Calcutta, May 10: The Mamata Banerjee government was tonight nursing the burns it suffered in a legal agnipariksha over the panchayat polls — a plight that found resonance in a subsequent suggestion by the chief minister that her challenges were more numerous than that of Sita.
Calcutta High Court this afternoon upheld all key demands of the state election commission and ordered the state government to “satisfy” the panel with adequate security arrangements, including central forces, for conducting the panchayat polls in three phases.
The state government had refused to call in central forces and had wanted the polls to be confined to one phase or two phases at the most.
The cloud over the fate of the rural polls has not yet lifted. The state government has vowed to challenge the verdict before a division bench and dropped hints of taking the battle up to the Supreme Court, although the chief minister told a rally that the polls would be held “on time”.
But the confusion could not mask the depth of loss of face for the government, which had brushed aside legal opinion and provoked the poll panel headed by Mira Pande to seek recourse in the high court.
On almost every count, the high court elaborated on the primacy of the commission in poll-related matters and asked the state government to abide by the poll panel’s assessment and decisions. “About the holding of elections, decisions taken by the commissions are final,” Justice Biswanath Somadder said.
Wrapping up the 125-page judgment, he underscored: “To be, or not to be, is not the question here. The panchayat polls in the state should be held in the state within the stipulated period.”
A few hours later and around 100km away in Burdwan, the Ramayana, not Hamlet, was on the mind of the chief minister while addressing a rally. “Sita gave agnipariksha only once. I had to pass through agnipariksha for 34 years. I don’t have to prove anything more.”
She did not list the fiery tests — the Saradha crisis is certain to figure among them as the thrust of her speech was on attacking the CPM’s alleged links with “chit funds”. ( )
The tests her government has been facing in courtrooms are no less severe. Today’s jolt in court adds to the Trinamul government’s tally of one law (Singur land act) and several decisions struck down by the judiciary during its two-year tenure.
Today, the judge sought to ensure that the judicial proceedings on the panchayat polls are insulated from competitive politics. “The commission shall issue necessary directions upon all concerned, including recognised political parties and candidates in the fray, to refrain from referring to the observations made in this judgment as part of their election campaign,” Justice Somadder said in the operative part of the verdict.
The order that the government will find most difficult to digest is the one on central forces. The state government had transformed the question into a matter of pride. But the court said the administration should “satisfy” the commission within a day with adequate arrangements for forces, including those from the Centre.
Justice Somadder said the shortfall was required to be “fully compensated” by the government by bringing in Central Armed Police Forces as well as security personnel from other states “to the satisfaction of the commission” from the stage of nomination itself.
The judge said that ruling political parties “generally use muscle power to remain in power” and accepted most of the arguments put forward by barrister Samaraditya Pal, appearing for the commission.
“The exact details are to be made known to the commission, latest by tomorrow,” the court said.
State panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee said the order was “unrealistic” and the government would appeal before a division bench on Monday.
Even on the sole issue where the commission’s plea was not accepted in total — that a section in a state law went against the Constitution — the court made it clear the panel can neither be given the cold shoulder nor steamrollered.
Section 42 of the West Bengal Panchayat Election Act, 2003, states the state government shall fix the election date or dates in consultation with the state election commission.
According to Justice Somadder, the words “shall” means “must” and “consultation” means “reaching an agreement” since it was drafted in light of Article 243K of the Constitution, which empowers the commission with superintendence, control and direction in the conduct of elections.
The state government, however, has said “consultation” does not mean “consensus” and has said that the very fact that officials of the panchayat department had met commission officials constitutes consultation.
शिक्षक प्रमुखको लापारवाहीको कारण बेहाल अवस्थामा चम्पामाया प्रथमिक पाठशाला
पहाड़को प्रथमिक पाठशालाहरु एका एक बन्द हुनुमा सरकार पक्ष दोषी छ कि शिक्षक-शिक्षिकाहरुको लापारवाही? किन दार्जीलिङ पहाड़को शैक्षिक स्तर दिनोदिन खस्किन्दै गइरहेको छ? प्रथमिक शिक्षा बाल-बालिकाहरुको निम्ति महत्तवपूर्ण हुँदा-हुँदै पनि किन आजसम्म पहाड़को शिक्षा व्यवस्थामा सुधार आउन सकिरहेको छैन?
राजनीति गर्दिनँ भन्नु पनि अर्को राजनीति होः हर्कबहादुर छेत्री
मेरो अधिकारक्षेत्रभित्र पाँच बर्षको लागि जनताको हितको काम गर् भनेर मलाई भोट हालेको हो नि। मलाई थाहा छ यसले जनताको धेरै हित हुन्छ। यसले जनताको हितसँगै पार्टीको पनि हित हुन्छ, आन्दोलनलाई पनि सहयोग पुर्याउँछ भनेपछि एकदम निसंकोच भनेर अघि बढ्न सक्छु म। म त्यही काम गर्दैछु।
बघिनी फेरि पुरानै खोरमा
‘समयले मानिसलाई कहाँ कहाँ पुर्याउँछ,,,,,,’ कुनै समय रेडियो नेपालबाट बजिरहने यो चर्चित गीतले मान्छेको जीवनमा प्रणयसम्बन्धको आरोह अवरोहले पार्ने प्रभावलाई सुन्दर ढंगले व्याख्या गरेको छ। यो लोकप्रिय गीतको यही एक हरफ कुनै राजनीतिकर्मीको जीवनसँग गाँसेर हेर्दा के उत्तर पाइएला?
साहित्य अनि सर्जकलाई माया गर्ने घिसिङ
80 को दशकमा देशभरिका गोर्खाहरूलाई जातित्वको भावना उत्पन्न गराउने प्रथम नेता सुवास घिसिङको निधनले अहिले घड़ी सम्पूर्ण दार्जीलिङ पहाड़ नै स्तब्ध बनेको छ। गोर्खाहरूका हित अनि अस्तित्वका निम्ति छुट्टै राज्यको बहस लिएर सुवास धिसिङले त्यसताक पहाड़का प्रत्येक गाँऊहरूको भ्रमण गरेका थिए। 22 जुन 1936 सालमा मिरिकको मञ्जु चियाबगानमा जन्म लिएरका सुवास घिसिङले आफ्नो तर्क राख्न एकलै जनसभा गर्थे। घिसिङले सम्पूर्ण गोर्खाहरूलाई एकै शुत्रमा बाँध्न "गोर्खाल्याण्ड" शब्दको जन्म गरेका थिए।
निराश छन् विधायक डा. छेत्री
“बजट सत्रमा के कुराहरू उठान गर्नु पर्ने भन्नेबारे हामीले जीटीएबाट कहिले फिडब्याक पाएका छैनौं” डा छेत्रीले भने। डा हर्कबहादुर छेत्री मोर्चाका प्रवक्ता हुन् अनि कालेबुङका जनप्रतिनिधि। दुइवटा महत्वपूर्ण पदमा बसेका डा छेत्रीलाई अहिलेसम्म जीटीएको बैठकमा निम्ताइएको छैन, पार्टीको राजनैतिक लाइनबारे उनीसँग चर्चा र छलफल नगरिएको त झन कति भयो, उनैलाई हेक्का छैन।
11 May 2013
State asks for hill sales tax dues - Traders told to pay Rs 20 crore by June 30
Darjeeling, May 10: The state government has asked all hill traders to clear their sales tax dues of around Rs 20 crore accumulated during the non-cooperation movement between April 2008 and July 2011 by next month.
The order was in accordance with a recent amendment to the West Bengal Finance Act .
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha had asked the hill residents not to pay any central or state taxes and bills from April 1, 2008 till July 2011 as part of its non-co-operation movement during the statehood agitation.
The hill residents started filing their sales tax returns from July 2011 after Bimal Gurung’s party signed the GTA agreement.
Electricity bills worth Rs 72 crore, telephone bills of Rs 10 crore and sales taxes amounting to around Rs 20 crore had accumulated during the non-cooperation period.
Recently, the state amended the West Bengal Finance Act (published in the Calcutta Gazette on March 26, 2013) and inserted sections 32 and 33 that state traders will have to pay sales tax dues by June 30, 2013 and the government will not levy any interest or charge late fee on the amount.
Those who have already paid the taxes during the agitation period will not get a refund of their interest or late fee.
Section 32 states: “Dealers in principal place of business in the sub-divisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong in the Darjeeling districts, required to furnish their returns under sub-section (1), has not furnished returns for the period commencing from the 1st day of April, 2008 and ending on the 30th day of June 2011, such dealer shall furnish returns for such period on or before the 30th day of June 2013 and shall pay full amount of net tax without payment of interest and late fee for such period: Provided also that no refund of interest and late fee shall be made, if any dealer mentioned in the foregoing proviso has already paid the amount of interest or late fee pertaining to the period mentioned in such proviso (sic).”
Reacting to the order, a hill trader said: “It was the Morcha that told us not to pay taxes. We were afraid that we would be targeted if we paid. Now the onus is on the Morcha to take up the issue with the government.”
Another businessman said it was impossible to pay the dues for three years within a month. “We have started receiving notice from the office of the joint commissioner (commercial taxes). Things would have been better if there was some provision to clear the bill in instalments,” he said.
The sales tax percentage differs according to the type of goods and the rate every year.
“During 2008-2011, sale taxes were levied at the rate of one per cent for gold items and four per cent for garments. There is a list for all the items traded,” said an official of the commercial tax department.
Defaulters of sales tax returns, which are filed quarterly, have to pay an interest of one per cent for each month’s delay on the taxable amount.
“During 2008-2011, a trader who sold products worth more than Rs 10,000 per month is (also supposed) to pay a (late) fine of Rs 2,000 for the first month followed by Rs 500 every month. Those whose transaction was less than Rs 10,000 have to pay a (late) fine of Rs 500 for the first month followed by Rs 200 for every month,” said tax department official.
According to the recent the amendment, the state, however, will not charge the interest or the late fine.
B.M. Garg, president of the Darjeeling Chamber of Commerce said: “We have apprised the Morcha leadership of the problem.”
The party, however, today said it would oppose any move to collect the dues accrued during the agitation period.
Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri said: “There is no question of paying any tax (that accumulated) during the non-co-operation movement. We will take up the matter with the chief minister during her visit to Darjeeling next week.”
The chief minister is scheduled to visit the hills on May 14.
On June 9, Mamata had said in Calcutta: “The business community could not pay taxes when the movement was on. We have waived it. Once Darjeeling is free from trouble, business and development will reach the hills.”
Observers said the state’s move to levy taxes could strain the Morcha-government relation, which has just improved.
11 more courses at Sikkim varsity
Gangtok, May 10: Sikkim Central University will introduce 11 new post-graduate courses from the next academic session starting in August.
“The final nod to start the courses was given at a meeting of the executive council held in March following a recommendation by the academic council of the University,” said varsity registrar K.M. Deb.
The degrees that would be offered are anthropology (MA/Msc), education (MEd), English (MA), Hindi (MA), history (MA), political science (MA), commerce (MCom), management (MBA), tourism (MA), mathematics (BSc-MSc integrated courses and MSc) and zoology (MSc).
“We got representations from different academic and social organisations requesting to start the courses. These courses are being launched to meet the demands of the people,” said Deb.
The university, however, has not yet fixed any cut-off percentage to apply for the new courses.
“Anyone who has passed the bachelors program can apply. After considering the number of applications, the university may conduct an interview in written or viva form. If the number of applicants is more than the prescribed seats, there would be selection on merit basis,” said a university official.
The allotted seats for the each course are 20.
“There would be 7.5 per cent reservation for STs, 12.5 per cent for SCs, 27 per cent for OBCs and 3 per cent for people with disability,” Deb said.
The university that was set up in 2006 offers 19 PG courses and has 529 students. A new university campus is coming up at Yang Yang in South Sikkim on a 300 acre plot.
Now, classes are held at rented buildings in Gangtok.
Scurry to Shyamal Sen to save life-long earnings - North Bengal office of default commission receives 234 applications on first day
Siliguri, May 10: People from different walks of life, from a temple priest to retired government officials, submitted applications to the north Bengal office of the Shyamal Sen Commission that began functioning here today.
On its first day, the commission received 234 applications from investors and agents of Saradha Group and other chit fund companies. The commission was set up by the Mamata Banerjee government to determine the cause of the default crisis, volume of funds, identity of the investors and other stakeholders, and the compensation that investors would get.
The office has eight counters manned by two persons each and is located on an unused building constructed by the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority at Himanchal Bihar near here. The total number of staff deputed to the office is 25, many of whom are retired government employees.
“I have deposited Rs 2.75 lakh in Saradha from my earnings as the agent had promised a higher return. Earlier, I had invested Rs 50,000 and received Rs 62,250 after 15 months. Today, I came here to appeal to the commission to refund my entire investment,” said Premananda Koyal, sporting a saffron kurta and dhoti.
Koyal is the priest of a temple in Mekhliganj and runs a grocery shop as well.
Biswanath Chakraborty, a retired government employee, had even sold off his land to invest in various money-mobilising companies.
“In total, I made an investment of around Rs 70 lakh in different chit fund companies as they promised better returns. Considering the pathetic rate of interest offered by banks and the postal department, retired persons like us are left with no option but to invest in these companies,” said Chakraborty, a resident of South Santinagar in Siliguri.
He is a retired wireless operator of the state civil defence department.
“I sold my land and received Rs 52 lakh. Added to it, I had my provident fund, gratuity and some of my savings in the past four-five years. So far, I have received around Rs 15 lakh as interest from the monthly income scheme I have with Saradha. However, I am yet to get the remaining portion of my money,” said the 68-year-old.
Among those who queued up in front of the commission office were agents of Saradha and other companies. They submitted applications to the commission on behalf of their clients.
Suparna Pal, an agent of Saradha from East Vivekanandapally here, said: “I have been working as an agent of Saradha for the past four years and have collected Rs 75 lakh from over 50 people. They include retired government officials and handicapped women. Some of my clients had even sold off their houses to invest in the company. I also made a personal investment of Rs 50,000.”
Suparna said ever since the default crisis had broken, she was being flooded with queries from her clients. “These people are contacting me everyday and demanding their money back. I am not in a position to return their money. I came here today with their applications. I felt that I should at least render this service so that they need not come to the office. I will submit all applications with relevant documents and return the receipts to them.”
A group of Saradha agents from Kishanganj in Bihar, located around 100km from here, had also swarmed the office premise today, not knowing that the commission has the mandate to receive complaints from within Bengal only. “Saradha has more than 1,200 agents in Kishanganj and collected around Rs 20 crore. We fear arrest and want to file our complaints with the commission,” said Abdul Rehman, an agent.
Of the 234 applications received by the commission today, 84 were from Darjeeling district, 52 each from Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar, 31 from Malda, 11 from South Dinajpur and four from North Dinajpur.
Kidnapped woman found dumped
May 10: A woman railway employee was abducted from Chulsa in Jalpaiguri district yesterday evening while she was returning home after duty.
However, Santi Tigga, the only woman jawan at Territorial Army of the railways and a recipient of an award from the President for her performance, was found blindfolded with her legs tied up at a forest village, a few kilometres from the place where she had been abducted.
Police are yet to establish the motive behind the abduction and they are puzzled by a four-page letter recovered from Tigga’s pocket. The letter written in Bengali says money raised by various chit fund companies should be repaid in 36 hours from the time of receiving the letter or else the woman would not return.
Sources said Tigga had no links with any money mobilising agencies.
The 34-year-old, who works as a pointsman at Satbhaiya railway crossing in Chulsa, was on her way to the local market after her duty. She was going to buy a birthday gift in uniform for a neighbour’s child when an SUV came and stopped beside her around 6pm.
“Three-four youths jumped out of the vehicle and pulled me inside. Soon, my hands and legs were tied and I was blindfolded. I had no idea where they were taking me,” said Tigga, who is a widow and the mother of a boy.
This morning, Tigga was spotted at Deopanibusty, located next to the Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary and around 5km from the spot of the abduction, by the local people.
“She was blindfolded and her limbs were tied up. It seems that she was also sedated. We rushed her to the station, boarded a train and admitted her to the subdivisional hospital in Malbazar,” said a resident.
The people also found a letter addressed to Jalapiguri district magistrate in her pocket. The letter written on a plain paper was handed over to police. “The letter says that within 15 minutes of receiving it, the DM should tell the chief minister and the President of India to make arrangements to repay the investments in different chit fund companies in the state. The letter warned that if the money was not repaid within the next 36 hours, Tigga would not return,” said a source who read the latter.
Tigga was released from the hospital later in the afternoon and filed a complaint with police in Metelli.
“We are trying to find out who wrote the letter and the intention behind it. Investigations are on. The police are also trying to obtain information on the abductors and will also talk to Tigga,” said James Kuzur, the additional superintendent of police of Jalpaiguri.
Sources said the police couldn’t question Tigga as she was in a daze.
10 May 2013
CM Mamata to address GJMM meet on 15 May
KOLKATA: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will address a mass gathering of Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) in Darjeeling on 15 May.Kalimpong MLA and member of GJMM, Mr Harka Bahadur Chettri, met Miss Banerjee at Writers’ Buildings on 7 may. Gorkha leaders and the state government had parted ways following a similar meeting in January. The demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland had been taken up by the Gorkha leaders at the meeting and the chief minister had ruled it out. Mr Chettri said: “We want to forget everything that happened in the last meeting. Whatever problems and misunderstandings we have had in the past have been resolved now.” GJMM will work hand-in-hand with the state government to undertake development of the Hills, he added.
The MLA said the Centre has given only Rs 65 crore of the Rs 200 crore to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). “We will take up the issue jointly with the state government and raise our demands to the Centre,” he said, adding out of the Rs 65 crore that has been provided by the Centre for development of the Hills, roads have been repaired and parking zones have been set up. Mr Chettri said the chief minister has sought GTA and GJMM’s help in conducting a survey to identify 25 locations that can be developed as tourist destinations. The state government has already constructed three tourist lodges in Dalgaon, Bijonbari and Rinbik. “Development cannot happen unless we maintain a good rapport with the state government,” said Mr Chettri. Miss Banerjee, along with state chief secretary Mr Sanjay Mitra and home secretary Mr Basudeb Banerjee, will leave for Darjeeling on 14 May.
प्रदीप लोहागुण
12 मार्च (कालेबुङ):- लामो समयदेखि सरकारी संरक्षण र सम्वर्द्धनबाट बञ्चित रहेको दार्जीलिङको ऐतिहासिक भिक्टोरिया फल्स पूलले आफ्नो शतबार्षिकीको अवसरमा सरकारी निकायको ध्यानाकर्षण गराएको छ। आइतबार स्थानीयहरुले पूल निर्माण गरिएको शतबार्षिकीको अवसरमा एउटा कार्यक्रमको आयोजना गरेपछि समारोहमा आमञ्त्रित अधिकृतहरुले यसको संरक्षण र सम्वर्द्धनको निम्ति पहल गरिनु पर्ने कुरामा चासो देखाएका छन। स्थानीयहरुद्वारा गठित भिक्टोरिया फल्स संरक्षण समितिले पूल निर्माणको सय बर्ष पूरा भएको अवसरमा आइतबार एउटा विशेष कार्यक्रमको आयोजना गरेका थिए। यस अवसरमा दार्जीलिङका विधायक त्रिलोक देवान अनि नगरपालिका अध्यक्ष अमर सिंह राई विशेष रुपले उपस्थित थिए। यस अवसरमा संरक्षण समितिले सरकारी निकायका यी दुइ प्रतिनिधिहरुलाई ज्ञापन दिएर पूलको रखरखाउ र संरक्षणको निम्ति सरकारी तौरमा पहल हुनु पर्ने माग गरेका छन। स्थानीयहरुले यस पूलको ऐतिहासिक महत्वलाई अक्षुण्ण राख्न यसैको छेवमा अर्को समानांतर पूलको निर्माण गरियोस भन्ने अर्जी पनि गरेका छन।आफ्नो निर्मानकालदेखि कहिले विश्राम नपाएको यस पूल भएर आइतबार बाह्र घण्टाको निम्ति वाहनहरुको आवागमन पनि बन्द राखिएको थियो।
सन 1912मा निर्माण गरिएको यस पूलले यस बर्ष शतबार्षिकी पूरा गरेको छ। दार्जीलिङ शहरदेखि दुइ किलोमिटर टाडामा अवस्थित यो भिक्टोरिया फल्स र पूल अस्सीको मध्य दशकसम्म पर्यटकहरुको लोकप्रिय स्थल थियो। तर कालांतरमा यसको सुन्दरीकरण र संरक्षणमा कुनै पक्षबाट पनि पहल नहुँदा यसको प्राकृतिक सुन्दरता र लोकप्रियता ओझेलमा परेको हो। स्थानीयहरुले यसको मरम्मती र रखरखाउको निम्ति सम्बन्धित पक्षलाई धेरै चोटी अर्जी गरे पनि कुनै पहल नभएको गुनासो छ। यस पूलले क्षेत्रका लगभग पन्ध्रवटा गाँउहरुलाई दार्जीलिङ शहरसँग जोड्ने गर्दछ। हाल यस पूलको अवस्था धेरै नै जीर्ण र शोचनीय बनेको छ। समयमा पूलको मरमत-सम्भार नभए कुनै दिन भयवह दूर्घटना हुन सक्ने स्थानीयहरुले आशंका व्यक्त गरेका छन।
GTA wants Tagore bungalow - Ashamed of Mungpoo Rabindra Bhavan condition, says Tamang
Mungpoo, May 9: Binay Tamang, an executive member of the GTA Sabha, today said he was “ashamed” of the condition of the Rabindra Bhavan at Mungpoo and sought the transfer of the bungalow from the state government’s charge to the hill autonomous body.
The comment was made by Tamang, who is in charge of the information and cultural affairs department at the GTA Sabha, while addressing a gathering at the Rabindra Jayanti celebrations at Mungpoo in Kurseong, about 35km from Darjeeling.
Rabindranath Tagore had visited the bungalow four times between 1938 and 1940 because of his love for the place and a special bond with Maitreyi Devi, daughter of his friend. She was married to the then director of cinchona plantation, Manmohan Sen.
Maitreyi Devi had also published a book Mungpoote Rabindranath containing an account of his stay in Mungpoo. Later, she established Rabindra Smriti at the director’s bungalow in 1944 to preserve the poet’s memories.
Government sources in Calcutta said this evening that the Mungpoo Rabindra Bhavan, which also houses a museum, was being looked after by the state public works department. “In fact, we carried out a renovation of the Rabindra Bhavan at Mungpoo two years ago,” said a PWD official.
But Tamang today gave a different picture, that of lack of maintenance of the bungalow.
“Gurudev is a poet not just of the Bengali community but of the entire people of this country and in fact of the world. The moment I came here early this morning, I felt somewhat ashamed as such a historic place has not been maintained well. This place should have been developed like Raj Ghat in Delhi,” Tamang said. He also expressed his displeasure over the state government’s delay in transferring the information and cultural affairs department to the GTA. “Bengal’s minister Gautam Deb had earlier mooted a proposal that information ad cultural affairs departments of both the state government and the GTA should jointly organise the event (Tagore’s birth anniversary). He was to attend the programme today. But about a week back, he told us that the GTA should organise the event itself. Nevertheless, both the departments today jointly conducted the event. But we wish that the department is fully transferred to the GTA so that we can hold the birth anniversary in a grand manner next year,” said Tamang.
“Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is in charge of the state’s I&CA department, will be visiting Darjeeling soon and we are hopeful that the transfer of this department will be completed,” he added.
The hills have two information and cultural affairs departments running parallel to each other at the moment. The DGHC had set up a department which was automatically transferred to the GTA when it was formed last year. The state’s department is also operative in the hills, though it is to be transferred to the GTA according to the memorandum of agreement for the formation of the hill body.
“Once the museum is transferred to the GTA, we will draw up a project to beautify the building and give it due importance. Even Netaji Subash Chandra Bose’s museum at Giddepahar in Kurseong needs to be maintained. But even that property has not been maintained properly,” Tamang said.
Last year, the state government had announced Rs 4 crore for setting up an international research centre at Mungpoo. However, work has not yet started. North Bengal development minister Deb, while attending last year’s Rabindra Jayanti celebration at Mungpoo, had also said the district information and cultural affairs officer’s office had prepared an estimate of Rs 14 lakh to do up the bungalow.
Sources in the state’s cultural affairs department said the project entailed setting up a solar panel and repairing the museum. “We hear that the state government is planning some big project for the museum and that is why our Rs 14 lakh project has been kept on hold. Moreover, with the north Bengal development department electrifying the museum recently, there is no need for a solar panel,” said a source.
9 May 2013
GTA review on May 24 - Morcha to seek Rs 575 crore for infrastructure at meet
Darjeeling, May 8: The Union home ministry has decided to hold the next review meeting to look into the functioning of the GTA Sabha in Darjeeling on May 24.
Decisions on allotment of additional funds to the GTA and initiating the process for the amendment to the Constitution to implement the three-tier panchayat system in the hills are expected to be taken at the meeting.
The review meetings are attended by representatives of the central and state governments and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
“The review meeting will be held at Richmond Hill in Darjeeling on May 24 from 11am. While a joint secretary of the Union home ministry is expected to represent the Centre, the state will be represented by its home secretary, Basudeb Banerjee,” Morcha general secretary and an executive GTA Sabha member Roshan Giri said today.
Giri, along with Darjeeling MLA Trilok Dewan, are expected to be present at the meeting on behalf of the Morcha.
The review session is important as the Morcha has demanded Rs 575 crore as a one-time grant to put in place the administrative infrastructure of the GTA from both the state government and the Centre. The demand was placed at a meeting between a Morcha delegation and chief secretary Sanjay Mitra in Calcutta on April 30.
Mitra then suggested that the matter could be taken up at the review meeting as the Centre, too, had to share the cost of setting up the infrastructure like buildings and quarters .
“Apart from the grant of Rs 575 crore, we are also looking towards getting some concrete assurances on increasing the financial grant to the GTA from Rs 200 crore per annum to Rs 400 crore for the next three years,” said Giri.
The Morcha will also demand that the fact verification committee, which was formed to look into the recommendations made by Justice (retired) Shyamal Sen High Powered Committee, be asked to make a field visit to the Dooars and Terai. Justice Sen had recommended the inclusion of only five of the 397 mouzas demanded by the party in the GTA.
Giri said the Morcha would also demand at the May 24 meeting that all Gorkha communities, except Schedule Caste members, be granted Schedule Tribe status.
The Morcha also hopes it would get a positive feedback on amending the Constitution to implement a three-tier panchayat system in the hills. The state had earlier said it had already written to the Centre to start the process for the constitutional amendment.
Sikkim varsity head granted bail
Gangtok, May 8: A court here today granted bail to chairman of EIILM University Vinay Kumar Rai, who had been arrested for allegedly issuing forged marksheet and certificate of a course that is not taught at the institution.
Apart from Rai, vice-chancellor O.V. Vijayan, registrar Col. (retired) Alok Bhandari and controller of examinations Vijay Dahiya had also been arrested from Jorethang in South Sikkim on Monday in connection with the case. The three were granted bail yesterday.
Rai, who had been detained by Bengal police at the Bagdogra Airport yesterday, was brought to Gangtok last night. Rai was produced in the chief judicial magistrate’s court which released him on bail. “We had sought a police remand of five days but judge Ujwal Khatiwara granted Rai bail,” said a police source.
According to sources, Rai made a silent exit from Sikkim after he had been asked to come to the Gangtok police station to record his statement.
“He was trying to fly to Delhi from Bagdogra. But we alerted Bengal police who picked up Rai from Bagdogra yesterday,” said the police source.
The police said the four officials of the private university had issued the fake certificate and marksheet to a girl from outside Sikkim saying she had obtained a master’s degree in education from the institution.
Rai, Vijayan, Bhandari and Dahiya have been charged with forgery, cheating and criminal conspiracy.
Classes on the university campus at Jorethang were being held “smoothly” despite the arrest of the four top officials. “It is true that we are getting a lot of queries from students and parents on the arrests. But it has nothing to do with the studies. The classes are being held smoothly as usual,” said a faculty member.
The varsity has 275 students who pursue different subjects.
8 May 2013
Gurung tours clash zone
Darjeeling, May 7: GTA Sabha chief executive Bimal Gurung has started an extensive tour of Soureni, where supporters of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the GNLF clashed on Sunday, with a promise of the area’s development through the hill body.
Gurung’s trip to Soureni and the surrounding villages in Mirik block may be seen as an effort by him to consolidate the Morcha’s support base at a time the GNLF has heightened its political activities in the area. The Morcha chief’s visit started yesterday and would continue for five days.
“The GNLF has revived its political activities in Mirik after remaining dormant ever since the party lost popular support in 2007. The GNLF is slowly but steadily making inroads into the Mirik-Terai belt and is consolidating its support base. Its obvious that Gurung wants to personally take stock of the situation and ensure that there is no further erosion of his support base,” said an observer.
The violence broke out on Sunday when GNLF supporters who were on their way from the Dooars to Soureni were attacked by alleged Morcha cadres. The Morcha denied the charge, saying the GNLF workers had provoked the general public and police didn’t do enough to stop them.
The Morcha chief today started his visit from Khabari village and met his supporters and local people at Bhutta Khati, Nol, Manabari, Dhakala, Gayabari, Singbuli and Phuguri.
Binay Tamang, the assistant general secretary of the Morcha and a GTA executive member, said: “We also visited Manju village (which is GNLF chief Subash Ghisingh’s native place) last evening and went to the houses of our party supporters who were injured in the clash. However, more than a political visit, the trip is to find out the needs of the people of the area.”
The Morcha said Gurung had spoken to the villagers at length and took note of their immediate requirements.
“Many of these places lack proper connectivity and many villages haven’t been electrified yet. All these inconveniences have been noted and the GTA will immediately start work in these areas to address the grievances of the general public,” said Tamang, who is accompanying Gurung.
Asked if Gurung had tried to woo the GNLF cadres, Tamang replied in the negative. “As I have said, this was not a political visit but a trip in his capacity as the chief executive of the GTA to get a first hand account of the problems the people face in this region. He will be touring the Mirik area for the next four to five days.”
Private varsity owner held for forgery
Gangtok, May 7: Police in Sikkim and Bengal have arrested the chairman, vice-chancellor, registrar and the controller of examinations of a private Sikkim university for fraudulently issuing a marksheet and certificate of a course that is not taught at the institution.
The police said EIILM University that has its campus at Jorethang in the South district had issued a certificate to a girl from outside Sikkim saying she had obtained a master’s degree in education.
“The university had issued a certificate of Master in Education to a girl from outside Sikkim who had never attended the university. The girl applied for a post of lecturer in a university in Chandigarh. The university wrote a letter (attached with the documents) to Sikkim police for verification. During the verification it was learnt that the course is not taught here,” said a senior police officer.
EIILM, which has 275 students, claims on its website that it is a UGC-approved university. Its chairman, Vinay Kumar Rai, is also the owner of the university.
The first arrests — of vice-chancellor O.V. Vijayan, registrar Col (retired) Alok Bhandari and controller of examinations Vijay Dahiya — were made yesterday in Jorethang.
Rai, 65, was arrested today at Bagdogra airport when he was about to fly out of Siliguri. The Sikkim police had alerted their counterparts at Bagdogra.
The senior police officer in Sikkim, who did not want to be named, said that among the papers sent by the university in Punjab was a letter attached to the girl’s certificate that had Rai’s signature endorsing that the certificate was a valid one.
The university, which offers graduation and master’s courses in science, commerce, arts, management and also degrees in fashion and hospitality, has been under the scanner for alleged marksheet fraud earlier too.
The secretary of the state human resource development department, C.S. Rao, said studies in the university would not be hampered.
“The police are investigating the matter and we (department) will be able to comment only after the investigation is over,” Rao said.
Last September, the police raided the EIILM office in Jorethang after allegations that the university was handing out certificates in a fraudulent manner.
The police are still investigating the earlier case of cheating and forgery registered at Jorethang police station.
“The three arrests (in Jorethang) were made in connection to a case registered with Gangtok Sadar police station. They were picked up from the university campus in the evening and brought to Gangtok,” said police spokesperson Mandeep Singh Tuli.
A case of forgery, cheating and criminal conspiracy have been registered against the four university officials.
“The three were later granted bail,” said the senior police officer.
7 May 2013
Bash in the time of Saradha curse worries govt
Calcutta, May 6: The Saradha scandal has cast a shadow on the Mamata Banerjee government’s plan to mark its two years in power by organising exhibitions and cultural programmes in the districts as lower-rung Trinamul leaders are wary of any show of pomp immediately after the payment default crisis.
The impact of the lack of political will — mandatory for the success of such programmes in the districts — is apparent as only two out of 30 such exhibitions could be inaugurated on time.
“People have lost their life’s savings in schemes floated by the Saradha Group with which some of our ministers, MPs and MLAs had close contacts. Now, if we organise exhibitions along with cultural programmes, there is bound to be a backlash,” said a Trinamul MLA, explaining the reason behind his lack of interest.
According to the plan drawn up by the chief secretary — and communicated to the respective departments through a circular on May 2 — the 16-day show of respective departments should have started by May 5 and continued till May 21.
Yesterday, the North Bengal development department and the panchayat and rural development departments inaugurated their shows at Siliguri and Singur, respectively.
“The two exhibitions that were inaugurated yesterday were not fully ready, while the extent of preparedness at other places is far from satisfactory…. They were thrown open only to meet the deadline,” said a senior state government official.
Not just the lack of interest from districts, there has not been any proactive follow-up from Writers’ as well.
“There has been just a circular, but there was no follow-up meeting to check the preparedness of the departments…. Senior officials such as the chief secretary have been busy fire-fighting the Saradha case,” said an official.
As part of the chief minister’s plans to decentralise celebration — last year’s Pragati Utsav at Milon Mela grounds had turned out to be a damp squib — the exhibitions were supposed to travel to districts, where local artistes were scheduled to perform in the evening.
Ministers from the districts were given the responsibility to organise the programme at the home district as the focus was on involving local people.
For instance, the agriculture department has been asked to set up an exhibition in Burdwan as the minister of the department, Malay Ghatak, is from the district. For Jungle Mahal, the venue is Midnapore, the turf of Sukumar Hansda, the minister in charge of Paschimanchal affairs. The backward class welfare show will be held at Bangaon, the home district of minister in charge Upen Biswas.
“It is true that the district leaders are not showing any eagerness to hold the programmes and that’s why I couldn’t inaugurate my department’s exhibition yesterday…. The venue is not ready and I am yet to sign up artistes for the cultural shows every evening,” said a Trinamul minister.
There, however, was no funds crunch for the departments as the chief minister’s office had given the go-ahead to spend liberally from their departmental resources. The Telegraph has learnt that the budgets for the shows range between Rs 35 lakh and Rs 70 lakh.
“Some of our party workers have reservations about the expenditure as they feel that it will draw unnecessary criticism and the money would have been better spent had it been used to return the money to the duped depositors. I also feel the same way,” said a minister.
The chief minister has set up a Rs 500-crore relief fund for depositors with the promise of protecting the “small and medium” depositors after Saradha went bust.
While the relief fund has raised hopes among a section of duped depositors, it has pushed the local Trinamul leaders the edge as they are aware that the kitty will be insufficient to tackle the crisis.
“Now people are expecting that the government will compensate them for the loss… And their hopes rest on us. The more we interact with local people, the more we hear about the demand from depositors. Handling this expectation will become a problem,” said a first-time MLA from a district.
Deposit company tenants give landlords sleepless nights
Tamluk, May 6: People who have rented out their houses to money-mobilising companies in East Midnapore now want them to vacate, fearing demonstrations and damage of their property in the aftermath of the Saradha default.
Civil engineer Gautam Das, whose five-storey building in Tamluk housed four such companies, said he had been urging them to move out for the past few weeks.
“I had last year rented out my house to four companies —Unimass, Shilpayan, Dolphin and Silicon. Many people who have lost their money in the Saradha default have resorted to demonstrations and have ransacked offices. I am scared. If such protests happen at my building, property worth lakhs would be damaged. Such things are keeping me continuously tense,” said Das.
The engineer said Unimass and Shilpayan had already moved out last month following repeated requests. He said each of the companies paid him Rs 8,000 a month.
Das said the offices of Dolphin and Silicon were closed for the past week. “I don’t know what their intentions are.”
Nandan Bera, the owner of a two-storey house in Chandipur which he has rented out to ATM Group and Modern Life, echoed Das.
“The ATM group office was closed on Friday after agents and investors demonstrated outside my house. The company has not paid the rent for April. I can’t contact the officials as the cellphone numbers given to me are switched off. Modern Light is still open but I want the firm to vacate my house. The agreement with ATM expired in March this year and now I will not renew it. The deal with Modern Life is valid for another six months. I want the companies to go,” Bera said.
In Contai, trader Aurobindo Das has rented the first floor of his two-storey building to Sunmarg Suraha Microfinance. The office closed down in January this year.
“They did not pay me the rent for six months. After the Saradha default crisis, we called up the Sunmarg branch manager and told him that the company does not need to pay the rent due to us but that they should clear out of my house. They did so. Now, I am relieved,” said Aurobindo’s wife Pushpa.
But Rangalal Das, who owns a five-storey building at Chaitanyapur on the outskirts of Haldia town and has rented out the first two floors to Rose Valley and Rahul Group, is yet to heave a sigh of relief.
“The Rose Valley office is here for the past six years and the Rahul Group for two years. They are good tenants and have not defaulted on my rent so far. But, after an office of the ATM Group close to my house was ransacked on Friday, I am scared. I have contracts with both companies, which will expire only after three years. I am keeping a watch on the situation. But it’s better they leave as early as possible,” said Rangalal.
हिल तृणमूलद्वारा मिरिक घटनाको भर्त्सना पहाडमा गणतन्त्र छैन-ननिता
कालेबुङ, 6 मई|
मिरिकमा आइतबार भएको गोजमुमो अनि गोरामुमोमाझको झडपलाई लिएर हिल तृणमूल कङ्ग्रेसले घोर भर्त्सना जनाएको छ| यसदिनको घटना उल्लेख गर्दै हील तृणमूल कङ्ग्रेसले पहाडमा गणतन्त्र नरहेको आरोप लगाएको छ| दलका जिल्ला समिमिका नारी सङ्गठन प्रमुख ननिता गौतमले आज एक प्रेस विज्ञप्ति जारी गर्दै मिरिकको घटनामा दुःख प्रकट गरेकी छन्| विज्ञप्तिा जनाइएअनुसार, ८८ सालदेखि यता पहाडमा गणतान्त्रिक परिवेश छैन| पहाडको राजनैतिक परिवेश दुषित छ| जनतालाई नेतृत्वहरूले आफ्नो रोटी सेक्ने औजार मात्र बनाएका छन्| यदि कुनै पनि दलले जनताको समर्थन हासिल गर्नसक्छ भने त्यो दलको सिद्धान्तमाथि मात्र निर्भर गर्ने भन्दै पाखुराको बलमा जनताको विश्वास जित्नसक्ने आशय पनि गौतमले पोखेकी छन्| जनता पनि लाटो भएर बस्नुनहुने साथै सत्य कुरालई आत्मासात गर्नुपर्ने उनले आह्वान गरेकी छन्| ८६ देखि यता देखापरेको यहॉंको राजनैतिक घटनाक्रमकै कारण आजका युवा पीडिले गणतन्त्र अनि स्वतन्त्रताको अनुभव गर्न नसकिरहेको उनको भनाइ छ| विज्ञप्तिमा अझ जनाएअनुसार, यहॉं जातिको नाममा केवल राजनैतिक स्वार्थपूर्ती गर्ने काम मात्र भइरहेको छ| जातिकै नाममा यहॉं तीनचोटी आन्दोलन भएपनि मानिसहरूको आर्थिक अवस्थामा भने कुनै सुधार हुन सकेको छैन| यदि पहाडको भलो चिताउनु हो भने पहिले यहॉं स्वच्छ राजनैतिक परिवेश, शान्ति र गणतन्त्र बहाली गरेको हुनुपर्छ भन्ने विचार उनको छ| नेताहरूको राजनैतिक बचाउनलाई आफ्नैहरूबीच भइरहेको मारकाट, हत्या जस्ता हिंसात्मक कार्य बन्द गर्नु नै हील तृणमूल कङ्ग्रेसको मूल लक्ष्य रहेको पनि विज्ञप्तिमा जनाइएको छ|
6 May 2013
Strike looms after hill rivals clash
Darjeeling, May 5: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today threatened an indefinite strike across the Darjeeling hills from Tuesday after a clash broke out between its supporters and GNLF cadres at Soureni in Mirik block in the morning.
The Morcha said it would wait till 6pm tomorrow for the arrest of GNLF leaders and the transfer of the officer in charge of Mirik police station Sourav Sen, failing which the strike would be called. It is not clear yet if Sen had ordered or led an alleged baton-charge to break the Morcha-GNLF clash.
Police sources said 20 Morcha workers and six GNLF supporters had been arrested in connection with the clash.
The threat of the strike has come at the beginning of the tourist season, which coincides with summer school holidays when families from the plains travel to the hills to escape the heat.
Tour operators feel the strike threat will hit the sector adversely as the hills receive more than half of its tourists in April-June.
The clash in the morning was followed by an arson attack on a GNLF leader’s house in the evening. Unidentified people set fire to the house of M.G. Subba in Singamari at 7pm. The fire was put out by the local people.
The morning clash took place when GNLF supporters were on their way from the Terai to inaugurate a party office at Soureni in Mirik, 45km from Darjeeling. The GNLF said its cadres were attacked with stones and sharp weapons by Morcha supporters.
The Morcha called a shutdown soon after the clash around 11.30am. All shops were shut down in the hills.
But the party retracted after a purported promise of administrative action from the chief minister.
“We have sent a message to chief minister Mamata Banerjee requesting her to take stern action against those who attacked our supporters. She has promised to take appropriate administrative action and we have now decided to lift the strike till 6pm tomorrow,” Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri said around 4pm.
“If the GNLF supporters involved in the clash are not arrested and the Mirik officer in-charge is not transferred by 6pm tomorrow, the entire hills will be shut down for an indefinite period from day after tomorrow. The Mirik OC is deliberately targeting Morcha activists,” he said.
GNLF convenor Arjun Rai said the time for the inauguration of the party office had been fixed at 11am. “As we were apprehensive of the Morcha’s plan, the programme was started at 9am,” he said. The GNLF office was opened and there was no untoward incident.
“However, our supporters who were coming from the Terai were stopped near Soureni by the Morcha supporters. Around 600 GNLF supporters were on the way to Soureni from different parts of the Terai and we asked police to clear way for them. Around 11.30am today, 100 of our supporters who were left stranded near Soureni (about 2km from the venue) came under attack from Morcha supporters,” said Rai.
The GNLF has been trying to rebuild its base in Mirik because it still has some supporters there.
Eight GNLF supporters were injured in the violence and taken to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital. The condition of two was stated to be serious.
Pradip Chhetri, a GNLF supporter who suffered minor injuries, said: “It was around 11.30am when we were proceeding towards Soureni. We had prior information that Morcha activists had gathered at various places. When we were a few hundred meters from Soureni, around 30-40 Morcha supporters, who were armed with stones and sharp weapons, attacked us.”
The Morcha trained its guns at the police for the violence. Phoebe Rai, the Morcha convenor from Mirik, said the police did not stop the GNLF supporters who provoked a gathering, comprising mostly Morcha supporters.
“The GNLF supporters provoked the general public of the area but the police, instead of stopping them, lathicharged us. The GNLF hardly has any supporters and given the general public mood against the party, the administration should not have allowed them to hold a meeting. The administration failed to read the public mood,” said Phoebe.
He added that GTA Sabha member Arun Sinji was badly injured in the lathicharge and admitted to a private nursing home in Siliguri.
Darjeeling police chief Kunal Aggarwal denied that there was a lathicharge.
“There was no lathicharge. The police only showed the lathis to scare away the mob.”
Of late, the Morcha has been under pressure as both the GNLF and the Trinamul Congress have been reviving their activities in the hills.
The GNLF has started consolidating its base in the Mirik-Terai region and a number of Morcha supporters joined the party.
That is probably one reason why Morcha president Bimal Gurung is currently camping in Mirik.
The Morcha filed an FIR against “more than 100 GNLF supporters” in connection with today’s incident.
Arjun Rai said the GNLF would also file an FIR against Morcha supporters.
Tour operators are keeping their fingers crossed. “The flow of domestic tourists has just begun and any strike call during this period will hamper the industry for the rest of the season. Tourism industry is a very sensitive sector and even a small problem will lead to a lot of cancellations,” said a tour operator.
Around 4 lakh domestic tourists visit the hills every year on average and around 2.5 lakh of them make the trips during the April-June period.
Trinamul switch
Rohit Sharma, a central committee member of the Morcha from the Dooars, joined the Trinamul Congress in Calcutta on Sunday.
Padam Lama, who joined Trinamul from the Morcha recently, said: “Today, Rohit Sharma, a senior GJM leader from the Dooars has joined Trinamul. He has understood the fact that the Morcha leadership has betrayed the people of the Dooars.”
मोर्चाको अचानक बन्दले जनजीवन अस्तव्यस्त
प्रज्ज्वल छेत्री
कालेबुङ, 5 मई।
मिरिक सौरेनीका सभासद् अरुण सिञ्जीलाई पुलिसले बर्बरतापूर्वक कुटेको आरोप लगाउँदै घटनाको प्रतिवादमा उत्रिएको मोर्चाको आजको अकस्मात् बन्दले गर्दा पहाडको जनजीवन एकाएक अस्तव्यस्त भयो। मध्याह्न 1.30 बजीदखि आह्वान गरिएको बन्दको प्रत्यक्ष असर यता कालेबुङमा पनि देखापरेको थियो। गोर्खा जनमुक्ति मोर्चाले 1.30 बजीदेखि सम्पूर्ण पहाड बन्दको आह्वान गर्दै शहरमा पोष्टर टालेको केही समय बित्दानबित्दैै कालेबुङबाट बाहिर जाने दिवा सेवाका सवारीसाधनहरूको होडबाजी शुरु भएको थियो। आधा घण्टाभित्र कालेबुङ छोड्नुपर्ने स्थितिले गर्दा मुख्य गरेर यात्रुहरूले धेरै असुविधाको सामना गर्नपरेको थियो। आ-आफ्नै काम लिएर आएका यात्रुहरूले अचानक शहर छोड्नुपर्ने मुख्य कारण बुझ्नै सकेका थिएनन् भने घटनालाई लिएर सबै मानिसहरूमा खुल्दुली बढेको थियो। मानिसहरूले एकाअर्कामा सम्पर्क स्थापना गरेर बन्दको खबर लिइरहेका थिए। बन्दको घोषणा गरेलगत्तै कालेबुङमा धेरथोर दोकानपाठहरू आकस्मिक रूपमा बन्द गरिएको थियो भने लगभग तीन बजीभित्र कालेबुङ शहर प्रायः शुनशान बनिसकेको थियो। यद्यपि, बन्द अचानक डाकिएकोले कालेबुङ भित्रिएका सबै सवारीसाधनलाई शहर बाहिरिन बेलुकीसम्म नै सहयोग पुर्याइएको थियो। बन्दमा कालेबुङको डम्बचोकदेखि शहर परिक्रमा गर्दै प्रदर्शनकारीले पुलिस प्रशासनविरूद्ध कडा नाराबाजी गरेका थिए। बन्दको कारण अशान्तिको माह्वोल उत्पन्न हुन नदिन कालेबुङमा कडा सुरक्षा बल तैनाथ गरिएको थियो। बन्दअवधी दलका कार्यकर्ताहरूदेखि लिएर विधायक डा. हर्कबहादुर छेत्री, कालेबुङ महकुमा समितिका संयोजक नोर्देन लामा, दलका केन्द्रिय समिति सदस्य विजय सुन्दास, सभासद् डा. आरबी भुजेल, काजिम छिरिङ भोटिया, कल्पना तामाङ्ग आदि नेतृत्वहरू पनि सडकमा ओर्लिएका थिए। यसअवधी दलका महकुमा समितिका संयोजक नोर्देन लामा कार्यकर्ताहरूलाई सम्बोधन गर्दै घटनाको प्रतिवाद जनाएका थिए। मरिकमा सभासद् अरुण सिञ्जी अनि फुवी राईलाई पुलिसले बर्रबतापूर्वक कुटेकोमा यो अनिश्चितकालिन बन्द बोलाएको उनले जानकारी गराउँदै पुलिसको अत्याचार सहन नगर्ने जनाए। ‘सभासद्जस्तो गरिमाय पदमा रहेका व्यक्तिलाई यसरी कुटपिट गरिन्छ भने यहॉं आम मानिसहरू सुरक्षित हुन सक्दैनन्’-उनले भने। यदि दलको निर्णय अनुसार भोलिदेखि कार्यक्रमले वृहत रुप लिए सबै कार्यकर्ताहरू सडकमा आउनुपर्ने पनि उनले आह्वान गरेका छन्।
5 May 2013
Shillong girls clear UPSC exam
Shillong, May 4: Two Shillongites have cleared the civil services (main) examination, 2012 conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the results of which were declared yesterday.
Isawanda Laloo and Daribha Lyndem featured in the list of successful candidates to fill up vacancies in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Central Services — Groups A and B.
While Laloo secured the 351st rank, Lyndem was ranked 882.
Altogether 998 candidates were recommended by the UPSC for appointment to the above services against 1,091 vacancies (550 general, 295 other backward classes, 169 Scheduled Castes, and 77 Scheduled Tribes).
The number of vacancies for the IAS is 180, IFS is 30, IPS is 150 while there are 630 vacancies for the Central Services Group A and 101 vacancies for the Central Services Group B.
A graduate in English from Delhi’s St Stephen’s College who topped her batch in 2007, Laloo had also cleared the 2011 examination where she was ranked 850th in the merit list.
Laloo, a resident of Ryngi Jynriew, Nongthymmai here, and who is working as an assistant professor in the English department at the North Eastern Hill University (Nehu), expressed happiness that she was able to substantially improve her ranking.
“By God’s grace, my plan worked. The examination was tough, but somehow I managed. I am very happy, and I hope that I do get into the IAS,” Laloo told this correspondent.
Her focus, notwithstanding her daily commitment to the students at Nehu, helped to improve her ranking, she added.
When asked to choose between being a teacher or an administrator, Laloo said, “Both my parents are teachers, and I have loved my time teaching as well, but I had always thought trying out for the civil services and getting into administration.”
Lyndem, who holds a masters degree in English Literature from Delhi University, said patience and perseverance are the key to clear the civil services examination.
“It was my first attempt, the examination was difficult, competition was high, but by God’s grace I feel I was lucky enough,” Lyndem, a resident of Rynjah locality here, said over phone from New Delhi.
She also said she would accept whatever post will be offered to her following her success in the examination, but she would also try to appear in the examination again to improve her ranking.
Surprise voice of support for Bansal
New Delhi, May 4: Janata Dal (United) chief Sharad Yadav today said Pawan Bansal should not be held accountable for what his relative might have done, breaking ranks with ally BJP that has demanded the railway minister’s resignation.
“If any relative of a political leader is involved in corruption, then what is the fault of that leader? I have known Pawan Bansal for a long time. He has been in Parliament for a long time. What has he to do with his nephew taking bribe?” Yadav said.
Asked if the minister should resign after his nephew’s arrest by the CBI on charges of accepting a bribe from a railway official, he said: “How do you plan to run this country when politicians start resigning for the deeds of their relatives? Those involved have been arrested and an investigation is going on.”
Refusing to call for Bansal’s resignation, he said: “It is up to him.”
The statement, coming from the leader of a key NDA constituent, dampened the BJP’s aggressive demand for the minister’s dismissal. BJP leaders, however, sought to downplay the remark.
In Dal(U) circles, too, Yadav’s statement came as a surprise although party leaders refrained from commenting on the issue, pointing out that they cannot contradict the party president.
Rajya Sabha Dal (U) MP Shabir Ali, however, said during a debate on ABP News: “The minister should take moral responsibility and resign.”
Party insiders said Yadav was known for championing the cause of the political class and felt too much significance should not be attached to his remarks.
“In this season of scams, it is impossible to defend the Congress. Sharadji is known for aggressively defending the political class when (Anna) Hazare targeted politicians. His remarks should be seen from that point of view,” pointed out a Dal (U) MP.
Yadav’s remark is also being seen as an effort by the Bihar party to project itself as independent of senior partner BJP against the backdrop of its differences over Narendra Modi.
“Is it necessary to endorse what the BJP says? Janata Dal (United) is an independent party and has its own views on different issues,” a Dal(U) MP said.
Ever since strains erupted in Dal(U)-BJP ties on the Modi issue, the Bihar party has been occasionally making friendly gestures towards the Congress.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, during his two visits to Delhi, one on the occasion of his party’s Adhikar Rally and the other at a national body meeting of the party, had not spoken a word on the UPA’s corruption.
Some party leaders said Yadav’s reaction could be part of their strategy to make the BJP nervous about the Dal(U)’s future plans.
BJP cries for minister head
New Delhi, May 4: The BJP alleged that railway minister Pawan Bansal was not just “morally culpable but criminally liable” for his nephew’s alleged acceptance of a huge bribe and demanded he should be immediately dropped from the Union cabinet.
Rajya Sabha Opposition leader Arun Jaitley told a news channel that although money may have changed hands at the level of a relative and his associates for a high-level railway board appointment, the appointment itself would have to be ratified by Bansal and, therefore, the buck stopped at his door.
Dubbing the UPA a “cash-and-carry government” that had “lost all sense of dignity and shame”, Jaitley said: “It is an open-and-shut case and the resignation of the minister should come in the very first instance. The CBI will shed light on whose behalf the money was taken. But the brazen defiance by the UPA government will alienate it from the people.”
At war with the government in Parliament, the BJP was determined to stall proceedings yet again if Bansal continued in office.
Jaitley’s deputy leader in the Upper House, Ravi Shankar Prasad, alleged that the Congress had reduced its government to a “shop” in which “decisions were sold for a price to those who came with huge capital”. “This is happening because in the coal block allocation scam, the PM’s role is shrouded in corruption charges. His consent as well as that of Sonia Gandhi is available to all the ministers. That’s why their ministers are setting new benchmarks of corruption,” he said.
Prasad said while he had heard of irregularities in lower-level railway appointments, he had never known of posts being second in importance to that of the minister carrying a price tag running into crores of rupees.
CM targets Centre, CBI - Party leaders fear ‘damage’ in Mamata action refusal
Calcutta, May 4: Mamata Banerjee today trained her guns on the Centre and the CBI, the criticism and insinuations coinciding with the prospect of a probe by the central agency into the Saradha default.
“Threats are not going to work on me. The CBI has to be called in since we did not allow FDI in retail, since we pulled out of the UPA-II government,” Mamata said at a Trinamul rally in North 24-Parganas’ Panihati, hinting that her government could be targeted because of certain decisions she had taken.
Although the chief minister started her speech by launching an attack on the CPM, she shifted focus mid-way.
“UPA-III is not going to happen. I will tell the people to overthrow the government at the Centre,” she said.
Referring to the Supreme Court’s message to the CBI last month that the agency should be “independent and unbiased” and that it should not “take any instruction from the political master”, Mamata said: “Look what the Supreme Court has said about the neutrality of the CBI.”
Petitions have been filed in the Calcutta and Assam high courts demanding a CBI probe into the Saradha default.
Trinamul insiders said a CBI probe could compound Mamata’s “problems” as several Trinamul leaders have had links with Saradha.
A Trinamul minister said: “We have seen how the Centre manipulates the CBI to browbeat allies and opponents. Mamatadi today highlighted this at the rally so that her supporters can tell people how the Centre could use the CBI against our government.”
He, however, refused comment when asked why Mamata used to frequently demand CBI probes when she was in the Opposition.
Today’s rally was at the same venue where former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee addressed a meeting six days ago. Bhattacharjee and CPM leader Gautam Deb had attacked Trinamul for its “association” with sham firms.
In her retaliatory public meetings, Mamata has blamed the previous Left Front government and the Centre for the mushrooming of deposit-mobilising companies.
Today, Mamata repeated what she said at a closed-door meeting of Trinamul’s general council yesterday, comments that were seen as a virtual clean chit to party colleagues with proximity to the Saradha Group.
“Mamata chor, Trinamul Congress chor, bhaipo chor, gushti chor…. Aar tumi sadhu (Mamata is a thief, Trinamul Congress, nephew and family members — everyone is a thief…. And you are a saint),” she said at the rally in response to criticism of her party leaders and questions raised by Deb on the operations of her nephew’s company.
A section in the party felt that Mamata’s refusal to act against leaders said to have had links with sham companies could further damage the party. “The growing perception is that she is trying to defend the leaders whose names have cropped up in the crisis. If a CBI probe confirms their involvement, the damage cannot be undone by alleging injustice by the Centre,” a minister said.
Deepa quit call
Congress minister Deepa Das Munshi today demanded the chief minister’s resignation for her “failure to tackle” the default crisis.
