owners and the drivers.

“We have been even contemplating informing the transport authorities of other districts and the neighbouring states that vehicles registered in Darjeeling district should be considered if their papers are not found in order,” said an official.

Thousands walk as Citu runs riot – 90-year-old forced out of ambulance

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Some Citu members push the ambulance to its side at Dagapur while others (below) take aim at the tourist bus at the same spot. Pictures by Kundan Yolmo

Siliguri, Oct. 22: Three vehicles were ransacked, the tyres of at least 10 others were punctured and a 90-year-old was forced to come out of an ambulance as the Citu today went ahead with its transport strike.

The ambulance was intercepted at Dagapur here around 2.30pm by picketers, who alleged that the passengers inside were “healthy”. The vehicle was turned on its side and its windscreen broken.

Brother Thomas, a faculty member of Goethals Memorial School in Kurseong, and James Joseph and Valentine Gahatraj of the same institution, were told to come out of the vehicle with their luggage.

“Bother Thomas is a 90-year-old diabetic and an asthma patient. He was under treatment at a nursing home in Siliguri and was discharged today,” Joseph said. “We were taking him back when the picketers stopped us. By the time we convinced them who we were, the ambulance had been smashed. They had forced us out on the pretext that all of us were healthy.”

Fifteen minutes later, Citu arranged for transport to take Thomas and his companions to the hills.

Half an hour later, a bus from Darjeeling was stopped at the same spot. Thirty passengers inside were asked to come out and the luggage taken down from the roof. The bus was pelted with stones, its glass panes shattered in five minutes. The brick-batting stopped only after Swapan Ghosh, the inspector-in-charge of Pradhannagar police Station, reached the spot.

Yesterday, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had appealed against strikes and had said that in the plains some organisations were trying to create a situation like the one existing in the hills. He were referring to Amra Bangalee and the Shiv Sena which had called bandhs.

Today, the labour wing of Bhattacharjee’s party, the CPM, forced thousands of local people and tourists to cover on foot at least 4km to enter Siliguri or reach Panchanoi on way to Sukna. Vehicles to the hills were available from Panchanoi from 11am to 2pm.

Besides Dagapur, pickets were set up also at Salugara and Khaprail, the other entry points to the hills.

TO MOON: Right now, it looks a better place than our Earth The ‘baby’ is on its way

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

BY G.S. MUDUR

Chandrayaan 1

Sriharikota, Oct. 22: India took a big leap towards joining a small club of moon explorers today with the launch of its first lunar orbiter, bolstering its credentials as a space-faring nation on a shoestring budget.

India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle ferrying Chandrayaan-1 stirred with a thunderous roar and climbed into the sky, leaving behind a tower-like thick trail of flames and smoke.

About 18 minutes after a perfect lift-off at 0622 hours under an overcast sky, Chandrayaan-1 separated from the PSLV, and slipped into an initial orbit from where it will be nudged towards the moon over the next 15 days.

“Our baby’s on the way to the moon,” Mylswamy Annadurai, the 50-year-old electronics engineer at the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and the chief architect of Chandrayaan-1, said moments after the launch.

“This is a historic moment. We’ve opened a new chapter in the Indian space programme,” said Isro chairman G. Madhavan Nair. “This is the beginning of our journey to unravel the mysteries of the moon.”

The spacecraft with 11 scientific payloads is intended to orbit the moon for two years during which it will map the entire lunar surface in a level of detail never achieved before as well as look for ice and precious minerals.

Only Russia, the US, China, Japan and the European Space Agency (ESA) have sent spacecraft to either orbit or land on the moon. Chandrayaan-1 is carrying three instruments from the ESA, two from the US and one from Bulgaria.

India’s Deep Space Network tracking station with two giant antennas, including a 32-metre diameter dish, near Bangalore, picked up signals from Chandrayaan-1 in the afternoon today, Isro officials told The Telegraph.

“We’ve checked the health of the spacecraft. It is perfect,” Annadurai said.

Marketing problem faced by the Tea Industry

By Kakali Hazarika

Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
NIT; Silchar, Assam

Women plucking tea at a garden in Darjeeling

Tea, the world’s most popular and cheapest beverage also known as ‘chay’ in many languages has a history spanning 5000 years of cultivation. Tea is cultivated in about 36 countries all over the world, but production is heavily concentrated in just a handful. India is one of them. The tea plant in Assam as well as in India was discovered by C.A. Bruce in 1823 (There are some controversy). Till now, India is listed as the world’s leading producer, consumer, and exporter in the world. India produced 944 million kg of tea in 2007, 76 pc of which is produced in the North East Indian states. As the largest consumer of tea it consumes 786 million kg in the year 2007.

About 203.86 million kg tea is exported from India which brings about US $ 413 million as foreign exchange for the country per annum. Being the second largest employment provider almost 12, 58, 800 families are directly employed in this sector and almost same numbers of people are worked as casual workers. Another 10 million people are indirectly employed by tea industry. Tea industry is one of the major driving forces of Indian economy. Tea industry has a prominent role in the development of India. It is directly responsible for economic and social development in far flung areas where almost no other economic activity exists. More than last 160 years India is considered as one of the big producer, consumer as well as a big exporter. In the year 2007, India has produced 944 million kg of tea which shows a sharp
decline of 1.2 % comparing to the production of 2006 which was 955 million kg. In case of export during the year 2006 India’s export share was 218734 thousand kg. But it declined to only 156708 thousand kg in 2007, loosing 62026 thousand kg. Export price of Indian tea has also decreased from US $ 2.09 TO US $ 2.03 per kg in between 2005 and 2006. Though countries like Sri Lanka, Kenya and Indonesia are enjoying fast growth in their export price of tea during the same  period. Again export of tea from India to some major importer countries like Russia, UK, and USA is showing a sharp decline.