1. sports
2. trekking

www.facebook.com/himalayan.mirror
♦
A C C U R A T E
B A L A N C E D
♦
C R E D I B L E
VOL 9 No 38 RNI No: SIKENG/2006/18384
NEWS BRIEFS
3.5 Kg Gold
Seized: One
Arrested
The Directorate of
Revenue Intelligence
(DRI), Siliguri here on
Thursday morning
seized gold worth about
Rs 1 crore and arrested
one person.
The 3.5 kg gold brought
via Bangladesh was
supposed to be
smuggled to Kolkata.
Acting on a tip off, the
DRI officials today
morning intercepted a
man moving suspiciously on Sevok Road. He
was carrying a
bag.Twenty one pieces
of gold bars all of 24
carats were recovered
from him. On interrogation, he revealed that the
gold was smuggled to
India via Indo-Bangladesh border at Hili in
South Dinajpur
district.Today he was
waiting for someone to
deliver the stuff.
Ratan Banik, additional
standing counsel of the
Government of India
said, “Biplab Kundu has
confessed that the gold
was smuggled from Hili
border and its destination was Kolkata.”
ITI student commit
suicide
Anirban Sarkar (22) a
resident of Naihati in
North 24 Parganas
district and a student of
ITI Siliguri committed
suicide inside the hostel
bathroom on Wednesday night. The first year
electrical student was
depressed and wanted
to return home. On
October 13, Anirban
returned to Siliguri with
his father who left for
home the next day. On
October 14, he again
told his family that he
wanted to go home as
he was not feeling good.
On Wednesday, his
father Debasis Sarkar
again left for Siliguri to
meet Anirban and spoke
with him even after
boarding the train. This
morning his friends
found him hanging
inside the hostel
bathroom.
Body found
A body of an unidentified boy was today
found floating on
Phulbari Canal in
Leusipkari area. Few
locals informed the area
police, who retrieved the
body. Police sources
said the body must be a
few days old as it was
badly decomposed and
they had a difficult time
retrieving it. The police
suspect it to be a suicide
case but have initiated a
further probe. The body
has been sent to Siliguri
Medical College and
Hospital for post
mortem. (HS)
Drug arrest
Rangpo police today
arrested two people with
large amount of contraband substances in the
border check post. The
police have identified
the two arrested as
Daniel Sunar Sony, (24)
and Prabhat Rasaily (28)
of Bardang, Singtam.
Police sources said the
duo were traveling from
Siliguri to Singtam. A
total of 528 bottles of
cough syrup and huge
amount of contraband
substance ere seized
from the two accused.
Both have been booked
under section 7(A) (B)/
9(D)/14 of Sikkim Anti
Drugs Act (SADA), 2006.
GANGTOK, FRIDAY 17 OCTOBER 2014
‘Yes Urea, DAP’ at Chardham
in ‘Organic Sikkim’
HM Correspondent
Namchi, Oct 16: When using chemical fertilizer is a totally ‘no-no’ in ‘Organic Sikkim,’ the state’s premier tourism cum pilgrimage centre at
Solophok, Namchi can’t do
without it. Amid the ruling
and opposition parties trading charge on great ‘Organic
Mission or farce’ argument,
use of chemical fertilizers in
Siddheswar Dham, aka Char
Dham here has come to the
fore. Over a decade after they
were banned, use of chemicals like Urea and DAP is not
only rampant but customary
in the pilgrimage centre hosting 4 Dhams and 12 Jyotirlingas revered by the Hindus.
Being a recently built facility, the premise has installed a chemical based sewage putrefying system instead of organic standard
cesspool (septic) tank based
system. Four years after its
inauguration, the management has now realized that
banned fertilizers like DAP
(Di-Ammonium Phosphate)
and Urea being used to manage waste produced in the
premise which goes against
organic mission. Moreover,
the system installed for sewerage at Chardham is also
generating many other problems at adjoining villages.
A local resident, Tempa
Lepcha told that spill over
from the chemical based facility which has not only
spread filthy odor but has
dried several trees. Lepcha
claimed that many trees in
his land have dried up and
saplings dead due to the
contaminated water. Like
him, many villagers in the
Solophok locality complained that their crop yield
has drastically gone due
ever since the sewerage
unit began its operation.
Adding to their woes is the
smell of the spillover endangering the health of residents in the area. All complaints on the matter to the
Chardham as well as the
South district administration have fallen on deaf
ears, they lamented. On
ground, it was found that
many trees in the forest adjoining the Chardham complex have dried up due to
water seepage from the
sewage pit. Several fresh
water sources in the area
have also been exposed to
the toxic chemical waste
contaminating the whole
water supply in the area.
Prabhakar Verma, the
South District Collector
who is also the Chairman of
Chardham Trust said his office has received complaints
regarding the matter and
that he has called a meeting with the Chardham Administration to take up the
issue seriously. He however said that the chemicalbased system is already in
place and moreover the
state has banned use of
chemical fertilizers for agricultural purpose only.
Sagar Rai, the ADM of
Chardham Administrative
Committee claimed of having
appraised the higher authorities regarding the issue. “We
had sent proposals for a septic tank to discontinue using
chemical based waste management by this year’s end,” he
said adding that the management was also against using
chemical but is helpless at the
moment. An engineer who has
been asked to find a solution
to the problem had recently
visited the site.
‘Siddeshwar Dham’ also
known as Chardham project in
Namchi was started on 13 February 2005 with the cost of the
project at Rs. 98 crores and
consecrated on 8 November
2011.
Deb threat
ens agit
ation CS oversees Mansarovar
threatens
agitation
against centre
Yatra route amenities
Jalpaiguri, Oct 16: NBDD
minister Gautam Deb, tuning
his attack on central government said that his party will
hit the road if the centre fails
to develop the infrastructure
of North Bengal Flood Control Centre. Deb, accompanied by Food Minister Jyotipriya Mullick today said
this while attending a government programme commemorating the “World Food
Day” at Totopara. Deb, coming down heavily over the
Central government demanded that the centre allocate funds from the Brahmaputra Board for infrastructural development of North
Bengal and threatened to initiate a Delhi centric movement pursuing the matter after Kalipuja and Diwali. “WE
will be forming a team comprising of representatives
from all political parties from
North Bengal for the agitation,” he said. Both the ministers also distributed 5 kg
rice each to 350 Toto families during the programme.
Food Minister Mullick informed that ration shops
will be opened shortly in the
6 abandoned and closed tea
gardens and also announced distribution of
rice round the year to the
Lodha and Sabhar Toto
communities of North Bengal. One Bakul Toto, said
“the government has
helped my community a lot
by distributing free rice and
our appeal remains to the
government to extend other helps to solve our problems”. Later the ministers
visited the closed Red Bank
tea garden where a ration
shop was inaugurated by
the food minister. A new
branch office of the food
department was also inaugurated at Nagrakata.(HS)
Gangtok, Oct 16: Buoyed by
the announcement of alternate route for Mansarovar
Yatra through Nathula border
in the state, the Sikkim government is all set to put its best
foot forward to set infrastructures in place for the pilgrimage. Chief Secretary R. Ognmu who has been assessing
preparedness for the Yatra led
a high level joint inspection
team to Nathula pass regarding the route today. The visit
was to understand how existing and upcoming infrastructures along the JN Road upto
Nathula border could be best
used to suit the requirements
of the Mansarovar Yatra. She
took a detailed stock of the
status of work at key points
along the highway leading up
to the Nathula border and gave
HM Correspondent
burning issue since a long
time with governments not
being able to come out with
effective solutions so far.
“Made in heaven is the
book which deals with
problems and plights faced
by North-eastern people in
bigger cities,” said Thapa
after the Launch. “I am
expecting similar response
to my first book ‘They get
what they want’,” he added.
HM Correspondent
Darjeeling, Oct 16: Allegations have been leveled against
the Tamang Development and Cultural Board (TDCB.)
Sanjyog Tamang, a General Body member of the Board,
talking to media persons in Darjeeling has alleged that Sanjoy Moktan, the Chairperson of the Board has not called a
single General body meeting till date. “There is no transparency in the functioning of the Board. The Rs. 5 Crore
that the Government has handed over to the Board for
building houses for women in the Below Poverty Line (BPL)
category is laying in a bank as a fixed deposit. When there
has been no meeting conducted then how could the money be deposited as a fixed deposit ” questioned Tamang.
He however did not reveal the details of the bank or in
whose name fixed deposit account holder. Tamang further
alleged that amount for building the free houses were being distributed to beneficiaries. “Who has selected the beneficiaries?” questioned Tamang.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during her visit to Kalimpong on September 3 had handed over a cheque of Rs. 5
Crore to the TDCB to fund free houses for Tamang women
who are from the BPL category. Tamang alleged that 10
persons have been recruited to work in the TDCB office.
“Where is the office? We do not know the address of the
office yet.” The General Body member stated that a membership form is being circulated by a group in places like
Sonada in the Darjeeling sub division.
“A group is illegally collecting Rs. 200 each from individuals dubbing it as membership fees. They have already
collected Rs. 10 lakhs. We (general body members) are in
the process of deciding whether we should impeach the
Chairperson or ask him to maintain transparency” added
Tamang. Sanjoy Moktan, Chairperson of the Board has
waved off the allegations as “baseless.” “All these are
baseless allegations. If he has the proof let him complain
against me to the Chief Minister. However he has to prove
the allegations. We held a Executive body meeting in September and with as it will take time to identify true beneficiaries, with the approval of the Executive body approval
we have deposited the amount in a Savings account”
claimed Moktan.
Incidentally the TDCB has a 17 member General Body
and a 10 member Executive Body. “We do not have an
office yet and I operate from the Tamang Youth Association office in Kalimpong. People come to meet me there”
stated Moktan. He stated that on October 22, a General
Body meeting will be called.
“We have not handed over any money to beneficiaries
for the free housing scheme. We are in the process of identifying beneficiaries. However there is a similar project which
is under the Tamang Youth Congress and has nothing to
do with the TDCB” claimed Moktan.
India, China begin talks
on border mechanism
Prana
k with ‘Made in hea
Pranayy Thapa bac
back
heavven’
on NE students’ plight
Kalimpong, Oct 16: Northeastern students in high
class cities in India are
facing a harrowing time as
instances of these students
being hackled are regularly
hitting headlines of
national newspapers
posing a threat to them of
their real existence.
A book titled ‘Made in
Heaven’ penned by a
Sikkim born author Pranay
Thapa was launched here
today which exactly
highlights the plights,
problems and prospects
faced by these students in
bigger cities. Students from
North-east moves to these
bigger cities to either
pursue higher education or
seeking jobs.
Instances of northeastern students being
hackled, thrashed or even
murdered has become a
Tamang
board chief in
fund misuse
charge
Thapa’s first book as a
writer had got overwhelming responses in places like
Bangalore, Tamil Nadu and
capital of Nepal, Katmandu.
Thapa said since he is
associated with Kalimpong
since his Montessori days
he decided to launch the
book here today. Thapa
though is also a professional footballer and plays
for the Students Union
Football Club in Bangalore
and that is why his first
piece had revolved much
around the game with
Brazilian soccer hero
Neymar as the main
character.
Bipin Thapa, another
footballer from Kolkata
launched the book for the
writer. The Book is also
expected to launch the book
in Sikkim on November 1.
clear cut directions to the concerned departments for
speedy action. Thursday’s
visit was the first by the state
government officials after India and China signed a joint
agreement to open an alternate
route from India to Mansarovar
through the India-China border
at Nathula in East Sikkim.
At Nathula, the CS inspected the consolidated centre for
Immigration and Customs and
directed and discussed possibility of constructing parking facilities at the adjacent
area. The team then carried out
a recce of stretches of land
under Forest Department for
the development of an acclimatization centre for pilgrims
and tourists.
At Sherathang trade mart,
she issued directions to ensure
that all infrastructures should
contribute towards the upcoming pilgrimage route. The
team stopped at various key
points along the highway and
discussed in detail ways to
augment resources like forest,
lakes, soil and other natural
resources of the State and deliberated on how these could
be used effectively in the overall development of the region,
especially keeping in mind the
Mansarovar Yatra. She also
directed the Forest Department, PHE Department and
Science & Technology Department to carry out a detailed
study of the possibility to augment the level and purity of
water at Changu Lake and
Tamzay Lake, and also ways
and means to tap these resources to address water scarcity in the State.
New Delhi, Oct 16: India and
China on Thursday began
their talks on border mechanism here during which last
month's standoff in Ladakh
was discussed as also the efforts to prevent such incidents from recurring in future.
The two-day talks, held
under the framework of
Working Mechanism for
Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border
Affairs (WMCC), are being
held to discuss various issues pertaining to the maintenance of peace and tranquility in the border areas,
according to Indian officials.
They further said the meeting was mandated to discuss
ways to prevent incidents
like last month's standoff between the armies of India
and China. Today's meeting,
the first interaction between
the two sides after the new
government in India took office, comes a day after China
sharply reacted to India's
plans to construct a road
network along the McMahon line in Arunachal
Pradesh.
Chinese government also
expressed hope that India
will not take any action which
may complicate the situation
before a final settlement is
reached to end the boundary dispute and is expected
to convey the same to the
Indian side during the talks.
On India's part, the Chinese incursion which lasted
over three weeks last month
in Demchok and Chumar remains a high priority concern. The Chinese incursion
had overshadowed the talks
between Chinese President
Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi last
month when latter raised "serious concerns" over the repeated incidents along the
border and sought an early
settlement of the boundary
question.
Established in 2012, the
Mechanism has played a
major role in addressing the
issues arising of aggressive
patrolling by both sides of
the disputed border including last year's standoff at
Depsang Valley. Meanwhile,
officials in Beijing said the
meeting will focus on a number of issues of mutual interests concerning the boundary patrolling and management.
The Mechanism is cochaired by the Joint Secretary (in-charge of China division) in the External Affairs
Ministry and his Chinese
counterpart.
CMYK
CMYK
www.himalayanmirror.net
2.00