NORTH EAST INDIA: Powering the northeast region

FROM FINANCIAL EXPRESS

BY ASHOK B SHARMA

Rural electrification in the remote northeastern region of the country, including Sikkim, poses a great challenge. Some initial efforts have been made by promoting energy generation from new and renewable sources, but more needs to be done.

So far, 708 remote villages and hamlets have been electrified through renewable sources and projects in 1,167 remote villages and hamlets are under implementation in various northeastern states. The Rural Electrification Corporation has identified 2,710 remote villages and hamlets where grid connectivity is neither feasible nor cost-effective. The state governments have been requested to prepare proposals for electrification of these villages.

A special 10% budgetary allocation has been made by the Union government for the electrification of the northeastern region under various renewable energy programmes since 1997-98. Rs 48.3 crore was allocated in 2007-08 as budgetary support. Small hydropower projects are also being developed both in grid-connected as well as decentralised mode for which a special incentive package has been developed. So far, 126 small hydropower projects with an aggregate capacity of 185 mw have been set up in the region and 77 projects aggregating 93 mw are under implementation.

In 2007-08, seven new projects of 8 mw aggregate capacity were sanctioned in Arunachal Pradesh. One existing project in Manipur, Gelnel, of 300 kw capacity has been taken up for renovation and modernisation. A number of electricity generating water mills and pico hydro projects are being set up in villages of Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Manipur. Assam has announced a policy for setting up small hydropower projects involving the private sector.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: ATS NO – ALL INDIA TOLL FREE – 1090

BROUGHT BY JOSEPH CHAMLINGSave in your phone after reading.

In case you come across any suspicious activity, any suspicious movement or have any information to tell to the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS), please take a note of the new ALL INDIATOLL-FREE Terror Help-line “1090″.

Your city’s Police or Anti-Terror squad will take action as quickly as possible. Remember that this single number 1090 is valid all over India This is a toll free number and can be dialed from mobile phones also.  Moreover, the identity of the caller will be kept a secret. Let us make each and every citizen of Indiaaware about this facility.

INDIA: Demand for select liquoring teas at Kolkata auctions

FROM THE HINDU BUSINES NEWS LINE

Last week, selected liquoring teas maintaining quality continued to meet with good demand and sold well, particularly dust teas which often appreciated, according to tea auctioneers. Medium and plainer categories as well as teas showing a decline in quality were irregularly lower. The major blenders continued to operate actively with some support from other packeteers.

There were good inquiries from Western India dealers for liquoring sorts while other internal sections were selective. The exporting buyers operated primarily for larger brokens and liquoring fannings.

Improved Darjeeling whole leaf and brokens grades were firm to dearer. Plainer brokens tended irregularly lower, while fannings were easier. Traditional exporters and packeteers operated. Local dealers were active.

Orthodox sale

In the orthodox sale, selected clean well made whole leaf grades were steady while the remainder eased in value following quality. Larger brokens were firm around last while smaller brokens were barely steady.

Liquoring fannings were firm to dearer while the remaining fannings tended lower. West Asian and the CIS shippers were the mainstay of the market with active support from Hindustan Unilever on the fannings. There were some enquiries from North India.

SIKKIM: Minister calls youth to tourism business

FROM SIKKIM REPORTER

Sikkimese Tourism Minister R. B. Subba. Photo by Sikkim Reporter

Gangtok: State Tourism Minister Mr. R.B.Subba has once again urged the youth to take to tourism business as their career. He was speaking as chief guest in an inaugural programme of Unique Quest Vacation, a tour and travel company at Tadong.

Mr. Subba said from 2007 the state government has exempted tax on the investment in industrial development work. He also informed that tax would not be imposed on luxurious hotels of more than two-star category. These measures are to promote tourism in the state and the local educated youth can take advantage from such opportunity, he said.

Mr. Sonam Dupden, the country head of the company said people have the stereotype thinking on tourism. They only see tourism as an entertainment. The company wants to change the perception. He said this company will empower people economically as well as it will make the people self dependent.

Mr. Maniraj Rai, chairman of the company also said Unique Quest wants to change the definition of tourism. He also informed that the trained employees will be appointed in the company to give it a “cutting edge”. Mr. Hira K.Shrestha, Director of Nepal chapter of the company also spoke on the occasion.

Insurance for artisans

Directorate of Handloom and Handicraft Department has provided insurance coverage to the needy artisans of the state under a central scheme. According to Mr.T.D.Bhutia, assistant director of the department, an awarness programme was first held in different remote villages of the state for artisans in the month of September.

SIKKIM: NSPS condemns allegations against Hindu saints

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, November 30: The Nepali Sanskriti Parisad Sikkim (NSPS) has strongly condemned the allegation leveled against Sadvi Pragya, Hindu saints and the Sangha Parivar for the alleged involvement in the Maleygaon blast by Anti Terror Squad (ATS), Maharashtra and the UPA Government.

In a press release issued today, Coordinator NSPS Krishna Sharma has said that there can be “no question of involvement of such high esteemed saints and persons associated with Sangha Parivars as these persons have sacrificed their life for the better cause of Bharat to protect and preserve the national and cultural integrity of the motherland for no any material gain, power or the post”.

The allegation so leveled is purely motivated to malign and tarnish the image of the Hindu organizations and to the person involved therein for the sake of selfish gain of political power being motivated under Election politics, he said.

The organization has also condemned the allegation leveled against Manania Shri Indreshji for his alleged involvement with terrorist organizations and for anti India movement adding ‘he is committed and working as the pioneer architect in bringing together all the communities including Christians and Muslims with Hindu society throughout Bharat under the umbrella organization of Himalaya Parivar’ with different sister organization like Bharat Tibet Sahayog Manch, Napali Sanskriti Parisad Rastriya Ganga Raksha Samity,Hindu Baudha Samanwaya Samity etc’.

“He is a senior and high esteemed pracharak of RSS and is a strong nationalist. So leveling such heinous allegations to such a personality is not only shameful but also deserves strong condemnation from all corners of the society throughout the nation,” the release said adding the ‘Hindu society is facing such allegations time and again which has been proved to be false all the times’.

“Shri Indresh Kumar is now instrumental in raising the issues of the communities of people residing in far flung boarder areas of the country including that of Nepalis, Bhutias, Lepchas so on and so forth living in the Country. He had very recently toured to Darjeeling District and held talks with prominent personalities of the area including leaders of various political parties under Darjeeling Districts which was so far a matter of no concern for anybody in the country including that of the leaders of any political parties or others,” the release further read.

The NSPS has further condemned allegations leveled against Shri Shri Ravisankar, a pioneer of Art of Living terming it an attempt to purely malign his image that he has earned under the organization throughout the world.

SIKKIM: Lok Sabha Secretariat forwards SC abuse case to State government for necessary action

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, November 30: The Lok Sabha Secretariat has forwarded the complaint filed by a Sikkimese lady about the casteist abuse she suffered from the hands of a senior civil servant to the Sikkim government for ‘necessary action’.

In a letter dated November 10, 2008 and addressed to the victim, the SCTC branch of the Lok Sabha Secretariat said that her representation has been received and the ‘same has been forwarded to the Government of Sikkim for examination/necessary action’.

The victim, a local Sikkimese lady had submitted her representation on August 27 to the Chairman, Parliamentary Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes about the ‘misbehaviour and atrocious attitude adopted by the Law Secretary, Sikkim against a Scheduled Caste advocate’.

It may be recalled that the victim had lodged a FIR against the accused civil servant at Sadar police station here on the second week of August alleging him of hurling caste based remarks and un-Parliamentary words against her.

The victim is an advocate by profession had also approached the State government, Sikkim Bar Association and head of the Sikkim Damai Samaj on the humiliating remarks with casteist overtunes allegedly passed the accused.

DARJEELING HILLS: Yes to CPRM, no to AIGL: GJM

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

DARJEELING, November 30: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) party today said that it will participate in any all party meetings on Gorkhaland issue organized by CPRM in future.

A delegation of CPRM had met GJM president Bimal Gurung recently.

“In future if CPRM organizes any all party meet on Gorkhaland issue in Darjeeling, GJM will definitely participate. But GJM will not be calling any all party meet”, said the party spokesperson Binay Tamang today.
“We also do not have any objection if CPRM invites All India Gorkha League (AIGL) in the meeting but the meeting should be on Gorkhaland topic”, Mr. Tamang said. Relations between AIGL and GJM are presently at its lowest point with both parties exchanging allegations and counter allegations.

On AIGL, Mr. Tamang said that GJM had taken birth for the Gorkhaland issue. So are as AIGL is concerned, its party president Madan Tamang has been regularly issues negative statements against GJM which proves that he is not in favour of Gorkhaland, he said.

“So we are not interested in any agreement with AIGL and if AIGL calls any all party meet, we will not participate”, said the GJM spokesperson.

SIKKIM: Jharlangi staged, North East theatre festival concludes

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

A still from jharlanghi. Photo by Sikkim Express

GANGTOK, November 30: ‘Jharlangi’, the much-talked Nepali play was staged to a packed Defence auditorium yesterday evening.

Directed by RD Lepcha, the only National School of Drama graduate from Sikkim, Jharlangi is a part of the ten-day long North East Theatre festival being organized by NSD in Sikkim for the first time.

The play penned by SD Dhakal depicts ‘free portage’ system in erstwhile Sikkim. Artists in the play were from Deep Jyoti Club, Namchi.

A Bhojpuri play ‘Bidesa’ was also shown on the conclusion of the festival here today.

 

SILIGURI: Doctors rue AIDS care at NBMCH

FROM THE STATESMAN

SILIGURI, Dec.1: The Junior Doctors’ Council attached to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital has demanded immediate revamping of HIV treatment related infrastructure in the medical college. The Council served a deputation to the principal on the occasion of the World AIDS Day today drawing attention to the “lack of precautionary arrangement” in the matter of HIV treatment as far as the safety of the on duty doctors is concerned.

Speaking on the matter the JDC ‘s secretary Dr Prasanta Sarkar, said that in view of the seriousness of the matter, the members of the Council demanded immediate corrective action from the NBMCH authority. “It is extremely saddening for us to say that the minimum safety arrangements in treating HIV do not exist at the NBMCH. We are treating the HIV positive cases at great risk as the instruments with which we work are in shambles,” he complained.

“The gloves are in a pathetic state with openings in each glove. Besides, the needles we use are not properly sterilised. And to top it all, there is no accidental exposure preventive arrangement, deemed extremely essential in view of the nature of the disease, in the medical college,” he said.

“We are, as things stand at present, extremely susceptible to the viral contamination,” Dr Sarkar said.

SILIGURI: Cricket academy in Siliguri soon

FROM THE STATESMAN

SILIGURI, Dec. 1: The Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) in India may soon set up a cricket academy in north Bengal. Mr Biswarup Dey, joint secretary, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), who announced this during a meeting organised by the Siliguri Mahakuma Krira Parishad , to condole the death of the Siliguri mayor Bikash Ghosh at the Kanchenjungha Stadium here today, said he had suggested to both the BCCI and CAB that the proposed cricket academy for northeastern India be built in a town in north Bengal instead of Domjur in Howrah, where it was likely to come up.

Mr Dey also informed that the CAB had decided to organise the opening match of the forthcoming inter-district Twenty20 cricket tournament in Siliguri in honour of the departed mayor.

The West Bengal urban development minister, Mr Asok Bhattacharya, who was present at the meeting, said he would soon meet the owners of the Uttarayan satellite township near Siliguri to finalise plans to set up a cricket stadium in its vicinity.

A large number of sportspersons, sports lovers, sports administrators and members of various sports associations and organisations in the town were present at the meeting during which condolence messages for the mayor, from former players like footballer PK Bannerjee, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan clubs and state and national sports associations and federations were read out.

SILIGURI: Baichung can’t wait to play with Maradon

SILIGURI, Dec.1: Indian football captain Baichung Bhutia today expressed keenness to play in the forthcoming match between the chief minister’s XI and external affairs minister’s XI to be held at Kolkata in honour of Diego Maradona during the legend’s visit to the city.

The ace footballer, who was in Siliguri today to take part in a condolence meeting for the late Siliguri mayor Bikash Ghosh and inaugurate a football tournament in memory of Ghosh at Batashi, said that he would love to play in the exhibition match but is yet to receive an invitation from the organisers to play in the match.

The Tinkitam-born footballer hoped that Maradona’s visit would help promote football in India. He suggested that the prize money for the match be given to at least three needy former Olympians.

Bhutia made it clear that he was too occupied with his profession and had no plans to start a soccer academy or groom aspiring footballers in north Bengal.

Describing the sudden demise of Ghosh as a “huge personal loss” for him, the 31-year-old footballer said the mayor was a great sports lover and the people in Siliguri should fulfill his dreams of improving the standard of all games in the town by ensuring proper facilities and infrastructure for all players.

DARJEELING HILLS: Bail order pending for GNLF leaders

FROM THE STATESMAN

DARJEELING, Dec. 1: The chief judicial magistrate court in Darjeeling could not give release order to GNLF leaders Mr CB Subba and Mr Tika Khati along with four others who have been granted bail by Calcutta High Court, because the court has not received a certified copy of the bail order.

Altogether 14 GNLF leaders and supporters were arrested for murder of GJMM supporter Ms Pramila Sharma on 25 July.

However, the bail of the remaining eight including GNLF ex-councillors Mr Deepak Gurung, Mr AR Dewan and Mr NK Kumai were rejected by Calcutta High Court.

Today, only Mr Subba was present among nine others for the hearing while the remaining five are presently undergoing treatment. The next hearing on the case has been fixed on 12 December.

 

DOOARS TERAI: Kanu demands a survey of areas earmarked for ‘Gorkhaland’

FROM THE STATESMAN

SILIGURI, Dec.1: The veteran Naxalite leader Mr Kanu Sanyal today said that the Centre should undertake a full-scale survey of the region demanded for inclusion in the proposed Gorkhaland by the agitating Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha.

“Rounds of tripartite negotiations on the Darjeeling impasse would prove an official formality unless the Centre undertook a thorough survey of the proposed separate state territory to judge whether the GJMM claim on the matter stands objective scrutiny,” Mr Sanyal said. Speaking on the matter, CPI-ML (Liberation) leader Mr Abhijit Majumdar prophesied that the Centre would not take interest in the next round of tripartite talks till the Parliamentary election ends. Mr Kanu Sanyal said that the demand for inclusion of fresh territories in the GJMM envisaged Gorkhaland should be probed by a competent agency of the Central Government. “It is a fact that influx from neighbouring Nepal has been going on unabated for years. A full fledged survey is thus the need of the hour,” he said.

“The Centre after conducting the survey should decide whether the demand for an expanded Gorkhaland with the fresh areas in Dooars and other parts of Jalpaiguri and Siliguri as demanded by the GJMM is feasible or not,” he said. He, however, reaffirmed ideological support to the separate statehood demand. “The GJMM has every right to raise the separate state demand. But it is for the Centre to weigh the feasibility factor,” he said.

SILIGURI: Bhaichung bats for yesteryear footballers

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Bhaichung (left) meets players at the Batasi Football Ground on Monday. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

Siliguri, Dec.1: Bhaichung Bhutia, the ace Indian footballer, feels that although bringing Maradona to Bengal and felicitating him would be a good gesture, the country’s former soccer stars also should be recognised for their contribution to the sport.

Bhutia was here this afternoon to kick off an inter-gram panchayat football tournament, organised by the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad, at the Batasi Football Ground, about 40km from here. Twenty-two gram panchayats will participate in the tournament and the winners will receive the Bikash Ghosh Memorial Trophy. The former mayor of Siliguri Municipal Corporation passed away on November 25. Asok Bhattacharya, state urban development minister and Mani Thapa, the sabhadhipati of the Parishad, were also present.

The captain of Indian soccer team, while speaking about the former Argentine soccer star’s reception in Calcutta, said: “It will be a great moment for Indian football and everybody is going to enjoy it. I am also looking forward to be a part of it.”

“We should utilise the hype surrounding Maradona’s arrival for the benefit of the former soccer stars of the country. Indian footballers had taken part in three Olympics in the past. Many of the former Olympians have financial problems and my request is to help them with the money that will be collected from the reception,” said the footballer.

Bhutia, who is also one of the officials of the Footballers Welfare Association of India, said if he got a chance, he would request the organisers of the reception to help at least three former soccer Olympians of the country.

DARJEELING HILLS: Hill party on garden path to win tribals

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Tips on Rights. Photo by The Telegraph

Kalimpong, Dec. 1: A union affiliated to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha will organise an orientation programme on the rights of tea garden workers at Pintail Village on the 6th and the 7th of this month.

Darjeeling-Terai-Dooars Plantations Labour Union will invite a representative each from over the 200 tea gardens in the region to the programme where its senior central committee members will educate them on workers’ rights. The representatives will be asked to pass on their knowledge to the workers by organising similar programmes in their respective estates.

The move is aimed not only at educating the workers on their rights, but is also targeted at winning over the Adivasi-dominated workforce of the gardens in the Terai and the Dooars.

“In the past, the trade unions active in the tea gardens had never bothered to educate the workers on their rights. Given that the tea industry is the backbone of the region’s economy, it is imperative that workers get a fair deal,” said Milan Pradhan, the media and publicity secretary of the union.

About 12 lakh people are directly dependent on the gardens, which employ about three lakh workers.

“The uneducated workforce has been denied their rights for far too long. Our aim is to change that by making them aware of their various rights,” said Pradhan.

The union spokesperson said the workers would be made aware of their basic rights like access to better healthcare, education and housing, and benefits like gratuity, pension and bonuses.

Observers, however, said the Morcha labour wing’s initiative had more to it than meets the eye. “It is a very smart move as a large number of people are associated with the gardens and the majority of the estates is in the Dooars and Terai where the Morcha wants to make inroads,” said an observer.

DARJEELING HILLS: AIDS therapy unit at hill hospital – - Campaign against the killer

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

(From top): Participants at an anti-AIDS rally in Siliguri; school students form a human chain in Kalimpong ; a rally with ‘Buladi’ leading the way in Raiganj and a procession in Gangtok on World AIDS Day. Pictures by Kundan Yolmo, Chinlop Fudong Lepcha, Nantu Dey and Prabin Khaling

Kalimpong, Dec. 1: The Darjeeling District Hospital got an antiretroviral therapy (ART) centre even as Kalimpong formed a long human chain to mark the 20th World AIDS Day today.

The ART centre in Darjeeling is the second in the region after the one in North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri. The centre was inaugurated jointly by district magistrate Surinder Gupta and Darjeeling Municipality chairman Pemba Tshering Bhutia (Ola).

The setting up of the centre will mean people living with HIV/AIDS in the hills will not have to travel down to Siliguri to receive ART treatment. Medical experts are of the opinion that without access to antiretroviral therapy, HIV/AIDS patients cannot attain the fullest possible physical and mental health needed to fight the disease.

The therapy is administered to patients with less than 200 CD4 count. In fact, the Darjeeling hospital does not have a CD4 testing machine, which means patients will have to go down to NBMCH, the only health centre with such facility in north Bengal, to get their test done. “A patient has to undergo CD4 testing every six months. Hopefully, efforts will be made to install one in the district hospital soon,” said Shankar Mani Rai, the secretary of Shankar Foundation formed by people living with HIV/AIDS.

Darjeeling has 122 HIV/AIDS patients, of whom 54 are presently undergoing ART therapy. “Once the number of patients crosses 150 in Darjeeling, a nodal ART centre can be opened,” said Puran Sharma, district maternity and child welfare officer.

The human chain in Kalimpong started at 7th Mile Viewpoint and ended at the subdivisional office. However, a continuous chain, as planned by the organiser, Glen Family Foundation, could not be formed probably because of lack of volunteers. “The idea was to spread awareness on HIV/AIDS,” said Sister Teresa, the head of the foundation.

 

DARJEELING HILLS: Ministers open bridge with Morcha colours – Administration shows restraint Painters brush with protesters as cops watch

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Milan More (Siliguri), Dec. 1: Two state ministers, both from the CPM, today formally opened a bridge that had the same colours as the flag of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, thanks to the restraint on the part of administration and increasing support of the hill party in this area.

Tension was brewing here this afternoon when around 150 Morcha supporters walked to the bridge and removed a coat of lime – that had been applied to cover the green, yellow and white stripes like the party flag – with wet gunny bags.

The bridge, 9km from Siliguri town, has been built by the state backward classes welfare department in association with the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad.

“We have no objection if the ministers formally inaugurate the bridge. We have deleted the slogans and removed our flags. But we will oppose any attempt by the administration to change the colour of the bridge,” said Madhusudan Thapa, the president of the Siliguri sub-division committee of the Morcha.

The Morcha supporters also raised a pandal beside the road leading to the site where the inaugural ceremony would be held.

Protesters from different age groups, mostly in traditional attires, sang songs and shouted slogans demanding Gorkhaland till 3pm as the 100-odd policemen watched. Trouble started when a few Morcha supporters spotted four painters working on the bridge.

Immediately, hordes of protesters rallied to the bridge – built over the Mahishmari to connect Milan More with Mohorgong-Gulma Tea Estate – and wiped off the paint with wet gunny bags. The policemen stood at a distance.

Ten minutes later, around 300 CPM supporters arrived in buses and trucks, shouting anti-Morcha slogans.

The Morcha supporters, however, did not react as the administration made no further attempts to re-paint the bridge – in that case it would have been the third time. Instead, they made their way to chairs kept in front of the stage, in ones and twos and listened to the ministers speak.

State ministers Asok Bhattacharya and Jogesh Burman, scheduled to inaugurate the bridge fitted with solar lights reached the venue at 4.30pm, more than one-and-a-half hours after the scheduled time.

Accompanied by policemen, CPM leaders and administrative officials, Bhattacharya and Burman walked across the 150m long bridge to the Milan More end, unveiled the marble plate and cut the red ribbon. Flags of the CPM that had been put up between the Morcha stripes fluttered in the air.