RAIGANJ, April 8: An eco-park at Manipara, near Kulick Bird Sanctuary has not been opened to the public even after three years since the North Dinajpur district administration constructed it for Rs 1 crore.
Reportedly, the park could not be opened to the public all this while as the district administration failed to sort out a tussle between the North Dinajpur zillaprishad and Raiganj panchyat samity over a demand to be the revenue authority of the park. On the other hand the park is losing its beauty and is turning into a haven for anti-socials in absence of proper maintanance.
The park was constructed with funds from Border Area Development Project,NREGS, MP Lad, 10th Finance, Uttar Banga Unnayan Parshad, Rastriya Samavikash Yojona, MLA Lad and funds from North Dinajpur zillaparishad at Manipara of Bahin grampanchayat under Raiganj panchayat samity. A canal was also dug up to offer boating facilities to the visitors.
The problem started when the Raiganj panchayat samity demanded to be the revenue authority of the park as it came under their jurisdiction and North Dinajpur zillaparishad authorities denied to hand over its charge to Raiganj panchayat samity as a bulk amount was spent from the North Dinajpur zillaparisahd funds to construct this park. The inauguration has been held up for the last three years as the district administration has failed to resolve the matter.
The sabhapati of Raiganj Panchayat samity Mr Baren Roy said: “This park was constructed on 12 acre land. A huge amount of Swarna Jayanti Rojgar Yojona was spent for its construction and according to the government guidelines the panchayat samities have much right over this fund. Apart from this, the park was constructed under our jurisdiction. So we demanded to be the revenue authority of the park.”
On the other hand the sabhadhipati of North Dianjpur zillaparishad Mrs Jyotsnarani Singh said: “A bulk amount from the zillaparishad was spent to construct this park.”
The district magistrate of North Dinajpur Mr Sukumar Bhattacharjee said: “At present there is no tussle between the zillaprishad and panchayat samity over the right of the park. However, an attempt has been initiated to open it for the visitors very soon.”
Archive for April, 2008
Park inauguration held up over dispute – The Statesman
Thursday, April 17th, 2008Priya questions law & order situation in state prior to polls – The Statesman
Thursday, April 17th, 2008RAIGANJ,April 11: The Union I & B minister Mr Priya Ranjan Das Munshi today questioned the condition of law and order in the state prior to the panchayat polls. Mr Das Munshi at his residence in Kaliyaganj of North Dinajpur district today said that free and fair polls were not possible under the present law and order situation in the state perpetuated by the CPI-M.
Mr Dasmunshi said: “With an aim to recapture power at the panchyat level the CPI-M along with police has started attacking the Congress workers in the state on the lines of the Nandigram carnage. In the last two days they have killed three Congress activists who were identified as Abdul Rahim (25) and Jalan Seikh of Purushattampur in Murshidabad and Bandhu Mistri (57) of Muralpur in Birbhum. CPI-M leaders are using police force to achieve their goals.
“Under these circumstances fair poll in the state is impossible. The activities of police have compelled us to say that police should put on a red uniform instead of khaki in the state. If the chief minister of the state Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee remains tight-lipped regarding the crisis he will have to face public agitation before the panchyat polls. The CPI-M led government is using the police force to threaten their opponents in the state. Is this a proper situation to conduct peaceful polls?
“The role of Congress activists under the present conditions prior to the poll will be decided at our PCC meeting to be held on 13 April.”
Reportedly, Mr Dasmunshi today visited Balurghat in South Dinajpur to unite the Congress leaders before panchayat polls and will hold meetings at several places in North dinajpur tomorrow.
Chamber of commerce wants power for industries – The Statesman
Wednesday, April 16th, 2008RAIGANJ, April. 16: Members of West Dinajpur Chamber of Commerce (WDCC), a trade body of both North and South Dinajpur districts recently sent a letter to the chief engineer of the WBSEDCL grievance cell, at Saltlake in Kolkata. They requested him to take measures so that power connection is provided to the industries in North Dinajpur district as early as possible.
Reportedly a section of entrepreneurs in North Dinajpur had set up industries more than six months ago with the help of a bank loan. But work at the units could has not yet begun owing to non-availability of electricity. The entrepreneurs are suffering huge loses without power supply to their units. The members of the WDCC requested the engineers of WBSEDCL, Raiganj division several times to take up the matter. But no action was taken. So they sought the intervention of the chief engineer of the WBSEDCL grievance cell.
The general secretary of WDCC Mr Jainarayan Somani said: “There are around 15 units in the district where machines have been installed around six months ago but production could not start due to the unavailability of power. When the entrepreneurs met the engineers of WBSEDCL, Raiganj they informed that power could not be provided due to lack of infrastructure. On the other hand the entrepreneurs are fast losing their interest in setting up production units in the district due to the dearth of facilities. The entrepreneurs have to move from pillar to post to collect mutation and conversion certificates from the authorities concerned.
“We also brought the matter to the notice of North Dinajpur district magistrate Mr Sukumar Bhattacharjee,” Mr Somani said. When asked the district magistrate Mr Sukumar Bhattacharjee said: in order to sort out the difficulties of the entrepreneurs the district level industry monitoring committee has stared to hold meetings with entrepreneurs once in a month. On the other hand the WBSEDCL officials of Raiganj division have been told to assist the entrepreneurs on behalf of the district administration .
60000 voters without photo I-cards – The Statesman
Wednesday, April 16th, 2008RAIGANJ,April. 16: North Dinajpur election department has failed to provide Epic to more than 60,000 voters who will cast votes in the upcoming panchayat elections. Under these circumstances a section of voters whose names were in electoral roles are concerned.
On the other hand a good number of Epic cards still need corrections. If the cards remain uncorrected the voters will face difficulties to cast their votes. One of the Additional District Magistrates of North Dinajpur district Mr Jaideb Saha who is looking after the election department of the district said: “We could not provide Epic cards to around five per cent of voters out of a total 12,09,952 whose names were in electoral roll in panchayat election . On the other hand some distributed Epic cards needed correction.”
Civic body chairman ousted in Islampur
Monday, April 7th, 2008RAIGANJ, April 7: The chairman of Islampur Municipality Mr Parimal Acharjee was ousted today from his post in a requisition meeting organised by some protesting councillors.
Eight councillors including one from the RSP had brought a no-confidence motion against the chairman on 10 March under the leadership of the former chairman and a Congress councillor Mr Kanaiyalal Agarwal. Eight out of municipality’s 14 councillors were present in today’s meeting.
The ousted chairman Mr Parimal Acharjee did not attend today’s meeting. He refrained from passing any comment either.
Hail affects sericulture in North Dinajpur – The Statesman
Thursday, April 3rd, 2008RAIGANJ, April 3: Sericulture in Hemtabad of North Dinajpur district was affected adversely after a large number of mulberry plants were destroyed by hail that continued here throughout Tuesday night.
A good number of silk worms have died due to lack of food. The sericulture authorities at Hemtabad fear series financial loss from the disaster.
It was learnt that the department was rearing around 1 lakh silkworms and it was in the first stage when the worms need a huge volume of feed. With the bushes lost to hail, the worms are pracrtically dying of hunger.
The in-charge of Hemtabad Sericulture Extension office Mr Sandip Barman said that the department had plans to shift the silk worms to a farm house at Soharoi in Raiganj. “The hail and the subsequent death of the worms have upset all our plans,” lamented the helpless official.
Bridge to benefit residents – The Statesman
Thursday, April 3rd, 2008RAIGANJ,April.3: Mr Nanigopal Roy CPI(M) MLA of Kaliyaganj today laid the stone foundation for the construction of a new bridge on Kulick river at Sherpur under Hemtabad police station of North Dinajpur district.Around 3.5 crore is to be spent for the construction of the bridge and around 50 thousand residents of the area will be benefitted.Reportedly demanding this bridge the residents here boycotted all Parliamentary ,Assembly and panchayat elections severel times.
Bridge to benefit residents
Raiganj residents face trouble in absence of revised phone directory –
Thursday, April 3rd, 2008RAIGANJ, April 2: Members of West Dinajpur Chamber of Commerce (WDCC), a trade body of both North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur districts have planned to organise a movement against the officials of Rai-ganj District Telecom with a demand for immediate publication of a telephone directory for the district.
It was learnt that Raiganj District Telecom department last published their dierctory around seven years ago. Numerous consumers changed in the meantime but a telephone directory with changed numbers was not published. The business communities of the district have been suffering a lot due to the problem.
The general secretary of WDCC Mr Jainarayan Somani said: “In last six years Raiganj District Telecom authorities have changed the numbers of a section of customers and people are facing a problem in absence of a revised directory.
“The business community met the officials concerned last year and demanded immediate publication of the telephone directory. They assured us to publish it by March 2007.
“No measures have yet been taken. Therefore we have decided to launch a movement against the telecom authorities in the district. The ways of movement will be chalked out in our next annual general meeting to be held on April 21.”
On the other hand Mr PK Ghosh, general Manager of Raiganj District Telecom said: “The directory will be soon published.”
Source: The Statesman
Bridge to benefit residents – The Statesman
Thursday, April 3rd, 2008Bridge to benefit residents
The Statesman, India –
RAIGANJ,April.3: Mr Nanigopal Roy CPI(M) MLA of Kaliyaganj today laid the stone foundation for the construction of a new bridge on Kulick river at Sherpur …
Bridge to benefit residents
Thursday, April 3rd, 2008The Statesman – Kolkata,India
RAIGANJ,April.3: Mr Nanigopal Roy CPI(M) MLA of Kaliyaganj today
laid the stone foundation for the construction of a new bridge on Kulick river at Sherpur …