REDRH KICKSOFF IN NAMTHANG

RANGPO- : On 24rd of May 2012,-SANJAY AGARWAL Namthang BAC has started Reconstruction of Earthquake Damaged Rural Houses (REDRH). Smt. Tilu Gurung Honb’l Minister for Building and Housing Deptt. Govt. of Sikkim has laid foundation stone of new house of Mr. Khambulay Rai of Paiyungram ward under Tangzi Bikmat G.P.U.

Altogether 122 nos. of houses will be started in 1st phase under Namthang BAC. “Constructing 122 nos. of Houses in High altitude mountain with existing manpower is really a challenging but I along with the Engineering Cell of Namthang BAC and all the field level functionaries along with the support of beneficiaries’ are all set to take up this challenge and will be hoping to complete by schedule time framed by the Government “says Robin P. Sewa, the Block Development Officer of Namthang BAC. In other side Smt. Tilu Gurung Honb’l Minister inaugurated seven houses of CMRHM during her village tour under Namthang Rateypani constituency on 23rd of May 2012. This is the 3rd phase of inauguration of CMRHM houses, she expressed her happiness on maintenance of quality and timely completion of number of houses in different Villages , finally Honb’l Minister share her happiness to implementing agencies like Panchayat B.D.O,A.E, J.E’s, R.D.A and other field level functionaries . As said by Honb’l Minister reward will be given to the Panchayat who will complete assessed houses within the time framed.

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Soccer talents get skill boost - Kurseong club trains 30 youths

VIVEK CHHETRI

Players of the United Kurseong Football Club. File picture

Darjeeling, May 23: Thirty youths, mostly from rural areas in the age group of 15-24 years, are being trained by the United Kurseong Football Club.

The training in Kurseong marks a new trend in the Darjeeling hills where local clubs are now looking at setting up youth football academies in an effort make a mark in the national football circuit.

“This year, we have signed a contract with 30 boys, most of whom hail from areas like Bijanbari, Chamong tea garden, Naxalbari and the Dooars in Jalpaiguri district,” said Dinkar Chettri, the president of the club.

The club authorities in the hills claimed that although they didn’t have any major funding sources, they offered contracts, medical insurance and scholarships to the players.

“The players have been classified as A level, B plus and B level players. We have signed 13 players in A level for a contract of Rs 8,000 each a year. Seven B plus players will get Rs 6000 each, while those in the B level (who are mostly schoolchildren) will be provided with Rs 5000 each to fund their education. Apart from the monetary contract, we are also providing all the 30 players with insurance against accidents, accommodations and football kits,” said Dinkar.

“There are immense talents in the hills but we lack a system to spot them. Our club, which has won the most number of trophies in the recent years, is looking at building a system through which we can produce quality players and also make the club compete in the second division I League,” he added.

The UKFC team is being coached by Ugen Lama, a well-known footballer from the hills.

Recently, the Kalimpong-based Share Football Club also started a similar system. The UKFC, which was formed in 1989, has produced players like Crispin Chhetri, who was a member of the national Under-21 team. Crispin also played in I-League for Prayag United.

“Jiten Rai, who also came through our club, had played for East Bengal and also the Under-21national team just like Crispin. I have personally seen that there is immense talent in the hills but we need to build a team and teach the techniques of the game at a very young age to make it big,” said Dinkar.

“The UKFC team has been providing around nine to 10 players to the Darjeeling team (a combined team for prestigious events like Brigade of Gorkhas) but Kurseong does not even have one stadium to talk about,” said Dinkar.

The team currently practises at the grounds of Victoria Memorial School. Funding has been a major problem for the hill clubs.

“It is very difficult to find sponsors. We are funding the club through our patrons. David Robinson, from Chelsea in England, who is a curator of football fields, is also helping us. Non-government organisations like Manyata Welfare Society has also come forward to help us,” added Dinkar.

Officials of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council’s sports department admitted that there is paucity of funds. “Nevertheless, we did give Rs 50,000 to a volleyball tournament that was organised in the hills recently,” said a source.

Dinkar is a well-known footballer from Kurseong who played for East Bengal from 1994 to 1996, before switching over to Mahindra and Mahindra and Peerless Football clubs.(TT)

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Hawkers protest scrutiny

Hawkers surround mayor (centre) at Kanchenjungha market complex in Gangtok on Wednesday. Picture by Prabin Khaling

Gangtok, May 23: The Gangtok municipal corporation couldn’t carry out a drive today to check if the floor spaces of Kanchenjungha market complex were illegally occupied because of opposition from hawkers.

The four-storied complex has 262 shops, whose owners have both trade licences as well as letters of floor allotment. The drive was planned to evict 130 hawkers who had only trade licences, but no allotment letters.

The civic body was, however, ready to allow 125 other hawkers with trade licences to carry on with their business as they were on the waiting list to be allotted the floor space.

Gangtok mayor K.N. Topgay had arrived at the four-storied complex around 10.30am for the scrutiny. He was accompanied by corporation officials. About 15 minutes into the inspection, more than 50 hawkers surrounded the visiting team and objected to the verification.

The hawkers demanded that they be allowed to continue with the trade. The mayor tried to reason with the protesters, but the hawkers, most of them from the group of 130, refused to listen to him. The mayor left the complex after about 30 minutes.

Topgay said the opposition to the scrutiny was unfair as the traders owning shops and hawkers had been told about the drive.

“We had a meeting with the shopkeepers on Monday and had told them that the corporation would check allotment orders. They all had agreed to the scrutiny in principle. The market has 130 illegal traders and they had been told to vacate the floor by today,” he said.

The mayor said the corporation only wanted the 125 hawkers on the waiting list to continue with their business. However, he said none would be thrown out of the complex. “I need two weeks to sort out the matter. The 130 hawkers had only been told to shift elsewhere on a temporary basis,” said Topgay.

The vice-president of the All-Sikkim Hawkers’ Association, Lakpa Sherpa, said the GMC should rehabilitate the hawkers.

“We want the GMC to let the hawkers do their businesses in peace. The hawkers should be relocated systematically without depriving anybody of their livelihood,” said Sherpa.(TT)

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Trinamul to open units in hills - Morcha rivals look forward to enlisting in Mamata party, see scope to return home

May 23: The Trinamul Congress has decided to set up units across the hills within a week, a move likely to have an impact on its relations with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha as many anti-Morcha supporters are looking to enlist themselves with Mamata Banerjee’s party. Trinamul, however, is yet to take a decision on whether it will contest the polls to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, the new set-up for the hills. Trinamul point man for north Bengal, minister Gautam Deb, told The Telegraph: “Many people from the hills want to join Trinamul. We, too, feel that since our presence is strong in the rest of Bengal we should also have units in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong.” Deb added that the names of many hill leaders wanting to join Trinamul had been forwarded to the state committee for a final screening. “The process is on and within a week the names are likely to be cleared. Rajen Mukhia is among those whose names have been forwarded,” said Deb. Mukhia, a former GNLF leader, was one of the few people to hold fort against the Morcha in Panighatta even after Subash Ghisingh fled the hills in 2008. Morcha and Mukhia’s supporters frequently clashed in the area. Mukhia joined the ABGL after the murder of its president Madan Tamang but soon resigned and has been lying low since. Mukhia’s decision to join Mamata’s party is an indication that many GNLF leaders who have been forced to stay in the plains after being hounded out by the Morcha is now looking at joining Trinamul to return to the hills. One such leader weighing his options said: “We have started mobilising support in all eight blocks of the Darjeeling hills. Our (those planning to join Trinamul) motive is to contest the GTA elections as and when they are held.” Asked if Trinamul would face problems in making its presence felt in the hills since the party is against statehood, the leader said: “I think we will have to take a stand where we will not oppose the statehood demand nor support it for the moment. In any case, the Morcha is backing the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration at the moment.” Trinamul secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said the party was yet to decide whether it would contest the GTA polls. “We have given Deb the charge to expand our base in the hills. He will send us a report. Then we will decide whether we will contest the polls.” The Morcha, which claimed that it was not concerned with Trinamul setting up units, has started holding meetings in the Panighatta area from today. The meeting will be held for four consecutive days. “The meetings will discuss organisational matters and have nothing to do with Rajen Mukhia’s move to join Trinamul. He was never with the Morcha and we have no reason to give him importance now. We are not worried,” said the convener of the Morcha’s Mirik unit Phubi Rai. Trinamul’s rivals alleged that the party opening units in the hills did not mean that it would contest the GTA polls. “Forming units is a show-off, it’s not a serious move. Any political party can form committees in the hills. It is too early to comment whether they will contest the GTA polls or not. But everybody knows about the nexus between Trinamul and the Morcha. We don’t think Trinamul will campaign in the hills asking people not to vote for the Morcha,” said former minister and CPM leader Asok Bhattacharya.(TT)

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Petrol? Squeeze last drop of blood Steepest hike of Rs 7.85

New Delhi, May 23: Petrol prices have been jacked up by nearly Rs 8 a litre, the steepest-yet hike that sought to squeeze the last drop from a fast-shrinking captive group in the name of the falling rupee. Oil firms are expected to decide and announce the price on their own but they conveniently waited till the budget session got over yesterday and activated the hike from this midnight. The companies have slapped a hike of Rs 6.28 a litre. The price consumers pay is still higher because of the taxes governments — both at the Centre and in the states — charge. Petrol buyers — other than private car owners and two-wheeler riders, not many vote-banks fall in that endangered category — will have to pay Rs 77.88 for a litre in Calcutta. It translates into an increase of Rs 7.85 for every litre. Diesel, favoured by those who can afford SUVs and other gas-guzzlers, will continue to be sold at Rs 43.74 or Rs 34.14 less than the price of petrol. This means the petrol bill for a Calcuttan has ballooned by Rs 22.56 a litre since June 2010 when prices were deregulated — a fashionable and responsible word that applies only to petrol buyers. This is the “responsible tax” the petrol consumer has had to pay for not switching to diesel vehicles and not living off subsidy meant for the poor. Sources said the oil industry had suggested changes in duty structure to reduce the impact of the price rise but the government, given the state of its finances, did not favour a cut. An increase was on the cards with the rupee continuing its free fall against the dollar but the size of the bite was large even by the petrol-milking standards. The record hike till now was Rs 5. Oil firms said they had to increase the petrol prices because of the “combined effect of changes in global gasoline prices and the depreciation of the rupee”. The oil companies are supposed to revise the price on the basis of the fortnightly average of international gasoline prices but had not done so for some six months, possibly because of several Assembly elections earlier this year. Then came the Union budget, for the passage of which the government needed allies. Partners such as Mamata Banerjee and M. Karunanidhi today demanded a rollback but stopped short of pulling out. Although many parties complained of the “cascading effect” of petrol prices, it does not account for much in the wholesale price index. Petrol has 1.09 per cent weightage on the index while diesel had 4.67 per cent.(TT)

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Gangtok cab crunch in time of peak profits

NIRMAL MANGAR

Tourists wait with their luggage for taxis at Deorali in Gangtok on Tuesday. Picture by Prabin Khaling

Gangtok, May 22: The Sikkim capital has been grappling with a cab shortage for the past one month with taxis taking a detour to make a killing during the peak tourism season.

Around 1,000 taxis ply in and around Gangtok but most of them are hired by tourists to visit the places of interest nearby. Ever since the tourism season began in April, it’s the common people and office-goers who bear the brunt of the cab crunch.

“I have been waiting for a taxi for the past 20 minutes and I will reach office late. The rich and government officers travel in their own vehicles, but it is the middle class people who are facing the transport problem,” Nilu Shrestha, a government employee, said waiting for a cab at Tadong taxi stand.

Tadong is one of the 15 taxi stands along NH31A between Ranipool and Zero Point. Gangtok has 10 taxi stands where the yellow-roofed Maruti Omnis could be available.

Local commuters complain that even empty cabs whizz past them without a glance. “The town experienced taxi shortage in the last two tourism seasons also, but this time, the cabs have simply disappeared from the streets,” said an elderly person waiting for a cab at Indira Bypass.

The taxis have switched their routes to exploit the tourism season. The drivers are assured of a good amount if they take the visitors to places such as Banjhakri falls, Kanchenjungha park, Rumtek and Ranka monastery and Himalayan Zoological park — all located outside Gangtok.

“This is a peak tourism season; we get only two chances a year to earn good amounts. The earnings can be saved for the lean seasons. Plying to tourist spots is hassle-free as there are no traffic jams outside the capital,” said Ram Chettri, a taxi driver.

While the taxi fare ranges from Rs 10 to Rs 30 per person in Gangtok, the minimum charge for half-a-day tourist service is Rs 800. For a full day trip, the tourists have to shell out at least Rs 2,000 per taxi.

The fares for tourist service are fixed by the state government. The rules stipulate that a cab can carry only four persons (excluding driver).

Although Gangtok has 22 buses operated by the Sikkim Nationalised Transport, people don’t travel by them.

“We have hired out most of the buses to schools, private institutions and other agencies to carry students or employees as commuters in Gangtok do not prefer to travel in the SNT buses,” N.D. Rai, the general manager of the transport department.

The Deorali Taxi Drivers’ Association has denied that Gangtok is facing a cab crunch. “We keep at least 10 taxis at the stand for the local people. But the cars take time to come back because of traffic jams,” said Chung Chung Bhutia, the president of the association.(TT)

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