कालेबुङमा फस्टिँदैछ पर्यटन व्यवसाय यसवर्ष देशी पर्यटकहरूको उत्साहजनक उपस्थिति

कालेबुङ, 10 जून। विगत वर्षहरूको तुलनामा यसवर्ष कालेबुङमा देशी पर्टटकहरूको उपस्थिति उत्साहजन रहेको छ। सम्बन्धित पक्षका मानिसहरूसितको कुराकानीले खुलाएअनुसार यस बर्षको जनवरी महिनादेखि नै शुरु भएको पर्यटकहरूको संख्या अप्रेलको पहिलो सातादेखि धेर बढ्‌न शुरु भएको हो। होटल एण्ड रेष्टुरेन्ट एसोसिएशन अफ कालिम्पोङ (होर्‍याक)-की अध्यक्ष संजोगिता सुब्बाअनुसार पनि कालेबुङ भेकमा यसचोटि देशी-विदेशी पर्यटकहरूको आगमनमा निक्कै वृद्धि भएको छ। देशी-विदोशी पर्यटकहरूले कालेबुङ घुम्न मन पराउने गरेको तिनको भनाइ छ। कालेबुङको नातिशितोष्ण जलवायु अनि अन्य शहरहरूको तुलनामा भीडभाड र सॉंघुरोपन कम भएकोले पनि पर्यटकहरू यता आउन मन पराउने गरेको उनको भनाइ छ। यद्यपि, कालेबुङमा पर्याप्त पर्यटनस्थलहरु छैन। सरकारी निकायद्वारा स्थापित पर्यटनस्थलहरूको कमी रहेकोले यस दिशामा सरकारी संस्थानले धेरै पूर्वाधार निर्माण गर्नु पर्ने अवश्यकता रहेको तिनको भनाइ छ। यसबाहेक क्षेत्रिय प्रशासनले बेमौसममा पर्यटन उत्सवहरूको आयोजना गर्नको साटो पर्यटन मौसमकै छेक पारेर यस्ता उत्सवहरूको आयोजना गर्ने गरे पर्यटकहरू झनै आकर्षित हुने तिनको विचार छ। पहाडको पर्यटनमौसमलाई ध्यानमा राखेर बर्षभरि नै पुष्प उत्सव. सुन्तला उत्सव, ग्रामिण अनि हस्तकला प्रदर्शनीहरुको आयोजना गर्न सकिने होर्‍याककी अध्यक्ष संजोगिता सुब्बाले सुझाउ दिएकी छन। यता डेलो टुरिष्ट लजकी कर्मचारी रिङ्कू भोटिया अनुसार पनि यो बर्ष देशी पर्यटकहरूको संख्यामा निकै बृद्धि भएको छ। डेलो टुरिष्ट लजमा मात्र दैनिक अढाइदेखि तीन सय पर्यटकहरूले भ्रमण गरिरहेको उनको भनाइ छ। यसरी नै, यहॉंको शहरी अनि ग्रामीण क्षेत्रका पर्यटनस्थलहरूमा पनि यसपल्ट पर्यटनहरुको अप्रत्यासित आगमन भएको तथ्याङ्‌क अघि आएको छ। यहॉंका एकना गाइडअनुसार, कालेबुङ शहरी क्षेत्रमा डेलो, दुर्पिन, मोर्गेन हाउस, हनुमान मन्दीर साइन्स सेंटर, पाइनभ्यु क्याक्टस नर्सरी, पार्क, सिंहवाहिनी मन्दीर, रेली आदि प्रमख पर्यटनस्थल हुन्‌। यी पर्यटनस्थलहरू अझ वृृद्धि हुनसके कालेबुङमा पर्यटन व्यवसाय धेरै फस्टाउनसक्ने भनाइ उनरको छ।यसरी नै, ग्रामिण क्षेत्रहरूमा लाभा, लोलेगॉंउ, रिसाप, कफेर, रेशी, सिल्लरीबस्तीजस्ता क्षेत्रहरूमा विस्तार भइरहेको इकोटुरिजमले घरेलु पर्यटकहरूलाई आकर्षित पारिरहेको छ।

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रोङ्गो डिन्छेन पेमा छोइलिङ गुम्बा संरक्षणको अभावमा बन्दैछ बिरानो

कालेबुङ, 10 जून। रोङ्गो आउने हरेक पर्यटक, बौद्ध धर्मवालम्बी एवं आगन्तुकहरूलाई यहॉंको देखाउनलायकको ठाउँ भनेको नै रोङ्गो गुम्बा हो। 1960 सालमा रोङ्गो घाप गाउँमा निर्मित यस सार्वजनिक डिन्छेन पेमा छोइलिङ गुम्पा क्षेत्रको एउटै मात्र मुख्य धार्मिक एवं पर्यटन स्थलको रुपमा परिचित छ। यहॉंको भौगोलिक अवस्थानको कारण पनि गुम्बा हेर्नलायकको बनेको हो। चारैतिरबाट उठेको पहाडको टुप्पोमा गुम्पा अवस्थित छ भने यहॉंबाट रोङ्गो, दलगाउँ, गैरिबास, झोलुङ, भूटानका मनोरम दृष्यहरू आकर्षक देखिन्छन्‌। हरेक वर्ष बौद्ध पूर्णीमाको दिन दलगाउँ, गैरिबास, झोलुङ, भूटान, सामसिङ, कुमाइ, तोदे, जलपाइगुडी आदि क्षेत्रबाट हजारौंका संख्यामा श्रद्धालुहरू यस गुम्बामा दर्शन गर्न आउने गरेका छन्‌। यस गुम्बा परिसर यति धेरै आकर्षक हुँदाहुदै पनि अहिले यस गुम्बा उचित संरक्षणको अभावमा आफ्नै ठाउँमा विरानो बन्दै गइरहेको छ। स्थानीय मानिसहरू अनुसार, घाप गाउँदेेखि गुम्बासम्म पुग्ने उकालो बाटो धेरै अपठ्यारो छ। यस गुम्बा वर्षमा एकचोटि हुने बुद्धजयन्तीसम्ममा मात्र सिमित हुनपुगेको छ। गुम्बाको भवन जीर्ण बनिसकेको छ भने शौचालय, बाहिरी सुन्दरीकरण जस्ता अनेक अभावहरूमा ध्यान दिन जरुरी रहेको उनीहरू ठान्छन्‌। यता गुम्बाको अवस्था दिनोदिन सोचनीय बनिरहेको देखेरे यसको संरक्षण गर्नुपर्ने वोध गर्दै हालमा गुम्बाको देखरेखको जिम्मेवारी स्थानीय युवाहरूले लिएका छन्‌। नवगठित कमिटीमा अध्यक्ष रिदम गुरुङ, सचिव विमान राई, कोशाध्यक्ष बाबुल मजुमदार, सह-कोशाध्यक्ष अनुप शेर्पा लगायत अन्य छन्‌़। उनीहरूले गुम्पाको पुनरुद्दार गर्न जुरुरी रहेको एवं रोङ्गोको यस प्रमुख धरोहरलाई जोगाइराख्नुपर्ने दिशामा कार्य गर्ने बताएका छन्‌। कमिटीका अध्यक्ष रिदम गुरुङले भने, गुम्पामा दैनिक रुपमा कैयौं पर्यटक एवं आगन्तुकहरू आउने गरेका छन्‌। तर गुम्बाको अवस्था सोचनीय बनेको छ। यहॉं बिहान-बलुकी पूजा गर्ने लामासमेत राख्न सकिरहेका छैनौं। गुम्बाको देखरेखको निम्ति एकजना चोकिदार राख्नुपर्ने अवस्था छ। यसैले शुरुको दिनमा गम्बाको संरक्षणको निम्ति मानिसहरूबाट आर्थिक सङ्‌ग्रह जमा गरेर गुम्बाको अस्तित्व बचाइराख्ने आफूहरूको सोंच रहेको उनले बताए। यस गुम्बासितै धाप गाउँ मार्ग भएर जाने गोपी धामको पनि संरक्षण गर्नसके क्षेत्रमा पर्यटकहरूको संज्ञामा धेरै वृद्धि हुने कुरामा उनीहरू विश्वस्त छ।

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Trinamul springs Barla surprise - Party in zilla parishad tie-up with JMM, confuses ally Adivasi Vikas Parishad

June 9: Trinamul leaders in the Dooars today said they had held successful talks with John Barla on a pre-poll alliance for zilla parishad seats, confounding the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad with which the ruling party entered into a tie-up recently. On June 4, leaders of Trinamul and the Parishad, which is staunchly opposed to Barla, announced that they would share seats in the gram panchayats and panchayat samitis. For the zilla parishad seats, there had been no understanding between the Parishad and Trinamul. According to a Trinamul leader in Malbazar, the ruling party had decided to field two of Barla’s associates in the Jalpaiguri zilla parishad which has 37 seats.Trinamul said it wanted Barla in the alliance as it did not want the tribal votes to split. Of the 13 blocks in Jalpaiguri, seven are in the Dooars, where the Parishad has a strong base because of the high tribal population and the Parishad’s presence in unions in almost all the tea gardens. Around 40 per cent of the 2,346 gram panchayat seats in Jalpaiguri fall in the Dooars. A similar percentage of the 422 panchayat samiti seats are also in the Dooars. The other six blocks in Jalpaiguri district do not have much of a tribal presence, therefore the Parishad’s focus is concentrated in the seven blocks of the Dooars. Trinamul’s larger battle is to keep the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha out of the Dooars and Terai, which the hill party wants included in its proposed Gorkhaland state. “We joined hands with the Parishad for gram panchayat and the panchayat samiti seats. In each seat, the support base of the Parishad and Trinamul has been assessed by local leaders of both sides and the candidate has been selected on the basis of this strength,” said Prabir Chakraborty, a member of the north Bengal core committee of Trinamul and party’s observer in the Malbazar subdivision of Jalpaiguri. Chakraborty added: “However, in the zilla parishad, it has been decided that Trinamul will field its candidates in all 37 seats. These candidates would be supported by John Barla and (his party) the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.” He said: “Talks have been held with Barla and other leaders on the proposal and they have assented.” A Trinamul source said Binod Kuzur and Binod Tigga, both associates of Barla, would be fielded as Trinamul candidates in the Nagrakata and Banarhat zilla parishad seats. The Parishad, though miffed, is unsure how it should act. If it goes with Trinamul, it will lose face among its supporters because the outfit has always said it would have no truck with Barla, who had rebelled against the Parishad and moved out. Also, Barla has an understanding with the Morcha for the rural polls, and the Parishad is opposed to the Morcha’s Gorkhaland demand. But withdrawing its candidates when just two days are left for the nomination phase to end may also not help the Parishad. The outfit would find it difficult to put up Independent candidates in all the seats now. “We have our compulsions about maintaining a distance from Barla and the Morcha for their agenda of Gorkhaland and inclusion of Dooars and Terai in it…. On the basis of discussions with Trinamul leaders, we have put up candidates in the panchayat samitis and gram panchayats,” said Rajesh Lakra, the general secretary of the north Bengal regional unit of the Parishad. “We have no idea on what to do now,” he said. Barla, disappointed by the tie-up between the Parishad and Trinamul, had asserted that he would campaign against Trinamul. “This left Trinamul concerned about division in the tribal vote. The party in a last-ditch attempt convinced Barla for the zilla parishad alliance. However, the equations are not very clear as both the Parishad and the Morcha, are not ready to go by this alliance,” a source in the Dooars said. Barla said today: “We are not concerned about the other allies of Trinamul. As only two days are left for submission of nominations (the vote in Jalpaiguri is on July 9), we are simply focusing on filing of nominations by our candidates in all three tiers. There had been an alliance with Trinamul but some of our leaders are insisting on fielding candidates under the JMM banner in the zilla parishad. Talks are going on with Trinamul leaders and we feel, it would not pose any hindrance to the alliance.” Asked about the Morcha tie-up, he said: “We would soon sit and talk to them. Candidates of Morcha-JMM alliance have already filed nominations in two lower tiers of the panchayat.” Morcha leaders in the Dooars said they had no information about the Barla-Trinamul alliance. “It is unlikely that Barla or JMM would make such a tie-up when they are in alliance with us. Our party has made elaborate plans for campaign and the party president himself (Bimal Gurung) would participate in it across Dooars,” said Madhukar Thapa, a central committee member of the Morcha from the Dooars, said. “We want to make it clear we have no alliance with Trinamul,” he said. Gautam Deb, the north Bengal development minister, said Trinamul was fast emerging as the principal party in Dooars. “We definitely want the support of all tribal groups. On the other hand, tribal organisations and parties in the Dooars have realised that they need to have an alliance with Trinamul for better results in panchayat polls.”

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Sikkim name among G20 Indians - Dewakar bound for moscow

Among 25 Indians who will represent the country at a G20 summit of young entrepreneurs is a name from Sikkim. Thirty-year-old Dewakar Basnet will be part of the Indian team in Moscow from June 15-17. The G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance (G20 YEA) is a global network of young entrepreneurs and the organisations that support them. It was established to convene each year in advance of the G20 Summit, with the aim of championing the importance of young entrepreneurs to the G20 member nations and to share examples and practices, says the G20 YEA website. The alliance was created at the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Summit, Toronto, Canada, 2010. Dewakar will be the first person from Sikkim to represent India at the summit. The summit is hosted by the Center For Entrepreneurship (CFE), an entrepreneurship development organisation based in Moscow that focuses on young entrepreneurs as the leading force for job creation, innovation, economic and sustainable growth, and competitiveness. Dewakar, who hails from Pakyong in East Sikkim, is a chief learning officer of 24 Hours Inspires, a company founded by him which works on the skill and personality developments of school students. Dewakar, who studied journalism in Bangalore, started his company in 2008-09 as a leadership development and personality enhancement firm. Registered in Bangalore, the company conducts leadership development and personality enhancement programmes for schools, colleges and corporates. It has a children’s learning division called Creative Craft which conducts summer and winter camps. It has a quizzing section called QYOU! which focuses on quiz shows in schools, colleges and corporate firms. Dewakar has been a quizmaster and has conducted more than 100 shows till date. Dewakar would be representing the summit as part of Young India, an integral part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). “This is a dream come true. I never thought in my wildest dream that I would be getting an opportunity to represent my state and the country in such a big platform,” said Dewakar, who would be delivering a talk on inclusive competition among students at the summit. “It is a matter of great pride for our family. He would be the first from the family to go abroad,” said father T.P. Basnet, a retired contractor. Dewakar was recently conferred with an award by the Sikkim government for his contribution in the field of education. “CII does not have its registered office in Sikkim so Dewakar will be going from Kolkata. At the G20 YEA Summit, the delegates will focus on solutions to address critical issues facing all G20 countries, including ways governments, academia, NGOs and business communities can work together to provide aspiring young entrepreneurs with foundational support to ensure their success,” said the North Bengal zonal office head of CII, Laxmi Limbu. She said the selection was made after thorough scrutiny and several rounds of interviews and interactions.

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