2 matches, 3 trophies for top golf tourney

AVIJIT SINHA

The army golf course in Bengdubi. File picture Siliguri, March 14: The only golf tournament in north Bengal will be held in two segments with three trophies on offer in the Dooars and the Terai this year. The Himalayan Endeavour Golf will be organised at Ranicherra in Jalpaiguri on March 17 and at Bengdubi near here the next day. Previously, only one trophy was given in the tournament that enters the 17th year in 2012. The Siliguri-based Himalayan Endeavour Group is the organiser of the tourney that is set to witness the participation of 100 amateurs from across north Bengal, Calcutta, Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan. “This is the first time that we are holding the event in two segments with different trophies. The games will be played in the Dooars and the Terai. With the expansion of the cup, the number of players will also shoot up to 100 from around 60 in the previous years,” said Vinay Gurung, the administrative co-ordinator of the cup. The organisers said the first leg of the tournament would be held at the Western Dooars Golf Club at Ranicherra in Jalpaiguri on March 17 on Stableford 2/3 handicap system. Golfers are allocated a certain number of points on a hole depending on the net score of the player under this system. “The winner of the game on the first day will be awarded the Dooars Cup and a cash prize of Rs 20,000. The runner-up will take home Rs 10,000,” said Gurung. On the second day, players will vie for the Himalayan Endeavour Cup at the army golf course in Bengdubi, 20km from Siliguri. “The format of the game and the prizes would be the same like the Dooars Cup,” said another official. The highlight of the tournament this year is the North Bengal Open Cup to be awarded to the golfer who scores highest points. The score will be the aggregate of points in both the segments. The player who lifts the North Bengal Open Cup will receive Rs 25,000, while the first and second runners-up will be given Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively.(Telegraph)

Read More

Green train for ride through Dooars forests

AVIJIT SINHA

Workers clean the railway tracks in New Jalpaiguri station on Wednesday. Picture by Kundan Yolm Siliguri, March 14: The first “green” train in the country will be introduced in north Bengal, the railway minister said today while announcing five new express trains for the region. “A green train would run through the pristine forests of north Bengal,” minister Dinesh Trivedi said in his railway budget speech but did not provide any details on the route or frequency. The authorities of the Northeast Frontier Railway that is in charge of tracks passing through “pristine forests” — the Siliguri to Alipurduar Junction route which is flanked by three wildlife sanctuaries, a tiger reserve and fringes of a national park — said they were clueless about what a “green train” was. Trivedi, however, said a green train would have bio-toilets and would be pulled by a diesel engine which emits less smoke. In “bio-toilets”, the waste is not discharged on tracks but stored for disposal later. “Introduction of the ‘green train’ is definitely a unique announcement for north Bengal but very little was spoken on it. We expect the railway ministry to consider the prospects of tourism in the forest stretches of north Bengal and run trains accordingly. The trains must be able to ferry visitors to forest destinations on both sides of the Dooars rail track on the Siliguri Junction-Alipurduar route,” said Samrat Sanyal, president of the Eastern Himalaya Travel and Tour Operators’ Association. The association has also welcomed the introduction of a Shatabdi Express between New Jalpaiguri and Howrah and new trains to connect north Bengal with Mumbai and Gujarat. “It would have been better if the weekly express to Surat would had been introduced from New Jalpaiguri instead of Malda Town,” Sanyal said. Environmentalists on the other hand said they have reservations on a couple of projects. “Though we do not have much details on the green train but it is evident it would run through the Dooars route. The train might render eco-friendly services but any additional train on the track would have a negative impact on the bio-diversity,” said Animesh Bose, programme coordinator of the Siliguri-based Himalayan Nature and Adventure Foundation. “We had been demanding double tracks to the Northeast (the NJP-New Alipurduar track that goes via Jalpaiguri Road, Mainaguri, Dhupguri, Falakata and New Cooch Behar) to reduce the movement of trains on the Dooars route. But only a small stretch of the entire track has been included in the budget this year,” said Bose. Trivedi also said DEMU (diesel multiple unit powered by more than one engine) coaches would replace trains with one engine on the New Jalpaiguri-Bamanhat route. As of now, a pair of passenger trains runs on this route everyday. Residents of Changrabandha, a principal land customs station in Cooch Behar on the Bangladesh border, are satisfied with the announcement of daily DEMU services from Siliguri. “As of now, roads are the only mode of communication. We have to bank entirely on buses, with no train services in this area. If this service is introduced in the current year, it would largely help local people as well as Bangladeshis who visit north Bengal via Changrabandha,” said Panna Dutta, who stays in Changrabandha. “The train can also help ferry goods which are exported to Bangladesh.” The business community in Jalpaiguri was disappointed as no new trains had been announced for the district. “We had expected new trains from Haldibari and Jalpaiguri Road and stops of the other trains at the stations,” said Samarendra Prasad Biswas, the general secretary of North Bengal National Chambers of Commerce and Industries. “The only new announcement for us is the ‘green train’ but we have no clue what exactly the service would be like and it will probably cover only part of the district which is part of the Dooars.”(Telegraph)

Read More

himal mahatshav in international level

RANGPO-14^TH MARCH12

Himalayan heritage research and development society a reputed ngo working since 2000 to promote and preserve the traditional folk culture and heritage of north eastern states of India is going to organise a two days long himal mahatshav in international level in bhurung central Pandam from 18^th to 19^th march 12.according to mr Kishore dahal programme officer on 18^th march several ngo ,orgsnisation,ngo ,clubs shall perform traditional folk dance and programme and on 19^th march the international seminar on preservation of traditional folk and culture is going to organise at bhurung and shall participate by the delegates from Nepal ,Bhutan, Burma and india.such type of himal mohatshav is organising from several years and this time by the participants of foreign the programme is more colourful and useful.

Read More

साहित्यकार सम्पूर्णा राईको अन्तिम संस्कार

कालेबुङ 14 मार्च:कालेबुङ कन्य उच्च पाठशालाकी पूर्व उप-प्राचार्य अनि साहित्यकार सम्पूर्णा राईको अन्तिम संस्कार आज सम्पन्न भयो नेपाली साहित्यको क्षेत्रमा एकजना महिला लेखिकाका रुपमा आफ्नो शसक्त उपस्थिति दर्ता गर्न स्फल सम्पूर्णा राईको अन्तिम संस्कार आज राई जातिको परम्पराअनुसार भयो।इष्टमेन रोडस्थित निजीनिवसबाट आज अपरान्ह उनको शवयात्रा निकालिएको थियो।स्वा राईको शवयात्रामा आफन्तजनलगायत शिक्षा अनि साहित्य क्षेत्रसगँ सम्बन्धित मानिसहरु सहभागी थिए।राई जातिको परम्पराअनुसार उनको शव इष्टमेनरोडको छिनाडाडाँमा दफ्नाइयो।आजीवन शिक्ष्ण पेशामा संलग्न रहेर सेवा पुर्याउने सम्पूर्णा राईले नेपाली साहित्यको क्षेत्रमा पनि आफ्नो विशिष्ट स्थान बनाएकी छन।5अप्रेल 1948मा जन्मेकी स्वा राईले एम ए अनि बी एड तहको शिक्षा आर्जन गरेकी थिइन।कालेबुङ कन्य उच्चतर माध्यमिक पाठशालाको सहप्राचार्य तहसम्मको दीर्घकालिन सेवा पुर्याएर 2008मा अवकाश ग्रहण गरेकी थिइन।एकजना साहित्य सर्जकको रुपमा पनि उनले विशिष्ट पहिचान कायम गरेकी थिइन।विभिन्न साहित्यक पत्रिकाहरुमा द्र्जनौ लेख-रचनाहरु प्रकाशित गरी सकेकी सम्पूर्णा राईको दुइवटा कृतिहरु नाभो कथा सङ्ग्रह अनि मरुभूमिको नदी नामक कविता सङग्रह प्रकाशित छ।उनलाई साहित्य सृजनाको निम्ति सन 1995मा स्रष्टा पुरस्कार अनि सन 1999मा अरुगि पुरस्कारले सम्मानित्त गरिएको थियो।उनको शवयात्रमा सामेल साहित्यकार सीताराम काफ्लेले महिला लेखिकाहरुको फाटँमा स्वा राईको निधनले एउटा रिक्तता उत्पन्न भएको मन्तव्य प्रकट गरेका छन।

Read More