Asok fest queries spark debt debate

Partha Chatterjee at North Bengal University on Friday. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

Siliguri, Feb. 3: Asok Bhattacharya's posers on how a cash-strapped government could spend crores on fests and beautification drives sparked a verbal duel today, with Partha Chatterjee asking the former minister to dwell on his own “non-performing” role in the Left cabinet.

Bhattacharya, the former municipal affairs and urban development minister, demanded that chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her cabinet colleagues explain why a bankrupt government, which was resorting to lay-offs to curtail expenses, was hosting the North Bengal Festival.

“We are not against the festival or the beautification of Siliguri. But how can the state spend so much money on a fest when government transport corporations are retrenching employees? What is the benefit of holding such elaborate programmes for seven days? We demand clarifications from the chief minister herself, who is regularly complaining about paucity of funds,” Bhattacharya said at a news conference here today.

The loss-making North Bengal State Transport Corporation has recently instructed its depots across the region to retrench his casual staff members — some of whom have been working for 15 years — sparking widespread condemnation.

The former Siliguri MLA and CPM strongman said the chief minister and her colleagues were oblivious to the problems plaguing the tea industry and the plight of its jobless workers, many of whom had starved to death in the past few months. “On one hand, the government is spending lakhs on a festival while on the other hand, people are starving to death on tea estates like Dheklapara. This is an utter contradiction. The chief minister must answer to people about the functioning and priorities of her government,” Bhattacharya said.

He said issues like infant deaths and development work for the poor had not been attended to while funds distributed as pensions to widows and the elderly had become irregular. “The government seems to be least bothered about taking up these issues. Instead, it is hosting festivals.”

Chatterjee, who was quick to come to the rescue of his government, said the Left was responsible for the present state of affair as it had left behind debts of Rs 2 lakh crore. “The North Bengal Festival is not only a cultural event but a platform also to make important announcements aimed at improving the region,” said Chatterjee, who had come to North Bengal University where he is doing his PhD.

The chief minister will inaugurate the seven-day event on February 10. She will use the occasion to announce several projects for the region and kick off a campaign to bolster the fortunes of Trinamul in north Bengal.

Trinamul minister Gautam Deb refused to divulge the amount being spent on the festival. “Several departments are involved besides my department (north Bengal development) — information and culture, floriculture, horticulture and tourism to name a few. So it is difficult to say which department is spending how much,” Deb said.

He had however said earlier that nearly Rs 79 crore would be spent to beatify Siliguri — another grouse of Bhattacharya. The money will be sanctioned in phases, Deb said, adding that the chief minister was committed to the citizens here to make Siliguri the gateway to the Northeast.

“Instead of hurling baseless charges at us, Asok Bhattacharya should think about his failure to perform as one of the key ministers in the earlier government. It was during his tenure that the government incurred such huge debts.”

Chatterjee said the government had a slew of plans for north Bengal in terms of tea, tourism, jute and cottage industries to be announced by the chief minister during her visit.

“We will also hold meetings with the business community of north Bengal to discuss new projects and problems they are facing,” he said(Telegraph)

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More cable cars to ride over Darjeeling

VIVEK CHHETRI

A station of the defunct ropeway at Judge Bazar in Darjeeling; and Singtom tea garden from where the service is proposed to be relaunched. Pictures by Suman Tamang Darjeeling, Feb. 3: The Queen of the Hills will have one more cable car service for tourists sooner or later with a proposal being mooted for the revival of the ropeway between Darjeeling and Bijanbari. The 8km-long ropeway, used for the transport of goods, has been defunct for over two decades. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railways has planned to revive a 2km stretch of the ropeway and convert it into a passenger conveyance. RITES, a central government enterprise, has already conducted a feasibility study and given its nod for the revival of the ropeway. “The survey by the RITES is over and we have sent a proposal to the Railway Board for the revival of the service. The total cost of the project has been pegged at Rs 18 crore,” said Partha Pratim Roy, the director of the DHR. The nod is considered to be a mere formality as the resumption of the service had been announced by Mamata Banerjee when she was the railway minister. The 5km ropeway service between Singamari and Vah-Tukvar resumed yesterday after a gap of eight years. The rides had been suspended on October 19, 2003, when four passengers died after three cars jumped the cable and fell 50 feet below. Sources said the Darjeeling hills could have more cable car services soon. “Initial works have started to launch ropeways between Dello and Relli in Kalimpong and between Kurseong and Rohini,” said a source. DHR officials said it was likely to take “some time” before the defunct ropeway became operational as procedures like floating of tenders could be completed only after the sanction came from the Railway Board. The ropeway between Darjeeling and Bijanbari downhill was operated without cable cars as it transported goods. It started at Judge Bazar in Darjeeling and ended at Bijanbari after crossing Happy Valley, Singtom and Chungthung tea gardens. “I remember that the service was functional till 1986. The ropeway was much sought after by people to ferry goods between Darjeeling and Bijanbari,” said Rabin Rai, a resident of Singtom tea garden. However, Roy said: “We only plan a truncated passenger service between Singtom and Chungthung tea gardens (about 2.5km downhill).” The DHR believes there would be no takers for the goods service any more as communication between Darjeeling and Bijanbari has improved. “It would be difficult to revive the entire ropeway as high tension lines have come up along the route,” said Roy. The re-launch of the entire service has become impossible also because of rampant encroachments along the route.(Telegraph)

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“As per the recent development, we defer to take this matter for two months.” S C

On the basis of Comptroller Auditor General of India[CAG] report    Shri Anand lama of Gangtok had filled the W.P (C) No. 40 of 2011 in Sikkim High Court in which the scam of more than Rs. 10,000 crore scam in the hydro power projects was highlighted. 
 

In the mean time petitioner Mr. Anand lama had filled a transfer petition in the Supreme court of India [T.P (C) no. 1387 of 2011].
 

Today the abovementioned matter was listed before the Hon’ble Supreme court in the bench of Justice Deepak Verma and Justice K.S.Radhakrishnan in which the Hon’ble court had ordered :-
 

“As per the recent development, we defer to take this matter for two months.” 

It may be noted that this PIL matter had been filled by Shri Anand lama in the larger interest of the Sikkimese people as the state of Sikkim has lost more than 10,000 crores (Ten thousand crores) rupees in the Hydro Power scam as per the Comptroller Auditor General of India [CAG] report  which is similar to 2G spectrum in the national level. In a small state such as Sikkim this  would be  an extra ordinary amount actually earned from own soil of Sikkim state and this amount would have helped immensely in the development of all sectors especially in the upliftment of rural people of Sikkim. 
Sikkim with a population of around 6,00,000 lacs people which statistically would have around 85000 houses in the state of Sikkim and  if 10 lacs rupees is given to each house in Sikkim then everyone would become a rich and Sikkim would still have enough money for development. 
This is a very sad state of affairs of the state of Sikkim and each and every Sikkimese people has become a direct victim of this huge loss. 

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