No move to save Mayachar from Rupnarayan

3 February 2012

biswabrata goswami
TAMLUK, 3 FEB: Mayachar, one of the most erosion-prone islands in the district, is on the brink of destruction as the mighty Rupnarayan continues to wash away its banks.
For the past two decades, both the Left Front government and the present Trinamul Congress-led government have promised to devise sustainable ways to check river bank erosion, but thousands of islanders are still spending sleepless nights as the mighty Rupnarayan continues to gobble up homes. They can do nothing, but wait for doomsday.
The village, spread over 2 sq km, is on the district's border with Howrah. The river is wild here. Both banks are bereft of houses and have a thick screen of trees. Only the chimneys of brick kilns indicate the presence of human beings.
During the first part of the twentieth century, a large portion of Mayachar was under the Rupnarayan. The river gradually shifted to the northwest, though, and large tracts emerged from under water. Villagers still talk about a flood half a century ago that put the entire area under water.
Maybe that's why the people of Mayachar, which is in Amritberia gram panchayat in Mahisadal, want to forget that it is among the most threatened inhabited islands in the district. Maybe that's why erosion was not a poll issue on this island at least in the last Assembly election. The people of Mayachar would rather debate issues like land acquisition and industrialisation. Just before the last panchayat election, about 2,000 voters here were all supporters of the CPI-M. They later switched to the Trinamul Congress, though, hoping that if it came to power, their problems would at least be noticed.
Mr Mamud Hossain, saha-sabhadhipati of the zilla parishad, said: “We submitted a project proposal worth Rs 1.5 crore for protection of the Rupnarayan bank at Mayachar a few months ago, but the district administration has delayed sanctioning the project ... The zilla parishad has limited funds for carrying out such development work, but in this situation, we have already spent Rs 12 lakh for this purpose."
The problem went from bad to worse in the past few months: 100 buildings, including a primary school, have already been washed away due to erosion.
Mr Madan Guchait, headmaster of the Mayachar high school, said: “A 90-foot stretch of land at Palpara and a 10-foot stretch near the Kheya ghat have been eroded by the river. About a 1.5-kilometre stretch along the Mayachar land is also under a threat of severe erosion and this land will be submerged in this monsoon if protection work is not taken up immediately."

Surjya rival re-elected dist secy

1 February 2012

biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 1 FEB: CPI-M strongman of West Midnapore Dipak Sarkar will continue his dominance in the district despite the fact that the party had to pay a huge price for his strategy to set up harmad camps in Junglemahal to counter Maoists offensive.
Mr Sarkar, who is also a CPI-M state secretariat member, was re-elected as the party's West Midnapore district secretary for the seventh term yesterday with a majority of the delegates rallying behind him. A CPI-M insider said though Mr Sarkar was going low in the past few months, he successfully took on his arch rival within the party, Dr Surjya Kanta Mishra, the Opposition leader in the Assembly and a party state secretariat member.
Dr Mishra was able to pick leaders for the posts of local and zonal committees secretaries during the recent conferences. Several leaders, who belong to Mr Sarkar's lobby, were also removed from party posts.
Mr Sarkar's plan to set up harmad camps initially gained wide acceptance within the party. But, subsequently it drew criticism from a section of party leaders as they thought it not only put the party in trouble, but also helped create a wrong notion among the people. The killing of nine villagers at Netai in Lalgarh had added to the party's problem ahead of the last Assembly poll.
Former state minister Susanta Ghosh, who is now in jail in connection with the Benachapra skeleton recovery case, and Mr Sarkar were at the helm of the party in West Midnapore for over 20 years. The district leadership also mounted pressure on the government for help to combat the Maoists. Before the Netai killings, Mr Ghosh had repeatedly claimed in public rallies how his cadres had driven Maoist out of Lalgarh. 
“All these have later gone against Mr Sarkar and Mr Ghosh soon after the Trinamul Congress came to power. Dr Mishra, who once criticised the district leaders, became the Opposition leader in the Assembly and started dominating the committees which were controlled by Mr Sarkar,” a party insider said.
The district committee has been downsized to 70 from 81. Eight new faces have been inducted in the committee. Mr Ghosh has been retained in the new committee. Mr Tarun Roy, who is absconding in the same case, too found a place in the committee. CPI-M leaders like Ahmed Ali, Manik Sengupta, Shyam Pandey and Meghnad Bhunia. Fullora Mondal and Anuj Pandey, who are absconding for their alleged involvement in the Netai case, were also retained along with Sukur Ali and Tapan Ghosh who had been chargesheeted in the Nandigram case.

Buddha hits out at Mamata govt

1 February 2012

‘State has no policy for industry, agriculture’

biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 1 FEB: Former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today came down heavily on the Mamata Banerjee-government accusing it of moving without any direction and failing to add even a single new industrial venture to what his government had done.
Addressing a party rally in connection with the CPI-M district conference, Mr Bhattacharjee said: “The credit for investment in the IT sector by Wipro and Infosys and in the steel sector by Jindal Steel for its Salboni plant goes to our government and the present government had no role in it. It was because of the Trinamul Congress that the Singur land has been deprived of industry or agriculture.”
The former chief minister said the new government had no targets nor priorities “which was a pity”. He charged the new government acting in a vindictive manner to settle political scores with CPI-M leaders and activists implicating them in false cases. “During the Keshpur violence in 2000, Trinamul Congress had committed crimes. But, I never got any of their leaders and activists arrested. I dealt with the offence politically. The new government is arresting our leaders and supporters in various false cases. But, they will not be able to finish the CPI-M,” Mr Bhattacarjee said.
The new government, he complained, lacked a clear policy and strategy for industry or agriculture and was thoroughly undemocratic in nature. “Farmers have been committing suicide, colleges are rocked by disturbances, changes brought in laws governing universities and attacks are being made against Opposition activists,” he alleged.
He expressed concern at farmers choosing the path of suicide after failing to sell their crop at the right prices and demanded to know why the government had no procurement policy which could have improved the public distribution system.
“This reflects not only in the Central policies which have resulted in the agrarian crisis, but also a gross failure of the state government to put in place a procurement machinery to purchase crops from farmers,” said Mr Bhattacharjee. He also alleged that the Trinamul-led government was making frivolous expenditure while failing to pay salaries of employees citing lack of funds. “The government is giving grants to clubs, but is not paying salaries to the transport department and other employees. The government is claiming lack of funds, but it is making frivolous expenditure,” Mr Bhattacharjee said.
Alleging that the present dispensation stopped government dole of Rs 1,500 to workers in closed tea gardens leading to starvation deaths, Mr Bhattacharjee said: “The government is claiming it has no money as we made the state bankrupt. But we had not stopped doles and subsidies.” Leader of Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra claimed that 31 farmers committed suicide because of poverty. The CPI-M state secretary and Left Front chairman, Mr Biman Bose, accused the Trinamul Congress of having hobnobbed with Maoists in Junglemahal.
Reaction to the charges, state urban development minister Firhad Hakim said Mr Bose and Mr Bhattacharya were trying to create tension in Junglemahal to hamper the development work initiated by the chief minister.
“Mr Bose said that law and order in the state has deteriorated, but during the Left Front rule Anita Dewan was raped and murdered, scores of dacoity and murders took place,” he said.

Allies on a warpath in Kharagpur civic body

31 January 2012

biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 31 JAN: At a time when relations between the Trinamul Congress and the Congress are going through rough weather over various issues, the strained ties between the two allies have come to the fore in the Kharagpur civic body in West Midnapore district.
The Congress has threatened to withdraw support from the Trinamul Congress-led municipal board over favouritism to some contractors. The Mamata Banerjee-led party, however, refused to budge. District Trinamul Congress leaders said if the Congress withdraws its support in Kharagpur, they will follow suit in the 18 municipalities where the Congress is in power with Trinamul support.
The Trinamul Congress chairman of Kharagpur civic body, Jawahar Paul, has refused to step down from his post saying "he is ready to face a no-confidence motion". "The Congress councillors have reached an understanding with the CPI-M. They are conspiring to dislodge the board for sometime now. They have brought corruption charges against us," said Mr Paul.
He, however, said the 19-month-old board has been working in a transparent manner. "As Miss Mamata Banerjee has nominated me, I will not quit until she asks me to do so," said Mr Paul. The problem started a few months ago, when a few Congress councillors raised fingers at the chairman for favouring some contractors who belong to the Trinamul Congress.
Mr Rabi Sankar Pandey, a Congress councillor and former chairman of the Kharagpur civic body, said: “We have not yet taken a final call on the no-confidence motion. The local party unit has decided so. Now we are waiting for the final decision from the Pradesh Congress committee."
Mr Pandey said: “The Trinamul-led board is involved in corrupt practices while purchasing essential equipment. Tractors are being purchased with sanction, electrical equipment are being bought for more than their printed price and Rs 14 lakh is being spent on a boundary wall around a vacant field.”
The Congress members alleged corruption by the board as the reason behind the withdrawal of support. Two CPI-M councillors ~ Venkat Ramnath (ward no. 13) and B Murli Rao (ward no. 15) ~ and Independent councillor Satya Deo Sharma (ward no 19), have defected from their parties and joined the Congress. “Out of 35 seats, Congress bagged 12, while Trinamul had 14 seats. After the defections, the Congress' tally reached 15 which is on a par with the Trinamul’s strength of 14 councillors, along with an Independent.
As the CPI-M still has one councillor, CPI three and the BJP one, there is a clear absence of majority which has pushed the Congress to rethink its decision," said a municipality official.

National motto missing from national emblem

25 January 2012

biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 25 JAN: The national motto of India ~ “Satyameva Jayate” (Truth Alone Triumphs) ~ was found missing from the National Emblem in official signboards and communiqués of several state government offices, including the office of the West Midnapore district magistrate.
The use of the incomplete version of the National Emblem is in violation of the State Emblem of India rules and is punishable under the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005, and the State Emblem of India (Regulation of Use) Rules, 2007. The emblem forms a part of the official letterhead of the Government of India, and appears on all Indian currency as well. It also appears prominently on the diplomatic and national Passport of the Republic of India.
“Unfortunately few departments of the state government offices have been using the emblem without the motto for official purposes. So, it’s objectionable and the National Emblem of India is not completely adopted, which is the violation of the legislations. The concerned department should correct the mistake,” said a senior police officer. It was found that the National Emblem is being used sans the motto on the signboards of several state government offices, including the census department and consumer services department in the district collectorate and district horticulture and fisheries department. The additional district magistrate (general), Subharanjan Das, remained tight-lipped.
Mr Subir Giri, an octogenarian who lives in Midnapore town, said: “The governments ~ both  the Central and state ~ is lacking initiative to prosecute people responsible for dishonouring the National Emblem.”

30 months on, no clue about missing cops

24 January 2012

biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 24 JAN: It has been nearly 30 months since two police constables posted in Junglemahal for anti-Maoist operation went missing. They are still missing and the state police has no clue whether they are dead or alive.
Kanchan Garai and Sabbir Mollah went missing on 30 July near Dharampur in the Lalgarh area while they were out patrolling. Though Maoists never directly claimed to have abducted the duo, the police are certain they were behind it. Families of two constables of the State’s Armed Police from Bankura and Burdwan districts are spending sleepless nights awaiting their return and they often communicate with the district police officials regarding this.
“Though, we are clueless about their whereabouts, we have settled arrangements by which families of the two constables are getting salaries every month,” said a senior police officer. Mr Bijitaswa Raut, secretary of the West Bengal Police Association, however, said: “More seriousness is required among the police to find out the constables who went missing from Brindabanpur on their way to Lalgarh on 30 July 2009”.
A day after the missing of the two constables, security forces had carried out search operation at Jhitka forest and were involved in a gun-battle with the rebels throughout the day. One person was arrested while the whereabouts of the two constables remained unknown. On the same day, security forces had also launched an operation following a tip-off that the constables could be somewhere in the forest near Bhulagera, a village about 10 km south of Bhimpur. But, they could not trace them there.
In January 2010, two bodies were recovered from Thangbahara in Lalgarh, but after carrying out DNA test from the blood samples of the family members of the two constables, it was established that the recovered bodies were not of the missing constables. Kanchan’s father Basudev and mother Minati and Sabbir’s brother Samad Mollah had given blood for DNA tests.
According to police, security forces had launched an operation in Lalgarh on 18 June 2009 and the two constables went missing on 30 July. A CPI-M leader Banamali Mahato had left the party out of fear of Maoist attack on him and fled from his house at Bamal in Lalgarh. Police had recovered a motorbike from near his house during a raid and the two constables were asked to bring the motorbike to the Lalgarh police station. On their way to Lalgarh, they went missing from Brindabanpur near Dharampur.
“We have interrogated every person arrested from various areas on different occasions for a clue about the sudden disappearance of the two constables. But, we have received no proper information,” said a senior police officer.

Maoists planned major strike for Thursday

21 January 2012

biswabrata goswami

JHARGRAM, 21 JAN: Jhargram police today said they had foiled a Maoist plan to carry out a major terror strike at a police outpost near Kalaikunda Air Force Station in West Midnapore.
The attack, they said, had been planned for Republic Day. They found out about the plans when they found a large cache of documents and maps during a raid in Akhrasole Forest in Jhargram, said Mr Praveen Kumar Tripathi, superintendent of police. The documents also revealed plans for a second explosion on National Highway-6.
The documents were detailed. The Maoists had conducted a survey of the site, gathered information about the cops posted at the outpost and drawn maps marked with possible exit routes.
They had studied the average daily recess that the policemen took, in order to work out when best to strike. They had also taken note of the amount of arms and ammunition stored at the police outpost.
And they had finalised which squad members would carry out the attack. According to the documents, the squad members were from Jharkhand, Chattishgarh and Purulia in West Bengal. A senior police officer said, “After the setback of senior Maoist leader Kishenji's killing in an encounter with the security forces in West Midnapore on 24 November, Maoist leaders are now trying to relaunch their movement with renewed vigour as a part of their regrouping process in Junglemahal."
The timing of the planned attack was probably aimed at getting maximum publicity, he said. A group of Maoist leaders held a meeting in the Laboni Forest in Belpahari in West Midnapore recently. According to sources close to the group, Maoist central committee leader Prasanta Bose, alias Kishanda, newly appointed leader for West Bengal Sabyasachi Panda,  state secretary for Odisha Ashim Mondol alias Akash, and Madan Mahato were all present. "In a bid to win back the faith of the villagers, the top Maoist leaders decided to launch a movement against the delayed procurement of paddy by the state government and the low minimum support price of paddy fixed by the Centre. sns