Hill TMC wants son-of-soil as party’s LS candidate

KALIMPONG

12 Jan 2014

Even if the name of TMC’s LS candidate from Darjeeling constituency has not yet been disclosed the hill leaders of the party are now speaking up that the candidate must be someone who is a local resident. Although some weeks ago former Indian football skipper Bhaichung Bhutia was being named as TMC candidate, which is still unconfirmed. Hill TMC women wing president Nanita Gautam stated the hill unit would prefer to have a candidate who is from the place.

Speaking in a meeting at Saat Mile in Kalimpong Gautam said, “The party high command will announce the name of the candidate soon and we want the candidate to be a son of the soil.” With this she also clarified the TMC will fight the election fielding its own candidate. Gautam met the women folk of the area and discussed about the party policies as a step to gain foothold in the area. Speaking the journalists later, she said the local women are willing to join the TMC as they aspire for peace and development.

Gautam claimed the women complained that some GJM youths have been trying to create disturbances in the area and also warned the youths to stay away from troubling the villagers.

Stating that Poonam Chettri has been chosen as a temporary convener Gautam claimed several women will join the party officially on January 16. She also demanded the benefits flowing from GTA should directly reach the public as the administration is meant for all. While voicing for transparency in GTA Gautam also demanded initiation of panchayat raj system in the hills at the earliest. (EOIC)

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GTA chief executive outlines dev plans for hills

Darjeeling

9 Jan 2014

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration chief executive Bimal Gurung today outlined development plans for the hills that included new townships. He added preparations are on for implementing them within March of this year.

Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with party workers and supporters at the sub-divisional office in Darjeeling, the GJM chief said, “We have to utilise Rs200 crore within March. For this we have chalked out various development projects for the hills.”

However, he did not say if the funds were part of what the central government had pledged when the GTA agreement was signed in July 2011.

Plans are afoot to build new townships to mitigate the burgeoning population in the three hill towns of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong.

“Besides the population, there is manifold increase in construction in the three towns. The load is immense and to ease this burden, we have plans to construct satellite towns,” according to Gurung.

In Darjeeling sub-division, a new township is expected to come up from Happy Valley to Rangit Tea garden, while the new satellite town in Kurseong will be built at Monteviot and the process of identifying space for a township in Kalimpong is in progress.

The GTA chief executive also said he would lay the foundation stone for a passenger ropeway from Giddeypahar to Rohini in Kurseong sub-division on January 22.

“Besides the ropeway, I will also visit Sukna the following day to lay another foundation stone for a model school. On January 13, I will be in Borbotey for a brick laying ceremony of a high school,” informed Gurung.

Giving priority to education, the GTA has identified a plot of land for building a medical college in Kurseong, while space is being searched for an engineering college in Takdah.

“We will give importance to education and initiate infrastructure works in the days to come,” said Gurung.

The GTA will also build four bridges in Lodhoma, Pokhraybong-Malat, Jangapana-Ghoomti and Pumong- Teesta Valley to connect various rural areas.

“More than Rs15 crore will be utilised for construction of bridges so that people living in far flung areas have access to various villages,” informed the GTA chief executive.

Plans are also on to renovate the Rock Garden and Gangamaya Park near Dali in Darjeeling that was destroyed by the cyclone Aila.

“We will renovate the Rock Garden and Gangamaya Park in three phases. Likewise, other tourist spots will also be given an uplift to attract tourists,” said Gurung.

A super specialty hospital at Sukna is also under consideration although land is not immediately available.

“Sukna is a vantage point and a super specialty hospital there would be convenient for people. However, procuring land is a big problem and hence we are thinking of shifting the project to Dhudey”, revealed the GTA chief executive.

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Gurung to take GTA Chief Executive office on Dec 26

Kolkata

20 Dec 2013

The Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung, is set to take office as the chief executive of Gorkha Territorial Administration following his meeting with Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee in Kolkata today. Gurung, who had resigned from the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) in July in the wake of the renewed statehood agitation, will take oath of office at Raj Bhavan on December 26.

"We had a very good discussion. The Chief Minister has requested me to come back as GTA chief. GTA is my dream and it is also the dream of the CM," Gurung was quoted as saying after the meeting at the state secretariat. This was the first meeting between the two leaders since her visit to Darjeeling for the Uttarbanga Utsav in January this year.

On December 16 the GTA Sabhasads had passed a unanimous resolution to bring back Gurung as the organisation’s chief. Gurung had refrained on commenting on taking the GTA chief position before leaving for Kolkata saying he will take the decision after the meeting with the CM.

On relations between the GJM and the state government following the agitations in June and subsequent resignation by Gurung, he said, "In a family there is a mother, a sister and other children. Problems crop up, but are sorted out. The problems can be resolved through discussions and you (the media) please should not create a hindrance."

Gurung further said, "We are now concentrating how to make the GTA more effective and the Gorkhaland issue was not a point of discussion at today's meeting."

The GJM delegation also held a separate 45-minute meeting with Finance Minister Amit Mitra and Chief Secretary Sanjay Mitra on development and other issues.

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चरित्र समालोचना अङ्कको लोकार्पण, सर्जकहरू अति प्रशंसादेखि जोगिनुपर्छ – डा. कविता लामा

कालेबुङ – समालोचना लेख्न लरतरो कुरो होइन यसका लागि अध्ययनको आवश्यकता पर्दछ। तर आजभोलि प्रशंसा गरेर लेख्ने काम नै समालोचनाको नाममा धेर भइरहेको छ जो स्वस्थ समाजको लागि हानिकारक हो अनि लेखक वा सर्जकहरू पनि समालोचकहरूले गरेको प्रशंसामा मक्खै पर्ने गरेको पाइन्छ। सर्जकहरूले नकारात्मक समालोचनालाई स्वागत जनाउनुपर्छ तब मात्र आफ्नो उत्तरवर्ती लेखन अझ मौलाएर जानेछ। सर्जकहरू अतिप्रशंसादेखि जोग्गिनुपर्छ।

कालेबुङको हिमालयन होटलमा सम्पन्न चरित्र पत्रिकाको समालोचना अङ्कको लोकार्पण समारोहलाई सम्बोधन गर्दै डा. कविता लामाले उक्त मन्तव्य पोखेकी हुन्। वर्तमान नेपाली समालोचनामाथि आफ्नो पावर पोइन्ट प्रस्तुति दिँदै डा. लामाले कालेबुङलगायत दार्जीलिङ, सिक्किम, डुअर्स, सिलगड़ी आदि भेकबाट भेला भएका साहित्यानुरागीहरूलाई सम्बोधन गरिरहेकी थिइन्। उनले समाचोलकले सर्जकलाई होइन तर उनको कृतिलाई अध्ययन गरेर समालोचकीय प्रतिक्रिया पोख्नुपर्ने बताइन् अनि हालमा देखा परिरहेको कतिपय युवा लेखकहरूको सिर्जनशीलताको प्रशंसा गरिन्। सरकारी शिक्षण प्रशिक्षण संस्थानका पूर्व प्राचार्य बी आर छेत्रीको अध्यक्षतामा सम्पन्न आजको कार्यक्रमका मुख्य अतिथिका रुपमा सिक्किम विश्वविद्यालयको नेपाली साहित्य अनि भाषा विभागका डिन प्रा. प्रतापचन्द्र प्रधान उपस्थित थिए। विमोचन कार्यक्रमलाई सम्बोधन गर्दै प्रा. प्रधानले नेपाली समालोचनामाथि संक्षिप्तमा प्रकाश पारे अनि चरित्र प्रकाशनले तयार गरेको यस विशेषाङ्कलाई समालोचना साहित्यको क्षेत्रमा एक महत्त्वपूर्ण प्रकाशन भनी बताए। यसअघि समालोचना अङ्कका प्रधान सम्पादक तथा प्रकाशक सहदेव एस. गिरीले कार्यक्रममा उपस्थित सबैलाई स्वागत जनाउने क्रममा चरित्र प्रकाशनको संक्षिप्त जानकारी दिँदै सन् १९८६ देखि यस प्रकाशनले कार्य गरेर आइरहेको बताए। उनले यस कार्यलाई निष्पादन गर्न तीन वर्षको अथक परिश्रम गर्ने सम्पादकहरूलाई बधाई टक्र्याउँदै सम्बन्धित सबैलाई हार्दिक धन्यबाद पनि प्रकट गरे। युवा समालोचक बासुदेव पुलामीले आफ्नो वार्ता प्रस्तुत गर्दै नेपाली समालोचना साहित्यमाथि प्रकाश पारे भने सभापति बी आर छेत्रीले कालेबुङको माटोमा जन्मेको चरित्र प्रकाशनले दीर्घ दिनदेखि नेपाली साहित्यप्रति पुऱ्याएर आइरहेको योगदानलाई मध्यनजर गरेर यसलाई अब प्रकाशन होइन तर चरित्र केन्द्र भन्नुपर्ने बताए। समालोचक-साहित्यकार डा. कुमार प्रधानको आकस्मिक निधनप्रति दुइ मिनटको मौन धारण गरेर शुरु गरिएको कार्यक्रमको सञ्चालन युवा लेखक हीरा छेत्रीले गरेका थिए। कार्यक्रमअन्तर्गत युवा लेखकत्रय उदय थुलुङ, वासुदेव पुलामी अनि डिल्लीप्रसाद अधिकारीलाई चरित्र प्रकाशनले आफ्नो परम्पराअनुसार अभिनन्दन पनि जनाएको थियो। पत्रिकाको विशेषाङ्कको विमोचन मुख्य अतिथि डा. प्रधान, वार्ताकार द्वय डा. कविता लामा अनि वासुदेव पुलामी अनि सभाध्यक्ष बी. आर. छेत्री तथा प्रधान सम्पादक सहदेव एस. गिरीको बाहुलीबाट गरिएको थियो भने कार्यक्रममा कवि किशोर छेत्रीले स्वरचित कविता पाठ पनि गरेका थिए। विमोचनपछि मुख्य अतिथि प्रा. प्रधानले पत्रिकालाई शोधार्थी छात्रहरूका निम्ति सहयोगी ठहर गर्दै आफ्नो सिक्किम विश्वविद्यालयको नेपाली विषयको पाठ्यक्रममा सन्दर्भ पुस्तकको रुपमा समाविष्ट गरिएको घोषणा पनि गरे जसलाई विश्वविद्यालयकै नेपाली विभाग प्रमुख डा. कविता लामाले मोहर लगाएको जानकारी पनि दिइन्। उल्लेखनीय छ, कालेबुङको चरित्र प्रकाशनले यसअघि कथा विशेषाङ्कको रुपमा बाह्रौ अङ्क प्रकाशित गरेको थियो भने आगामी परिकल्पनाको रुपमा भारतेली नेपाली नारी हस्ताक्षर विशेषाङ्कको तयारी शुरु गरिसकेको छ। आज लोकार्पित पत्रिकाको आकार अनि प्रकारलाई मध्यनजर गरेर कतिपय लेखकहरूले यस कार्यलाई दार्जीलिङ अथवा भारतीय नेपाली साहित्यमै पहिलो प्रयास भएको बताएका छन्।

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