| RAJEEV RAVIDAS |
Darjeeling, Jan. 23: Most of the GTA Sabha members who had been jailed in the wake of the latest round of statehood movement and released on bail stayed away from all three events attended by Mamata Banerjee here in the past two days because they bore grudge against her, said sources close to the hill leaders.
Of the five freed GTA members, only Prava Chhetri was seen at one of the three events attended by the chief minister.
Binay Tamang, the executive member in-charge of information and culture department, did not even attend the commemoration of the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, though the event was organised by his department. Tamang and the three other freed GTA members cited prior commitments for their absence from the programmes.
However, sources close to some of these leaders admitted that they indeed bore grudge against the chief minister for her display of alleged highhandedness in getting them arrested on “trumped up charges”. “They hold Mamata personally responsible for their arrest and humiliation. Their wounds are still raw and they are in no mood to forget. Their absence is not only an expression of their deep sense of personal hurt but also collective anguish at the government’s attitude towards the hill people,” said a source.
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शिक्षक प्रमुखको लापारवाहीको कारण बेहाल अवस्थामा चम्पामाया प्रथमिक पाठशाला
पहाड़को प्रथमिक पाठशालाहरु एका एक बन्द हुनुमा सरकार पक्ष दोषी छ कि शिक्षक-शिक्षिकाहरुको लापारवाही? किन दार्जीलिङ पहाड़को शैक्षिक स्तर दिनोदिन खस्किन्दै गइरहेको छ? प्रथमिक शिक्षा बाल-बालिकाहरुको निम्ति महत्तवपूर्ण हुँदा-हुँदै पनि किन आजसम्म पहाड़को शिक्षा व्यवस्थामा सुधार आउन सकिरहेको छैन?
राजनीति गर्दिनँ भन्नु पनि अर्को राजनीति होः हर्कबहादुर छेत्री
मेरो अधिकारक्षेत्रभित्र पाँच बर्षको लागि जनताको हितको काम गर् भनेर मलाई भोट हालेको हो नि। मलाई थाहा छ यसले जनताको धेरै हित हुन्छ। यसले जनताको हितसँगै पार्टीको पनि हित हुन्छ, आन्दोलनलाई पनि सहयोग पुर्याउँछ भनेपछि एकदम निसंकोच भनेर अघि बढ्न सक्छु म। म त्यही काम गर्दैछु।
बघिनी फेरि पुरानै खोरमा
‘समयले मानिसलाई कहाँ कहाँ पुर्याउँछ,,,,,,’ कुनै समय रेडियो नेपालबाट बजिरहने यो चर्चित गीतले मान्छेको जीवनमा प्रणयसम्बन्धको आरोह अवरोहले पार्ने प्रभावलाई सुन्दर ढंगले व्याख्या गरेको छ। यो लोकप्रिय गीतको यही एक हरफ कुनै राजनीतिकर्मीको जीवनसँग गाँसेर हेर्दा के उत्तर पाइएला?
साहित्य अनि सर्जकलाई माया गर्ने घिसिङ
80 को दशकमा देशभरिका गोर्खाहरूलाई जातित्वको भावना उत्पन्न गराउने प्रथम नेता सुवास घिसिङको निधनले अहिले घड़ी सम्पूर्ण दार्जीलिङ पहाड़ नै स्तब्ध बनेको छ। गोर्खाहरूका हित अनि अस्तित्वका निम्ति छुट्टै राज्यको बहस लिएर सुवास धिसिङले त्यसताक पहाड़का प्रत्येक गाँऊहरूको भ्रमण गरेका थिए। 22 जुन 1936 सालमा मिरिकको मञ्जु चियाबगानमा जन्म लिएरका सुवास घिसिङले आफ्नो तर्क राख्न एकलै जनसभा गर्थे। घिसिङले सम्पूर्ण गोर्खाहरूलाई एकै शुत्रमा बाँध्न "गोर्खाल्याण्ड" शब्दको जन्म गरेका थिए।
निराश छन् विधायक डा. छेत्री
“बजट सत्रमा के कुराहरू उठान गर्नु पर्ने भन्नेबारे हामीले जीटीएबाट कहिले फिडब्याक पाएका छैनौं” डा छेत्रीले भने। डा हर्कबहादुर छेत्री मोर्चाका प्रवक्ता हुन् अनि कालेबुङका जनप्रतिनिधि। दुइवटा महत्वपूर्ण पदमा बसेका डा छेत्रीलाई अहिलेसम्म जीटीएको बैठकमा निम्ताइएको छैन, पार्टीको राजनैतिक लाइनबारे उनीसँग चर्चा र छलफल नगरिएको त झन कति भयो, उनैलाई हेक्का छैन।
24 Jan 2014
Arrest fury leads to hill boycott
15 Jan 2014
Cut in GTA members’ salary to pay elderly
| VIVEK CHHETRI |
Rangbhang, Jan. 14: Bimal Gurung has decided to deduct the salaries of GTA Sabha members to pay old-age pension to 900 senior citizens in the hills.
The GTA had decided to pay the pension and had even passed a resolution to this effect. But sources said since the provision was not included in the GTA’s budget for the current fiscal, the pension plan has not been approved by the state finance department.
Bimal Gurung, the chief executive of the GTA, while addressing a crowd at the inauguration of Krishi Mela at Rangbhang, near Mirik, said: “I am now only committed to the welfare of my people. I am not bothered about what the Opposition has to tell me or what critics have to write in their newspapers. I had earlier announced a pension plan for senior citizens called Kamansingh Ramudamu pension scheme, and we will immediately pay the pension by deducting salaries of the elected GTA members.”
According to Gurung’s plan, 20 people aged above 70 from each of the 45 GTA constituencies, who do not receive any benefits from the government, will be paid Rs 500 a month. This means each of the elected GTA Sabha members will have to fork out Rs 10,000 every month.
“The pension will be distributed during the ongoing Krishi Mela and we will give four months’ (from January to April) pension at one go. After April, GTA officials will have to work out the nitty-gritty of the scheme,” said Gurung.
GTA officials said money would be allocated for the pension in the budget for the next financial year.
It is not clear how the GTA members’ salaries would be deducted to pay the pension. An elected GTA member gets Rs 25,000 a month. A GTA executive Sabha member is entitled to Rs 30,000 and the deputy chairman draws Rs 35,000. The chairman’s monthly pay is Rs 40,000, while the deputy chief and the chief of the GTA draw Rs 45,000 and Rs 50,000, respectively.
Gurung today said the GTA had also received funds from the Centre to construct 1,150 houses under the Indira Awas Yojna. “When the construction starts, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders and contractors should not accept even a cup of tea from the beneficiaries. I don’t want any corruption in the scheme.”
Sources said the hills were receiving funds under the scheme after seven years.
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Sikkim CM inaugurates Jorethang Maghey Mela 2014
JORETHANG
14 Jan 2014
Chief Minister Pawan Chamling inaugurated the ‘Jorethang Maghey Mela 2014’ here today. He also inaugurated several other stalls installed by different departments and the Saras Mela. The opening ceremony was attended by several ministers, MLAs, HODs and several other important dignitaries. The Mela started with a beautiful dance showcased by members of Tall Music Academy from Jorethang and Namchi. The dance was followed by cultural performances by people belonging to Bhutia, Nepali and Lepcha community.
The cultural events were followed by an exhibition football match played between women teams from Sikkim and Nepal in which the Sikkim team defeated the team from Nepal by 2-0. The winner and runners up team was handed over cash prizes and special trophies by Housing and Building Minister Tilu Gurung.
Other attractions during the day included adventure sports like paragliding and river rafting, while various eatery stalls provided visitors with an array of traditional Sikkimese cuisines on display across the mela ground and Jorethang bazar. Different amusement rides, entertainment items along with various other stalls are also on display at the mela.
Meanwhile, the organising committee has announced the presence of Governor of Sikkim Shrinivas Patil as the chief guest on the second day of Mela.
Golay accuses SDF , Challenges Chamling for public debate
14 Jan 2014
Sikkim Krantikari Morcha president PS Golay on Monday accused the SDF led state government for desperately trying to win back people’s trust by making false promises. He said the state government has already ‘gobbled’ the actual funds for development and is pushing the state into an inevitable debt. He added, “If the state government wants to give anything to the people, they should first show what they have given to them in the past two decades of their rule,” said Golay during a picnic cum meeting at Karunthang under Yangyang area in South Sikkim.
Golay assured that his party will form the government after the 2014 Assembly Elections because the SKM has been formed by the conscious people of society who are well aware of what SDF has done to the state in the last 20 years.
Golay also did not refrain from accusing the SDF of large-scale corruption in land transfer for the construction of Sikkim University at Yangyang. He claimed the land donors were deprived of compensations and rehabilitation and the varsity campus still lies in shambles. Golay further challenged the CM for a public debate on democracy in Sikkim. “The SDF just made promises in the past 20 years. They did not work on their promises. We will exceed our words with deeds,” he said.
“Chamiling divided our society on grounds of casteism to accumulate power but the time to unite against the wrong has come,” added Golay.
