Toy Train to Sikkim takes shape

SILIGURI, 12 JUNE: The Member Mechanical the Indian Railway Board Mr Praveen Kumar today said here that the IRB was giving final shape to a World Heritage toy train service for the Himalayan state of Sikkim. “Hopefully, the work would start this year. When complete, it would prove a watershed in the tourism sector of the north east region of the country,” Mr Kumar said after a high- level railway mechanical board meeting at the Siliguri Junction today. “We have taken up a Rs 15 crore project. Work on the project would start once the Parliament gives the final nod. The revamping work being complete, the shed would accommodate 100 diesel locomotives in place of its present capacity of 50,” Mr Kumar said. “We would also put into execution a 4000 Horse Power engine for the trains operating through the Siliguri Junction,” the railway mechanical board member added.

source: The statesman

Bhattacharya assures immediate sanction of Rs 50, 000 for four Hill Municipalities

KURSEONG, June 11: A sum of Rs. 50,000 will be immediately sanctioned by the State Government as grant for repair of damaged houses in four Hill Municipalities that had been struck by cyclone Aila on May 26.
This was announced by West Bengal Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Ashoke Bhattacharya here today after a meeting held with the civic heads of four Hill Municipalities along with the District Magistrate Surendra Gupta.

As per the assessment of the Hill Municipalities, there are a total of 225 houses which have been totally damaged in the Hills due to the cyclone. “We have decided to grant a sum of Rs.50, 000 per house immediately through the civic bodies. The civic bodies will strictly monitor the repair and the utilization of the fund in a proper way,” Mr. Bhattacharya told journalists after the meeting at Inspection Bunglow.

Out of the 225 houses, 26 houses fall in Kurseong, 20 houses in Mirik, 162 houses in Darjeeling and 17 houses in Kalimpong.

Along with the grant, the Minister said that the meeting also decided that the Municipalities will immediately clean the Jhoras and the drains in the municipal areas to avoid further landslides in the region. A special fund would be sanctioned for the cause as per the requirement of the municipalities, he said.

The water pipelines and the roads in the municipal areas are also in a pathetic condition and hence the minister said a minimum repair would also be done at the earliest along the strengthening of the walls with the help of Municipal Engineering directorate. However, the Minister lamented that the civic building rules have not been followed in all the four Hill Municipalities.

”It is urgently required that the building rules of the Municipal areas be followed. For this we have decided to hold a workshop in Kurseong very soon in which the four municipalities would be involved. The Kurseong Municipality Chairman Krishna Limbu has been given the responsibility to organize it. We will invite experts from Calcutta to deliver speeches on building rules and tell people through the workshop the hazardous impact of not following the rules, Mr. Bhattacharya said.

After the meeting the Minister visited the Kutlery area where the cyclone Aila had killed five people of the same family on May 26. Bhattacharya also visited Landslides areas in Mirik, 35 km from here today.

source: Sikkim Express

Scurry to flee landslides – 40 families desert village every night after cyclone

The house that was almost hit by a landslide in Rai Busty. A tarpaulin sheet covers the hillside that came tumbling down.

Rai Busty (Darjeeling), June 11: Monsoon has not yet set in but every time the skies darken, Puran Rai scurries with his family of three to a rented house situated 3km away.

The 39-year-old Puran is not alone. After Cyclone Aila struck last month, at least 40 families have refused to take chances.

Fear of killer landslides has already forced eight families to rent apartments at Alubari and Jorebunglow, considered a safe zone.

The story is the same at Sunar Busty across the hill. Nine of the 34 families have already shifted base since May 26, the day the cyclone triggered 40 landslides in the hills, killing 20 people.

“No one was killed in our village and only one house was damaged. That was perhaps the reason why little attention has been given to our village. However, the entire village can be wiped off any day if there is a torrential rain. The area is sinking and landslides have been an annual feature since 2000,” said Puran.

The villagers come back every morning and on the “dry days” to look after their fields. “There is only one person in our village who works with the government. Others are all farmers while some are drivers and labourers,” said Puran.

Rai Busty and Sunar Busty are located on slopes, as a result of which there are no protection walls around the villages. Besides, the soil is also loose. An inspection of the villages revealed that some of the areas had sunk below the normal level of land and houses have developed cracks.

“We had even invited the previous Darjeeling MP to visit our village. He has assured us of rehabilitation. Promises had been made by previous leaders running the DGHC too, but nothing happened,” added Puran, who wants to move out of this village.

However, Amrita Subba of Sunar Busty said: “If the government builds protection walls and keeps the drains open, we do not have to leave the village. We have so much of land why should we leave this place,” she adds.

The area has witnessed landslides since 1950. But problems have been compounded by lack of drainage and protection wall.

“I remember the villages told us that our busty with only seven-eight houses was once located a kilometre from here. In 1950, a major landslide had swept the entire busty away. The new village is where we now stand,” said Puran.

While only eight families can afford the monthly rent of Rs 250, those like Jashoda Chhetri run to the Buddhist monastery of the Yolmo community at Alubari whenever she feels threatened by the rain.

Pemba Tshering Ola, the chairman of Darjeeling Municipality, admitted that the zone was vulnerable. “As soon as we get the funds, we will start work on the protection walls.”

source: The Telegraph

GJM reaps Jaswant benefit, to meet Manmohan next week

Kolkata:The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha’s decision to get BJP leader Jaswant Singh elected from Darjeeling seems to be paying off as senior Morcha leaders will accompany him for a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh next week.

Though the meeting will primarily focus on the relief measures in the hills, where over 20 people died in the recent landslides, the Morcha is open to any discussion, including their statehood demand.

“A GJM delegation will accompany Singh. I cannot say when or who will be going. The details will be made clear on June 13,” said Roshan Giri, general secretary of the GJM.

The meeting assumes significance as it stands apart from the ongoing tripartite talks being held between the Centre, West Bengal government and the GJM.

Giri said the delegation’s focus will be on the devastation caused by Cyclone Aila. “We want to focus on relief. If the Gorkhaland issue comes up, we will discuss that too,” he added.

source: The Indian Express

Uncertainty in Aila-hit school

School building being repaired.

Kurseong, June 11: The 700-odd students of Pankhabari High School that was struck by the Aila do not know when their classes will begin.

The school was one of the many buildings in the hills that had been damaged by the cyclone on May 26. The roof of the two-storied building had been swept away and the documents along with 12 computers of the institution had been destroyed. Classes had been suspended following the disaster.

“Repair of the building has already started but we do not know when it will finish. We are expecting the work to finish soon so that we can start classes at the earliest,” said H.D. Chettri, the teacher in-charge of the school.

The Pankhabari school, located 9km from here, was established in 1964 while the building that was damaged was constructed in 1986.

The school authorities have, however, started classes for the 150 students of Classes X and XII. “Since they will sit for the board exams and we have to finish their syllabus in time, we have started their classes in the three rooms of our administrative building,” added Chettri.

Other students have to wait till the repair is done, Chettri said. He also could not specify how long the repair would take. “We cannot at this time say how much time the work will take.”

Chettri said classes would be extended till December to make up the shortfall.

In the hills, the final exams are held in November and the winter vacation starts from December for at least two months

Kurseong subdivisional officer Dipyendu Das said the repair, being carried out with the DGHC funds, might take one month. “Efforts are on to finish it soon.”

source: The Telegraph

Injured elephant identified

SILIGURI, 11 JUNE: Forest officials at Panighata near Siliguri today detected an injured wild elephant allegedly shot at by the Nepal police Tuesday night.
The injured pachyderm, which is an adult, is limping on its right leg, officials said. The foresters however, are yet to confirm that the wound was indeed a bullet-injury, which they are suspecting.
The injured pachyderm is part of a herd of 120 wild elephants whom the Nepal police shot at on the night of 9 June. The herd had strayed into Nepal at Kalabari area near Naxalbari thus inviting the cruel act on them.
Following the Nepal police firing, the herd returned to the Indian side of the forests and is now camping at the Panighata jungles.
“This evening, while monitoring the herd, we spotted an adult elephant which was limping on its right leg. We suspect it was injured in the Nepal police firing but an affirmation is still waited,” said the Panighata forest range officer Mr Bhupen Biswakarma.
Forest guards at Panighata are using searchlights from a distance to confirm the nature of the injury sustained by the elephant and are also looking for more injured pachyderms, if any.
“But a cent percent confirmation on the injury can be made only by tactfully isolating the injured from the parent herd and that’s what the we are attempting now,” a forest official said.

source: The Statesman

Drive to bring back herd

Siliguri, June 11: Foresters have resumed the task of driving a herd of 100-odd elephants, which had entered Nepal, back into Indian territory and they hope that the animals will enter the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary tonight.

Around 25-30 guards of Wildlife I and Kurseong divisions are engaged in the drive and their operation continues in the backdrop of the firing by Nepal police on Tuesday night.

The firing occurred when the foresters had gone to the Mechi that divides India and Nepal, trying to steer back the herd. Although no one was hurt, the forest department cannot say for sure no elephant suffered injury.

“We do not want elephants to cross the forests at Naxalbari and enter the Mechi river. If that happens, we will have to rush back again and steer the herd back,” said a guard, who was in the team that had witnessed the firing.

The guards resumed the operation last evening and succeeded in bringing the pachyderms to the Bengdubi forests near Bagdogra. “From here, we plan to push them to the Balason river and Bamanpokhri, from where they will enter the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary. We hope the animals will be back in the sanctuary tonight,” said S.B. Patel, the chief conservator of forests (wildlife) north Bengal.

Asked about the suspicion that the firing might have caused harm to some elephants, the forester said no injured animal had been found yet.

“At least one elephant, our men said, had been trumpeting consistently,” said the officer. “There are chances that it might have suffered injury. However, had the injury been serious, the animal would have been left behind.”

On the firing from across the border, Patel said a complaint had been lodged with police and an investigation was on. “But we do not have any substantial evidence to prove that the firing took place.”

Animesh Bose, the co-ordinator of Himalayan Nature and Adventure Foundation, said the forest authorities should open a dialogue with Nepal police to ensure that such incidents were not repeated.

source: The Telegraph

Hope for DGHC causal employees

DARJEELING, June 10: A new hope has glimmered in the lives of the casual employees working in Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) with the State government asking a time period of 3 months for regularization of their jobs.
This conclusion took place during yesterday’s talks between Janmukti Causal Employees Union, DGHC administrator BL Meena and the State government at Kolkata. A seven member team of the casual employees body had gone to Kolkata.
The union had demanded that the eight thousand employees working in DGHC as causal workers should be regularized. The casual employees have been working with DGHC since 1988 with a hope that they will be regularized one day.
“The meeting was fruitful”, said the representatives of the DGHC causal employees who had attended the meet at Kolkata.

source: Sikkim Express

Rs. 266.25 cr fund required for permanent restoration of Aila hit Darjeeling district

DARJEELING, June 10: The administration has projected a sum of Rs. 266.25 crores as total funds required for permanent restoration of the damages caused by ‘Aila’ in Darjeeling district.
The figures arrived by the administration on the basis of reports gathered from the various available sources has been forwarded to the State home secretary, disaster management secretary and Jalpaiguri Commissioner.
In its footnote, the Darjeeling district administration has said that damages and restoration figures are tentative and likely to change. The administration has also project Rs. 79.5 crores as total funds required for temporary restoration in the Darjeeling district.
In its report, the administration has put a total of 4554 houses in subdivisions of Darjeeling town, Kurseong and Kalimpong as ‘fully damaged houses’. Another 12021 houses have been put in the list of partially damaged houses.

source: Sikkim Express

5-questions: India and US have become active in Nepal

Dr Lokraj Baral

Senior Political Scientist, Nepal

Dr. Lok Raj Baral is a senior political analyst of Nepal. He has served as Nepal’s Ambassador to India in the recent past. His affiliation towards the Nepali Congress remains no longer a secret. He is a very close friend of Professor S.D. Muni.

But this senior political scientist appears some what irritated by the conduct of the party of his political preference.

Let’s read his views on contemporary Nepali national events.

TGQ1: Why the country is in an unstable and uneasy state? Why such a state has emerged? Is it that the political parties have begun repeating the same old dirty games? Your comments please.

Dr. Baral: The uneasy state prevailing in the country is, to me, due to the fact that the political parties have been deviating from the main issues and problems confronting the country. This is what has caused the prevalence of this uneasy situation as stated by you.

As regards your supplementary question, I think that the present focus should be on to institutionalize the system itself. The politics of consensus which had begun right after the signing of the 12 point agreement now stands at a point where arithmetical permutations and combinations are being looked into. The making and the breaking of the government(s) should have been as per the norms of the politics of consensus but not on numerical strength. The drafting of a new constitution should have been the primary agenda for all the political parties whether big or small. For this to happen, we must concentrate our efforts on how and where the Maoists combatants could be adjusted. No one can refrain from the duty of the drafting of a new constitution and to bring to a positive end the peace process.

But since the parties are engaged in making and breaking of the government(s) and thus the politics of consensus has taken a back seat in the given scheme of things as it stands today.

The numerical game has overshadowed the rest which is unfortunate.

TGQ2: So whom or which party or parties you find responsible in having deviated from the politics of consensus? Will the constitution be drafted on time if the pace of the political parties remains as it is? Your opinions please.

Dr. Baral: Practically all the political parties could be blamed for this. The party which claims that it is the most democratic parties of all must not have engaged itself in making or breaking of government(s). The Constituent Assembly is taken as the same old parliament of the parliamentary system and the exercise of making and breaking of government continues which is a matter of serious concern to us all.

To recall, after 1990, the political parties kept themselves engaged in pulling the legs of other parties. The Maoists too could not control from the temptation that it was the largest party in the country and thus could do any thing that it considered to be best for the party’s interests. The UML too has failed in finalizing its own clear stand as to where it stood or wants to stay in politics.

The main four parties could have managed the allocation of the seats in the government by being accommodative to each other. But this did not happen. Let me admit that after the election of the President, the politics of consensus was formally rejected by all. For this sorry state, all the parties that are the UML, Congress, the Maoists and the Forum are to be blamed.

I don’t think that the constitution could be drafted on time if the pace remains the same as it stands now.

Even for the formation of the government there prevailed uncertainty. For over a month, the parties clashed with each other on how to send their own relatives in the government. What could be the most unfortunate event other than this?

The prime agenda of the CA has been sidelined which is why I presume that the new constitution could not be drafted on time even if some claim the otherwise.

TGQ3: It is talked that exploiting the prevailing anarchy in the country, the United Maoists party is concentrating its effort in State capture? What say you?

Dr. Baral: Political parties are in politics for sake of State capture. This is not illogical. However, what should be important is to note how the state is being captured? If you go by the constitution then it is not an alarming event. However, if other means are acquired to capture the State then it is a mater of concern.

As regards the Maoists, they can’t capture the State on the model of what Mao did in China.

If some one abides by the constitution and gets elected then it should be taken as a constitutional move.

To expect from the Maoists who took up the arms for all along twelve years will overnight become democratic will be just a self defeating exercise. The number one Democratic Party, the Nepali Congress, has emerged as the most undemocratic party of late. The UML at least exhibited some democratic norms and abided by democratic procedures.

Those who deride at others should now look into the mirror their own respective faces. Democracy is also a culture and tradition. This exactly fits into today’s Nepali Congress.

The selection or election of the leaders by observing the universal procedural norms is in essence a democratic system

TGQ4: After a long hotchpotch, the government has taken shape but simultaneously the talks of its tenure have already begun. How you look at it Dr. Baral?

Dr. Baral: A government which took such a long time to take its shape is bound to invite such talks questioning its probable tenure in the political circuit.

The arithmetical play that is now on suggests that this government may not have longer tenure as expected. If there is no sound ideology as such while forming the government then the age of such a power set up is bound to be a shorter one.

Parties are clashing internally and there is the prevalence of conflict out side the power structure.

There are political parties but not the party-system. Personality cult has taken the front seat in Nepal now.

The NC which could have proved its presence by providing relief to the people and made serious efforts in drafting of the new constitution too remained in petty smaller issues.

TGQ5: So how the new Nepal would look alike? And also tell us on the talk of increased foreign interference in Nepal of late?

Dr. Baral: Yes! There would definitely be a Nepal but with a deformed and disfigured face. Cracy will be there but that cracy will be dominated by anarchy and chaos.

For achieving personal gains or interests, the attitude of inviting the help of “aliens” has definitely increased. When one’s house is in a weakened state, others will definitely poke their nose. At the moment, what has been clearly observed that India and the United States have become suddenly active in Nepal affairs? If political instability grips Nepal, it would certainly have its negative impact on the Indian side. The foreign interference has increased only because we count on them and seek their advices every now and then. Each and ever political parties in Nepal have always tried to get support from India to be in power. This is why there is increased foreign play and interference.

If the foreign diplomats begin meeting the Prime Minister of Nepal by ignoring the set diplomatic rules and procedures then such things are bound to happen.

It is futile to blame others when you yourself keep open your money-lockers.

source: TelegraphNepal

Notice for Gorkha students in Manipur

Imphal, June 10 2009: All Manipur Gorkha Welfare Union, Nepali Sahitya Parishad Manipur, Bharatiya Gorkha Parisanga Manipur State Branch and All Manipur Gorkha Students’ Union will jointly felicitate Gorkhali students who have passed this year’s HSLC and HSSLC examinations in first division.

The bodies informed to submit attested marksheets to Gautam Book Store(Kanglatongbi), Mitra Pustak Bhandar(Kalapahar), Shiva Book Store(Kanglatongbi) and Banskota Medicos(Mantripukhri) on or before June 20 .

Nepal police fire at foresters & jumbos

Siliguri, June 10: Foresters of Darjeeling district today filed an FIR with Naxalbari police, alleging that Nepal cops had fired at them and an elephant herd last night.

“A 100-member herd of elephants was going towards Nepal and reached the Mechi river last night. Hearing the news, our men rushed to the spot and tried to keep them within the Indian territory,” said S.B. Patel, the chief conservator of forests (wildlife), north Bengal.

“While they were steering the herd back into the forests of Kalabari near Naxalbari, the Nepal police, who arrived in vehicles on the other side of the river, started firing at us without any provocation. They fired at the herd as well and we suspect that some elephants were injured. Fortunately, none of us was hurt,” he added.

“The drive to block the elephant movement stems from the fear that if they cross the border and enter Nepal, the animals might be shot at or poisoned by villagers. There were such incidents in the past,” said Animesh Bose, the co-ordinator of the Siliguri-based Himalayan Nature and Adventure Foundation.

There were at least 10 guards who had gone to drive the herd back into the Indian territory around 12pm.

“We were being helped by 200-odd villagers, when we saw some police vehicles, flashing red beacons, approaching the road across the Mechi,” said a guard.

Suddenly, those on the Indian side of the Mechi heard shots being fired: the Nepal police were trying to thwart the elephants’ approach.

“We flashed searchlights and some shouted at them, indicating that we were driving the elephants back and they should stop firing,” an officer said.

“However, they did not relent and even fired at us. We dropped to the ground and saved ourselves,” the guard said.

“Our guards are frightened and might show reluctance to go to the border and ward off elephants in the future. We will inform the authorities in Calcutta and Delhi about the incident,” said Patel.

He added that if any elephant was injured in the firing, there were chances of the animal running amok. “We alerted the villagers to the possible elephant attack.”

source: Telegraph