Student dues

NIRMAL MANGAR
Gangtok, Aug. 26: The state human resource development department has promised to immediately clear outstanding scholarships of Rs 3.8 crore accumulated over two academic years for school and colleges students.

Students eligible for meritorious and general scholarships haven’t been receiving the scholarships since 2009 because of the diversion of funds by the HRD department.

HRD secretary C.S. Rao said today that the state government had already released Rs 1 crore for the scholarships. ‘The government has agreed to sanction the rest of the amount (Rs 2.8 crore) at the earliest. The entire amount will be used to clear the dues of 2009-10 and 2010-11.”

Rao said scholarships for 2011-12 would be disbursed next year, as the HRD department would be receiving applications for the amounts from the students till the end of this year.

The HRD department has instituted different scholarships for students studying at primary (till Class V), elementary (Class VI to VIII) and secondary (IX to XII) levels. “For school students, the scholarships range from Rs 700 to Rs 1,200 per month. The money will be given to meritorious children as well as those students whose parents don’t have a combined monthly income of at least Rs 10,000,” said HRD joint director I.K. Chettri.

The scholarships for degree and post-graduate students vary from Rs 800 to Rs 2,000 per month depending on the course. “The merit scholarships at degree and post graduate levels are given to only those who secure above 70 per cent marks. The students whose parents’ income does not exceed Rs 10,000 a month will also receive the money,” said Chettri.

Read More

Tea gardens hint at bonus slash Nothing less than 2011, says union

VIVEK CHHETRI
Darjeeling, Aug. 26: The Darjeeling tea industry today said it wouldn’t be able to pay workers the Puja bonus at last year’s rate of 20 per cent of the annual pay as production had come down and absenteeism was still high.

The predominant union of tea garden workers in the hills, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-affiliated Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union, has said it would not accept any amount less than the rate fixed in 2011.

The Darjeeling Tea Association is scheduled to hold a meeting with all unions in the hills on September 12 to discuss the annual bonus for 55,000 workers.

Sandeep Mukherjee, the principal adviser to the DTA, today said: “Production has come down from 9.5 million kg of ready tea in 2010-11 to 8.9 million kg in 2011-12. This is largely because of the drought-like situation and lack of improvement in work culture. Absenteeism is still high among garden workers. So, we are not in a position to match last year’s figures.”

The Darjeeling tea industry had last year agreed to pay bonus at 20 per cent — highest rate fixed under the Plantation Labour Act, 1951, — irrespective of the grades of the estates. The hill gardens are categorised as Grade A, B, C and D, depending on production and other yardsticks.

Bonus percentage is calculated on the total annual earnings of a worker. Twenty per cent is the highest bonus rate fixed under the act and the planters cannot pay less than 8.33 per cent.

Mukherjee said, apart from the vagaries of weather and absenteeism, the industry had also been affected by the economic slowdown in Europe, a big market for Darjeeling tea, and inflation at home.

Almost 60 per cent of Darjeeling tea is exported, without being auctioned. The prices it fetches in the international market are never revealed by tea companies.

The DTA officials had earlier said while the production cost of Darjeeling tea hovered around Rs 350-370 per kg of organic tea, the commodity could be sold only around Rs 400 per kg. The figures could not be verified independently.

Mukherjee said absenteeism among workers was as high as 30 per cent.

“Even if the labourers turn up, they don’t complete the specified work in a day,” he added.

Planters say one of the reasons for absenteeism in the gardens is the Centre’s 100 days’ rural job scheme for which workers get a higher wage.

A worker is paid Rs 130 daily under the central scheme, compared to Rs 90 given in the gardens.

Garden owners argue that if benefits such as bonus, rations, provident fund and medical and housing allowances are also taken into account, an estate worker’s total daily earning would be higher than the wage provided under the central scheme.

Trade unions are unconvinced by the reasons cited by the DTA for a lesser rate for bonus. “This is a drama being staged by the management. We will not accept anything less than last year’s amount,” said Suraj Subba, general secretary of the Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union.

In the Dooars, the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad and the Progressive Tea Workers’ Union —its trade union — have raised the same demand as in the hills.

They have threatened to launch a movement if their demand for the bonus and paid leave for Karam Puja — a tribal festival — are not met by the government and planters.

“Tea companies must pay bonus ahead of Durga Puja, at the rate of 20 per cent to all workers in all the gardens. We also want to reiterate our demand for a one-day paid leave for Karam Puja on September 26,” Rajesh Lakra, the Dooars Terai unit president of the Parishad, said.“An undercurrent of grievances is running deep among people as the new state government has, so far, not taken any initiative to address our problems unlike the hills, excepting the wage revision done last year. If these demands are not met by the government and tea planters, there will be a spontaneous agitation by common workers.”(TT)

Read More

Balidaan diwash celebrated by SGPP

RANGPO-26 AUGUST 12
Sikkim gorkha prajatantrik party has celebrated the balidaan diwas of major sahid durga malla was celebrated at the party office of Singtam.mr k b Pradhan as a chief guest has lighted the diya .party president Mr. g m Rai has garland the mala in the photo of sahid durga malla and after that other dignitaries ,delegates and party members has also garland the khada in the photo. party vice president Mr. arun gurung addressing the programme demanded to announce holiday i n the balidan diwas in the memory of sahid durga malla .Mr. yamlaal Dangal addressing the programme remembered the contribution of two girls in the history of India freedom .the two sahid girls named savitri and indreni Thapa has save the life of ajad hind fauj president Mr. subash Chandra Bose .the British government has tried to kill Mr. Bose by using tank and the said two child girls has tightened the bomb in their own body and blast that tank .Mr. dangal has also appealed all the persons to remember the contribution of the two girl child and to organise programme in the memory of the girls .programme conducted by Mr. k b Rai Mr. Ganesh bhattarai has given the welcome e speech while Mr. radheyshyam gadaily has given the thanks speech .

Read More

Educational Tour

RANGPO-25TH AUGUST 12
The forty member’s student’s team from Padma odzer choeling senior secondary school Gangtok up to class eight was came to Duga under west Pandam constituency in a day long educational tour. Escorted by four teachers of the school the students has visited the fisheries and poultry farming area in the Duga and taken the details regarding the procedure of fishing and poultry farming. Later on the team has also visited the 107 years old school named Duga secondary school and interacted with the students of Duga .the students while interaction specially stressed upon the annual function and other types of function, competitions organising in the school .Gangtok school students has invited the students of the Duga School to visit their school too. Both school has handed over their school magazine each other .joint cultural programme was also organised was a unique programme and was appreciated by the teachers and delegates .

Read More