काटियो भोटर लिस्टबाट विमल गुरुङ रोशन गिरीको नाउँ

7:02 AM

•

vote

कालेबुङ 28 जुन।

गोजमुमो संस्थापक अध्यक्ष विमल गुरुङको नाउँ भोटर लिस्टबाट हटाइएको छ। गुरुङसँगै भुमिगत बनेका रोशन गिरीको नाउँ पनि भोटर लिस्टबाट हटाइएको छ। उक्त समाचार चर्चित बङ्गाली दैनिक समाचार पत्रिकाले प्रकाशित गरेको छ। बारम्बार नोटिस दिँदा पनि चुनाव कार्यालयमा उपस्थित नभएको आरोपमा भुमिगत मोर्चा नेता विमल गुरुङको नाउँ मतदाता सूचिबाट हटाइएको हो। बुधबार दार्जीलिङ चुनाव कार्यालयबाट यसको जानकारी गराइएको समाचार पत्रमा उल्लेख गरिएको छ।

दार्जीलिङ जिल्ला मतदाता कार्यालयका अधिकारीले दिएको जानकारी अनुसार विमल गुरुङ उनकी पत्नी आशा गुरुङसँगै उनीहरूका छोरा अनि छोरीको पनि मतदाता सूचिबाट नाउँ हटाइएको छ। दार्जीलिङ जिल्ला चुनाव कार्यालयका एक जना अधिकारीले बताए अनुसार मतदाता सोची संशोधन, संयोजनको समय बारम्बार नोटिस दिँदा पनि उपस्थित नहुनेहरूको नाउँ हटाइएको हो। उनीहरूको नाउँ मतदाता सूचीबाट हटाउन अघि घरमा गएर भित्तामा नोटिस पनि टाँसिएको चुनाव कार्यालयले दाबी गरेको समाचार पत्रमा लेखिएको छ।

स्मरण रहोस, बितेको वर्ष 2017 मा छुट्टै राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्ड आन्दोलन चर्केपछि विमल गुरुङ भुमिगत बनेका छन्। आन्दोलनकै समय दिल्ली प्रस्थान भएका रोशन गिरी पनि त्यसै समयदेखि भुमिगत अवस्थामा रहेका छन् भने गुरुङकी पत्नी आशा गुरुङ पनि आन्दोलनकै समयदेखि भुमिगत रहेकी छन्। उनीहरूको नाउँ भोटर लिस्टबाट हटाउनका निम्ति यसभन्दा अघि नै दार्जीलिङ जिल्लाको चुनाव कार्यालयबाट एउटा नोस्टिस जारी गरिएको थियो भने

भुमिगत बनेका गोजमुमो नेता विमल गुरुङ अनि रोशन गिरीको नाउँ भोटर लिस्टबाट हटाइएको छ। यसभन्दा अघि उनीहरूको नाउँ काट्नका निम्ति दार्जीलिङ जिल्ला चुनाव कार्यालयले एउटा नोटिस जारी गरेको थियो भने यसपल्ट दुवै नेताको नाउँ भोटर लिस्टबाट हटाइएको छ।

READ MORE

रोहिंग्याहरूलाई ढुक्कै छ, तर गोर्खाको चिनारी अझै संकटमा।

5:10 PM

•

Roshan Giri

विश्वकै बृहतम गनतान्त्रिक देशमा यो के भैरहेछ? एकातिर राष्ट्र स्तरको साहित्यिक कार्यक्रम, राष्ट्रिय अकादमी कवि सम्मेलन विच भारतिय साहित्यका चिरपरिचित साहित्यकारहरूलाई समेत विदेशीको सम्बोधन गरिन्छ_ भने यता पहाडमा गोर्खा नेता बिमल गुरूङ र मोर्चाका शिर्ष नेताहरू लगायत GTA का पूर्व सभासद्, नगरपालीका पार्षद् समेतको नाम मतदाता शुचीबाट हटाइने फरमान जारी भएको छ। जब कि राज्यका मुख्य मन्त्री तथा तृनमुल नेत्री सुश्री ममता ब्यानर्जीले रोहिंग्या मुस्लिमहरूलाई बगांलमा आश्रय दिइने घोषना गरिसकेकी छिन भने दमदम नगरपालीकामा रोहिंग्याहरूको आधार कार्ड समेत बनिएको रिपोर्टमा उल्लेख छ। राष्ट्रकै गृह विभाग द्वारा रोहिंग्याहरू देशका लागी खतरा भनेर भनिएता पनी उनीहरूले बगांलमा आश्रय लिरहेका छन्।

तर के अचम्म पहाडमा GTA चुनाव जितेर यसका मुख्य कार्यपाल रहिसकेका बिमल गुरूङ लगायत सभासद अनी दुइ-दुइ पटक नगरपालिका चुनाव जितिसकेका नगर पार्षदको नाम मतदातन शुचीबाट हटाइने बगांल प्रसाषनको फरमान जारी भए पछी पहाड मा एउटा भयावह स्थिति देखा परेको छ।

भारतमा IPS र IAS लाई एउटा उच्च गरिमाको रूपमा सम्मान गरिन्छ तर उनीहरूनै राज्नैतिक प्रेरित भएर आँफ्नो कर्तब्य पथबाट हटेर कार्य गर्छन भने उनीहरूमाथी जन्ताको विश्वास हटेर जाने छ। साथै छोराछोरीलाई IAS र IPS बनाउछु भन्ने सपना पालेर बसेका आमाबाबुको सपना समेत गर्वमै तुहुने छ।

विश्वको बृहतम् गनतान्त्रिक देश भनिने यो देश भित्र त्यो कस्तो कानुन हो जो निर्वाचित सदस्यको समेत नाम मतदाता शुचीबाट हटाइन्छ?? बगांलमा गोर्खाहरूले चुनेका नेताहरू आज शुरक्षित छैनन् भने अब जन्ता कति शुरक्षित छन् त?? यो अन्दाज लाउने कुरो हो।

*के यो सहि भैरहेछ??
*के यसमा तपाँइको पनी सहमती छ?
*यदि छैन भने फेरी किन मौंनधारण गरेर बस्नुभएको छ?
*कतै बिमल पछी तपाँइ र मेरो पालो! त आउँदैन??

*सचेत नेताहरू बोल्नु पर्छ कि पर्दैन??
*शिक्षित जन्ताहरू बोल्नु पर्छ कि पर्दैन??
*जेम्मावार पत्रकारहरू बोल्नु पर्छ कि पर्दैन??
*साहित्यकारहरू बोल्नु पर्छ कि पर्दैन?

Prem Kumar Chettri

READ MORE

Lathi charge in Darjeeling on Statehood procession

4:27 PM

•

Roshan Giri

At around 10 am, a huge GJM procession chanting slogans against the state government and demanding separate Gorkhaland marched towards Chowkbazar area. The police chased lathi charged and dispersed the crowd.

Senior police officers like Jawed Shamim, Siddinath Gupta, who are members of the three-member committee set up by the government in Darjeeling, were seen with huge police contingents in various parts of the hill.

The GJM leadership has, however, accused the police of resorting to unprovoked lathi-charge on the GJM procession.

“The police resorted to unprovoked lathi charge on a peaceful rally. The more they use force against us, the more intense will be the struggle for a separate Gorkhaland state,” GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told PTI.

READ MORE

RTI on committee for tribal status to 11 Gorkha communities

9:29 AM

•

schedule tribe

RTI glare on tribal status committee

Writes Vivek Chhetri

Darjeeling, Sept. 11: The GNLF today presented an RTI reply which stated that a committee formed by the Centre to examine the demand of granting tribal status to 11 hill communities that was formed in April had not yet sat for a single meeting.

The RTI further states that Ashok Pai, who was to head the committee, formed by the ministry of tribal affairs, has been transferred to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.

The ministry of tribal affairs had on April 2 announced the formation of a committee headed by Pai, joint secretary in the tribal affairs department, to examine and recommend the granting of ST status to Bhujel, Gurung, Mangar, Newar, Jogi, Khas, Rai, Sunuwar, Thami, Yakka (Dewan) and Dhimal communities in "Sikkim and other Gorkha dominated states and areas".

The committee was to submit its report to the tribal affairs department within "three months".

The RTI reply to Neeraj Zimba Tamang, legal advisor to the GNLF, stated: "No meeting of the Pai committee has been held till now, since chairman, Shri Ashok Pai has been transferred to National Commission for Schedule Tribes. The Ministry is not aware of further developments in this regard."

The reply is dated August 29 and has been issued by Jossy Joseph, section officer and CPIO of ministry tribal affairs.

Zimba had on August 5 sought answers on the status of Pai Committee, the work it is currently doing, whether the panel had made any field investigations, visits, and whether the report has been submitted to tribal affairs department etc.

Copy of  RTI on Tribal status to 11 Gorkha Communities.

Copy of  RTI on Tribal status to 11 Gorkha Communities. II

The announcement of the formation of the panel just when the Bengal Assembly election was round the corner had come as a major boost for the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

When told about the RTI reply to GNLF, Morcha leader Binay Tamang, said over the phone from Delhi: "It is a fact that a committee has been formed. As far as we know, the committee is to get information from the principal secretaries of backward classes of various states and then sit for a meeting. Transfer of officials is an administrative matter, which the government has to look into. We are in Delhi and will find out the details."

Via Telegraph

READ MORE

Roshan Giri's Effigy burnt in Darjeeling

3:05 PM

•

Roshan Giri

DARJEELING 24 Aug 2016 More than 200 voluntary teachers of primary schools in the hills today burned the effigy of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Sabhasad Roshan Giri in Darjeeling town and submitted a mass resignation from the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, the party they were linked to.

Five hundred and nineteen teachers are presently serving voluntarily in 129 junior, high and higher secondary schools in the hills over the last 10-15 years. Now, these teachers, under the aegis of the Janmukti Insecure Secondary Teachers' Organisation (JISTO), want to be regularised. On July 8, the GJM disbanded the JISTO’s ‘movement committee’, a sub-unit that was spearheading the  regularisation demand after it went vocal about the party leadership’s inability to solve the issue.

The JISTO had issued an ultimatum to the GJM and the GTA to find a permanent solution failing which the unit had threatened to leave the party. “He (Giri) should quit as a Sabhasad on moral grounds, as he has failed to help us. Of what use is the GTA if it cannot even solve small issues like ours?” said Amit Gurung, spokesperson for the voluntary teachers.

Giri is the GTA Sabhasad in-charge of the education department and is also the GJM general secretary. A rally was organised by the voluntary teachers after which Giri’s effigy was burnt in Chowk Bazar  in protest.

The GJM general secretary though, was unfazed and said it was up to the voluntary teachers to do what they wanted. “If they (JISTO) want to burn my effigy, then who am I to stop them? If burning my effigy will fulfill them their demand, they are most welcome to do so,” retorted Giri when asked to comment.

On June 5, the GTA Sabhasad had met state education minister Partha Chatterjee in Kolkata and got an assurance that the process to regularise the voluntary teachers would be started as soon as the  state’s chief secretary gave direction to that effect. However, before that, on May 20, the joint secretary of the state school education department wrote to the home and hill affairs department saying  regularisation, absorption and appointment of voluntary teachers in the GTA could not be entertained until they secure their candidature through the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC). But the SSC  has remained non-functional since 2003 in the hills.

Meanwhile, seven members of the Gorkha Janmukti Vidhyatrhi Morcha (GJVM) started an indefinite relay hunger strike today in Darjeeling in support of the demand for a separate state. The youth front has said this is to send a message to the central government. “We have nothing to do with the state government as the matter of giving a separate state lies with the Centre. Modiji has already said that the dreams of the Gorkhas were his too. So we want the central government to fulfill our demand,” said Satyam Lama, the GJVM president.

(EOIC)

READ MORE

GNLF party allege GJM insincerity towards statehood demand, amidst GJM claim

10:30 PM

•

TMC

DARJEELING 4 Aug 2016 The Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) today rubbished recent claims made by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) party leaderships that the central government was keen to find a solution to the statehood demand.

On August 2, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri had issued a press statement after meeting union home minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi and placing a memorandum with the statehood and other demands. In his statement the GJM general secretary had said, “The union home minister has assured to hold a meeting after August 15 that will decide on the formation of a committee, to verify our demand for a separate state”.

The GNLF’s central committee legal advisor Neeraj Tamang Zimba, today furnished a RTI (right to information) reply from Ashutosh Jain, the CS-II and CPIO under the ministry of home affairs (SR section) to squash the GJM claim.

The GNLF legal advisor said that in his RTI that was filed on May 2, 2016, he had made four queries.

RTI by Neeraj Zimba Tamang on ‪‎Gorkhaland‬

Zimba said questions one and two referred to which political party from the Darjeeling was the first to raise the statehood demand and since then how many parties had raised the issue with the central government. While the third and fourth queries were on the views of the Union government in this regard and available certified copies of the circulars and the file notes in which the issue of a separate state of Gorkhaland was discussed in the last two years. “You will be surprised by the reply from the CPIO that was made on May 24, 2016. In his reply to my first two queries, Jain has said that the CPIO does not maintain such information. On the other hand for my third and fourth queries, the CPIO has said that the central government does not have any proposal under consideration regarding creation of the state of Gorkhaland,” the GNLF leader said.

The GNLF legal advisor alleged that GJM was only resorting to gimmicks vis-à-vis going to Delhi and meeting central leaders from the BJP including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on different pretexts over the years. “GJM leaders only go to Delhi to take pictures with BJP central leaders. Nothing more than that ever happens,” said Zimba.

The BJP too came under fire from the GNLF leader, who the latter alleged was betraying the Hills people with false promises and specifically highlighted saffron party’s word-play on its 2014 election manifesto.

In its manifesto, the BJP has said that it would “sympathetically examine and appropriately consider” the long pending demands of the Gorkhas. The word Gorkhaland does not find mention anywhere. However, in the case of the Bodos and other tribals of Assam, the party says that “initiatives” will be taken for a permanent solution of their long pending issues.

Zimaba observed, “There is vast difference in the BJP’s outlook towards the people of Darjeeling Hills and those from other states which is reflected in their election manifesto. Words like sympathetically examine and appropriately consider which can mean several things are used for Darjeeling. Also our issue is shown as demands. Whereas, the BJP says initiative, in this case steps will be taken for a permanent solution of long pending issues of the Bodos”.

The GNLF perceived to be cozying up to the TMC is advocating for implementation of sixth schedule in the Hills and has chosen not to take a stand on the statehood issue. “We have neither compromised nor given up the Gorkhaland demand. It is just that our party does not have the mandate for a separate state and so we are pursuing the sixth schedule issue which we feel is the best solution,” said Zimba.

When asked to comment on the allegation, Giri said, “We are sincere with the statehood demand and are pursuing it over the years with the central government. We have nothing to say to those people whose sole purpose is to criticize us for no rhyme or reasons”.

Via EOI

READ MORE

JISTO critical of Roshan Giri's handling of regularisation issue

12:24 AM

•

Roshan Giri

Darjeeling, July 8: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today dissolved the JISTO Movement Committee that was spearheading an agitation for regularisation of over 500 voluntary teachers in hill schools and was critical of Roshan Giri's handling of the issue.

The movement committee had criticised GTA executive sabha member in charge of education Giri for quite sometime for his alleged failure to solve the issue. The committee had set a deadline of 20 days to fulfil the demand that ended today.

Binay Tamang, the assistant general secretary of the Morcha, today said the party's central committee was dissolving the JISTO Movement Committee. "Bimal Gurung has decided to dissolve the JISTO Movement Committee, which had been formed from our frontal organisation, JISTO, to spearhead their movement. The frontal organisation, JISTO, however, will not be dissolved," Tamang said. The claim has been contested by the committee.

Asked about the reason for dissolving the committee, Tamang said: "It is being dissolved for various reasons," but gave none of the reasons.

A demonstration by the JISTO Movement Committee.

The Janmukti Insecure Secondary Teachers' Organisation (JISTO), a frontal organisation of the Morcha, has been demanding that more than 500 voluntary teachers in six junior high schools (till Class VIII), 52 high schools (up to Class X) and 71 higher secondary schools in the hills be made permanent. The School Service Commission (hills), which essentially is to cover the present GTA area, has been defunct since 2003 and that is why the schools had to appoint the voluntary tea-chers.

A demonstration by the JISTO Movement Committee. File picture
Amit Gurung, the co-ordinator of the JISTO Movement Committee, denied Tamang's claim that the JISTO and the committee were different entities. "It is the same entity. The JISTO central committee was dissolved by Bimal Gurung and the JISTO Movement Committee was formed in the Morcha's Patlabas office on November 19, 2015."

"It is because we expressed our displeasure over Roshan Giri's inability to solve the problem that the committee is being dissolved. It only proves that the Morcha is running away from the problem rather than solving it. Efforts are being made to break our unity but all teachers are together and we will continue our agitation," he added.

Asked about the next step, Amit said: "Since they dissolved the committee only today, time will tell what move we will take."

On July 5, Giri had met state education minister Partha Chatterjee and demanded that an ad hoc selection board be formed to make 519 voluntary teachers permanent.

Amit today said Giri was not aware of the number of the voluntary teachers. "At times, he talks about 500-odd teachers. At other times, he states there are 519 teachers. But from the GTA secretariat, we have found out that there are 570 voluntary teachers," he said.

After the Calcutta meeting on July 5, Chatterjee had said there were several part-time (voluntary) teachers who did not fulfil the eligibility criteria recommended by the National Council for Teacher Education, the apex body that regulates teachers' education in the country. He said the government would consider absorbing the teachers with required qualifications.


Telegraph

READ MORE

Roshan Giri's peal to state education minister Partha Chatterjee

1:25 PM

•

West Bengal

DARJEELING 5 July 2016 Gorkhaland Territorial Administration sabhasad Roshan Giri today said the state government has given a positive response to the demand for regularising teachers serving on voluntary basis in various high schools and higher secondary schools in the hills.

Today, Giri and the three MLAs from the hills called on state education minister Partha Chatterjee in Kolkata and served a memorandum of demand following which they got the assurance. Speaking from Kolkata, Giri said, “We met the state education minister today and submitted a memorandum of our demands regarding regularising the voluntary teachers. The minister gave us a patient hearing and positive assurance.”

At present, 519 teachers are serving voluntarily in 129 junior, high and higher secondary schools in the hills. However, these teachers now want to be regularised and have started various forms of agitation under the aegis of the Janmukti Insecure Secondary Teachers’ Organisation (JISTO) to pressurise the state government.

Roshan Giri accompanied by hill MLAs Amar Singh Rai, Sarita Rai and Rohit Sharma
met state education minister Partha Chatterjee

Besides regularisation, the GTA also wants the state government to form an ad-hoc selection board, giving permanent status to the headmasters of various schools currently holding temporary posts and a raise in salary of the voluntary teachers.

“There are schools in the hills that have headmasters who have been given temporary charge. We want permanent status for them for the smooth functioning of the schools. We also raised the issue of enhancement of salary of the voluntary teachers as assured by the state government in 2014,” Giri said.

According to the GTA sabhasad, the education minister assured the delegation that the process to regularise the voluntary teachers would start on receiving the green signal from the state chief secretary. “We have been assured that the minister would start the process to absorb the voluntary teachers, form an ad-hoc selection board and enhance salary once the state chief secretary gives the directions,” said Giri.

When asked for his comment on the development, JISTO coordinator Amit Gurung said, “We have not received any information yet about the meeting between the GTA and the state education minister. We will first wait for the details of the proposed ad-hoc selection board to see if it benefits us and comment only then.”

A discrepancy to be noted here is that on May 20 last month, the joint secretary of the state school education department had written to the home and hill affairs department stating that regularisation, absorption and appointment of voluntary teachers in the GTA could not be entertained until they secure their candidature through the West Bengal School Service Commission, which ironically, has remained defunct in the hills since 2003.

Telegraph - The GTA Sabha member in charge of education, Roshan Giri, met state education minister Partha Chatterjee today and demanded that an ad hoc selection board be formed to make the 500-odd voluntary teachers in the hills permanent.

Giri, who was accompanied by hill MLAs Amar Singh Rai, Sarita Rai and Rohit Sharma, said: "We have demanded that an ad hoc selection board be formed to absorb the 519 voluntary teachers in the hills. Since 2003, the SSC (School Service Commission) has been lying defunct and that is why the managing committees of the schools have had to recruit voluntary teachers. After having served for so long, it is justified that their (the teachers') services are regularised."

Chatterjee, however, said there would be no separate system for recruiting hill teachers. "The system followed in the plains will have to be followed in the hills as well," he said after meeting Giri at Bikash Bhavan in Calcutta.

Via   EOI and Telegraph

READ MORE

Roshan Giri writes to state education minister to regularise the voluntary teachers

2:21 PM

•

West Bengal

DARJEELING 29 Jun 2016 GTA Sabhasad and education department executive Roshan Giri has written to state education minister Partha Chatterjee reminding him about his assurance to regularise the voluntary teachers engaged on temporary basis since several years in various schools of the hills.

Around 515 voluntary teachers under the aegis of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-affiliated Janmukti Insecure Secondary Teachers' Organisation (JISTO) who are demanding permanent status have even  threatened to quit the organisation if the party leadership failed to find a solution to their case. The Sabhasad has brought to the notice of the minister the assurance given by him during a meeting in Kolkata in December 2015 to regularise all voluntary teachers. “A GTA and JISTO delegation had met minister Chatterjee in Kolkata last year. Chatterjee had then assured them to form an ad-hoc board to appoint the 515 voluntary teachers based on their eligibility and register of appointment. At that time the minister had also said the appointment would be confined only to the 515 voluntary teachers,” Giri said.

Roshan Giri 

On the contrary, on May 20 of this year, the joint secretary of the state school education department wrote to the home and hill affairs department informing him that regularisation, absorption and appointment of voluntary teachers in the GTA could not be entertained until they secure their candidature through the West Bengal School Service Commission. “We want the voluntary teachers to be regularised but it is the state government that is creating obstacles. There is lot of resentment among the voluntary teachers who have given their prime time. The growing frustration can lead to bigger problems in the future and anything can happen,” warned Giri.

There are presently 515 teachers in more than 129 junior, high and higher secondary schools in the GTA area working on voluntary basis. However, these teachers have not been able to appear or  take their SSC examination as it has become defunct since 2003 during the tenure of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council.

Giri, who is also the GJM general secretary, said that Basudeb Banerjee, the then state home secretary, said in a meeting in 2014 that a decision had been taken to enhance the salary of the voluntary teachers but this is yet to be implemented. He said the party has also written to state panchayat and rural development minister Subrata Mukherjee, requesting him to fill vacant posts in the Sishu Siksha  Kendra (SSK) and Madhyamik Siksha Kendra (MSK). “In the 539 SSKs in the hills there are 1,060 vacancies, while in 67 MSKs 63 posts are available. But nothing has been done to fill the posts.

We have also requested the minister to establish a separate accounts section of the SSK and MSK in the hills,” Giri said.

(EOIC)

READ MORE

Gurung writes to Mamata Banerjee reminding her of GJM demands and GTA issues

9:41 AM

•

Roshan Giri

Writes Vivek Chhetri

Darjeeling, June 27: Bimal Gurung today wrote to Mamata Banerjee saying he was aware of her "soft corner" for the hill people and went on to list a series of issues that the state government had failed to address even four years after the GTA had come into being.

The letter was sent as a forerunner of the chief minister's visit to Darjeeling from July 11. President Pranab Mukherjee will also be in Darjeeling during that period.

"We are pretty sure that the chief minister is aware of the problems with regard to the GTA but the letter has been sent to her so that she is aware that these are the issues we will be raising when we meet her in Darjeeling," said a senior Morcha leader.

In the letter, Gurung reminded the chief minister of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's demands: complete transfer of departments to the GTA, setting up of school service commission, college service commission and subordinate selection committee (for recruitment of Group B, C, and D employees to the GTA), implementation of three-tier panchayat system, allocation of funds for the hill body and regularisation of GTA casual workers.

Roshan Giri speaks to the media in Darjeeling on Monday. Picture by Suman Tamang

Apart from the regularisation demand, all others were promised in the GTA memorandum of agreement.

The Morcha had raised the same issues before also.

However, what is of interest is the pleasing tone of the letter.

"Kindly allow me to express my best wishes for your 2nd term as the Chief Minister of West Bengal. Aware of your soft corner for the people of Darjeeling hills the GTA has strong reason to look forward to your focused attention to help, support and handhold the GTA in its development efforts for the people of Darjeeling hills," reads the opening line of the letter, which was released to the media by Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri here today.

Not long ago, Gurung had accused Mamata of dividing the hills by forming development boards. Soon after the Assembly elections in May, Gurung expressed his desire to forge a working relationship with the state government. Even though three Morcha MLAs have meet Mamata after the polls, this is the first time that Gurung is writing to Mamata after her electoral success.

Today, Giri said: "On August 2, the GTA will complete four years and the problems remain the same......There is no co-operation from the state government. Jobs are not being created for our youths and the hill body has still not been able to function to its fullest."

"Whenever we talk about setting up subordinate selection board, they (state government) say the matter is being looked into by the Public Service Commission and it has been four years now," he added.

"A notification has been issued by the state government for transfer of departments like land and land reforms, and food and food supplies, but the employees have not been asked to report to the GTA. How will the GTA function?" asked Giri.

Via Telegraph

READ MORE

Pathetic condition of schools under GTA shame on concerned authorities

9:48 AM

•

Roshan Giri

WAKE UP NETAS - Especially Sabhasad In-charge of Education

Writes: Kiran Subba

Seeing these pictures, what can we say?
No shame to Managing Committee, no shame to Headmaster, no shame to area Sabhsad, no shame to Education Department Sabhsad Mr Roshan Giri, no shame to GTA Chief and especially no shame to education department District Inspector and ASI.

Inspection of these school have to be done immediately.
The Sabhsad in charge of education only talks about "Central University," but he has never talked about reformation in education polices, school curriculum, examination timetable and never sat for meetings with DI, ASI, head of various institutions under GTA for the purpose of policy making regarding the upliftment of educational standard of GTA schools.

Water logged‬ due to seepage, the pathetic condition of classrooms at Mirik MURMAH PREM SUNDAR HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL

Instead he sits meeting with Governor, CM, Education Minister, HRD Minister and even with Prime Minister where he talks about the regularisation of "adhoc teachers" and enhancement of grade pay of adhoc teachers. He never makes use of the great opportunities he gets to change our education system fundamentally

Abysmal state of Barnsbeg High School, please note these pics are from different classes

LET US ASK OUR SABASAD THESE FEW QUESTIONS:
After becoming Sabhsad in-Charge of Education under GTA
(1) How many schools you have visited?
(2) How many meetings you have arranged with headmaster for educational matters not political?
(3) How many times you have given a surprise visit to schools?
(4) How many times you had a meeting with District Inspector, ASI regarding school matters like
- Strength of students in primary school/high school
- Mid-day meals
- SC/ST, religious minority students facilities
- regarding quotas of GTA students in pharmaceutical studies, fisheries, horticulture, engineering, medical etc after class twelve.
- Games and sports
- Water, toilet electric facilities.
- Examination of infrastructural facilities
- Availability of teachers
- SSC
- Primary teachers appointment etc.
(5) For how many students, you as being education department sabhsad, have given scholarships to toppers from GTA?
(6) Have you ever helped to the teachers of esteemed institution of GTA areas to get text book number (TB NUMBER) so that they can publish school text books?
(7) Have you ever arranged a meeting with teachers union to discuss about educational matters/not political?
(8) Have you ever paid a visit to the Govt High School in Darjeeling after becoming educational Sabhasad and conveyed any meeting with the headmaster and teachers regarding reviving the educational standard of school and accommodating more number of students?

We hope to get some answers from our honourable Sabhsad in-Charge of the education department, GTA

Via TheDC

READ MORE

GNLF now second fiddle to TMC - Roshan Giri

10:23 AM

•

Trinamool Congress

Writes RAJEEV RAVIDAS

Kalimpong, June 21: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri today accused the GNLF of kowtowing to Trinamul and said the party had "lost its plot".

Reacting to the meeting between GNLF president Mann Ghisingh and chief minister Mamata Banerjee yesterday, Giri told reporters in Darjeeling: "How can GNLF, under whose leadership over 1,200 people sacrificed their lives for Gorkhaland, join hands with a party whose chief has repeatedly voiced her opposition to the creation of a state for the Gorkhas? The party has lost the plot completely."

He added: "The GNLF will now be reduced to playing second fiddle to Trinamul in the municipality and the GTA elections. The party stands thoroughly exposed and is fast on its way to losing relevance in the hills completely."

GNLF now second fiddle to TMC - Roshan Giri

After yesterday's meeting, GNLF leaders had said they were open to contesting polls in alliance with Trinamul.


Via Telegraph

READ MORE

State asks Voluntary teachers GTA to pass the School Service Commission for regularization

9:50 AM

•

West Bengal

Writes Vivek Chhetri

Darjeeling, June 19: The state's education department has informed that regularisation of voluntary teachers in the GTA area cannot be entertained unless they pass the School Service Commission (SSC) examination.

There are more than 500 voluntary teachers at 120-odd secondary schools in the Darjeeling hills. The SSC (hills), which essentially is to cover the present GTA area, has been defunct since 2003 and that is why schools had to appoint voluntary teachers.

The Janmukti Insecure Secondary Teachers' Organisation (JISTO), which is affiliated to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, has been demanding the regularization of the voluntary teachers' jobs.

A letter dated May 20, 2016, and bearing memo number: 669-SE(S)/4A-18/15 (Pt -1) written by "joint secretary" of the school education department (secondary branch) on the issue of "regularization of volunteer teachers under GTA" clearly states that "on the subject stated above the undersigned is directed to say that regularization /absorption/ appointment of volunteer teachers in GTA cannot be entertained until they secure their candidature through the West Bengal School Service Commission".

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with Gorkha Janmukti Morcha
general secretary Roshan Giri  - a file photo

The letter has been sent to the commissioner, home and hill affairs department.

The school education department, quoting a Supreme Court order, said no appointment could be regularised without a proper selection process.

The education department has asked the home and hill affairs department to advise them on the matter.

The letter was today shown to the media by Roshan Giri, executive GTA Sabha member in charge of education.

"In the hills, the SSC has been defunct since 2003, long before the GTA came into existence, and we demand that the state government come up with a one-time solution," said Giri.

Amit Gurung, co-ordinator, JISTO, blamed the GTA for failing to solve the impasse and its members have threatened to dissolve the body if there is no fruitful outcome within 20 days.

"The GTA has the power to recruit Group B, C and D employees. If the state government is not allowing it to exercise its functions, what is stopping it from approaching court?" Gurung asked today.

"If there is no fruitful outcome on our demand within 20 days, we will dissolve JISTO, close schools and start a Calcutta chalo abhiyan," said Gurung.


Telegraph

READ MORE

GJM & JAP both demands Inclusion of Dooars in Kalimpong district

11:12 AM

•

Trinamool Congress

Vivek Chhetri

Darjeeling, June 7: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the Jana Andolan Party, two principal parties in the hills, have suggested the incorporation of additional areas from the Dooars in the proposed Kalimpong district.

The proposals were made at an all-party meeting convened by Darjeeling district magistrate Anurag Srivastava here today to seek feedback on the creation of Kalimpong district and Mirik subdivision. Sipchu, Toribari, Bagracote Pathorjhora, Ellenbari,Chilauna and Samsing - the Dooars areas the Morcha wanted to be in the Kalimpong district - are part of some of the 398 mouzas the party had demanded to be brought under the GTA's jurisdiction.

Roshan Giri, the general secretary of the Morcha, said: "We support the creation of Kalimpong district, a demand we had first raised. We want areas like Sipchu, Toribari, Bagracote Pathorjhora, Ellenbari,Chilauna and Samsing (which are presently in Jalpaiguri district) to be incorporated in the new district. These areas are contiguous to the present Kalimpong subdivision."

The all-party meeting in Darjeeling on Tuesday. Picture by Suman Tamang

Giri said the Morcha wanted three subdivisions and seven blocks in the new district, and three blocks in Mirik subdivision.

Anmole Prasad, a member of the JAP's bureau, said the party had made a written submission on various aspects of the formation of the Kalimpong district. The JAP also wants parts of the Jalpaiguri district to be included in the new district.

"We want the boundaries of the new district to be redrawn so that its two sides have highways and a compact zone is created," said Prasad.

The JAP basically wants areas lying north of NH31 in Jalpaiguri district to be the southern boundary of the Kalimpong district and areas like Kalijhora, Lohapul, Suntalay and Rambi, which are along NH10 and in the Kurseong subdivision, to be the western border.

The JAP wants Kalimpong district to have three subdivisions and 10 blocks. The party demanded at the meeting that four blocks be created to make up the new Mirik subdivision.

"We also seek the formation of a committee comprising stakeholders, NGOs, experts and citizens to monitor and assist the formation of the district and the subdivision. Future meetings should be held at respective locations (Kalimpong and Mirik) to enable detailed discussions and new administrative townships should be created there to de-congest the area," said Prasad.

Representatives of parties like the GNLF, ABGL, CPRM and the Trinamul Congress also attended the meeting.

Srivastava said the parties had been asked to submit the suggestions in writing by tomorrow evening.

"An all-party meeting is usually called before the start of the process to create a new district. We have asked political parties to submit their suggestions in writing by tomorrow evening so that we can go through them and then prepare a report based on administrative feasibility. The report will be submitted to the government as early as possible," said Srivastava.

Telegraph

READ MORE

All hill party meeting for Kalimpong district in Darjeeling

10:59 AM

•

Roshan Giri

Vivek Chhetri

Darjeeling, June 6: The state government has taken the first concrete step to upgrade Kalimpong subdivision to a district with the Darjeeling district administration calling an all-party meeting here tomorrow for their feedback.

Assembly elections were fought in Kalimpong mainly on the district demand plank.

Anurag Srivastava, the district magistrate of Darjeeling, today confirmed that the all-party meeting would be held here tomorrow.

"The purpose of the meeting is to get feedback from all political parties on the new district. A report will then be forwarded to the personnel department," he said.

The meeting has been scheduled for 4pm in the district magistrate's conference hall.

Former Kalimpong MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri, who had left the Gorkha Janm-ukti Morcha to float the Jana Andolan Party and made Kalimpong district one of its prime agendas in the Assembly polls, today thanked Mamata Banerjee.

Kalimpong District Map

"At the onset, I would like to thank the chief minister for starting the process... I am told that on May 30, the chief minister had directed the chief secretary and home secr-etary to start the process and in less than a week, a meeting has been called. This should be a lesson for the Morcha. One needs to deliver rather than make promises," he said.

Harka said even though he would not be able to attend the meeting, other JAP leaders would be present in full strength.

Roshan Giri, the general secretary of the Morcha, said his party would be represented at the meeting.

Telegraph

READ MORE

Morcha to plan movement demanding land rights to tea and cinchona workers

7:38 AM

•

Roshan Giri

Writes: Vivek Chhetri

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has decided to start a movement demanding land rights for tea garden and cinchona plantation workers and minimum wages for tea estate labourers.

The party will form a 50-member committee that will have Morcha representatives and apolitical people from tea gardens and cinchona plantations, to chalk out the course of action.

The decision was taken at a meeting of members of the Morcha central committee, representatives of Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union (tea and cinchona units) and elected GTA Sabha members at the Gorkha Rangamanch Bhawan today.

Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri said: "It has been decided that a 50-member committee will be formed on May 15 to pursue the demand of land rights and minimum wages for tea garden workers. The committee will chart the future course of agitation."

Morcha representative handing over demand for Land rights to Union Commerce and
Industries Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Morcha sources said this was the first time in "three-four years" that a joint meeting of the party central committee and the union leaders from gardens was held. "It is probably an outcome of opposition parties mobilising support in the hills," said a union leader.

The hill tea gardens have around 55,000 permanent and 20,000 temporary workers and nearly 5,000 people work in the cinchona plantations.

After its formation, Harka Bahadur Chhetri's Jana Andolan Party had laid stress on demanding land rights for tea and cinchona workers. Some JAP leaders from the Teesta Valley region in Darjeeling subdivision who took up the cause, however, joined the Morcha before the Assembly elections.
Today, Giri said: "The Left Front government had called a meeting in Calcutta on July 22, 2009, to look into the issue of granting land rights to tea garden workers. The meeting had been attended by land and land reforms commissioner and the principal secretary of commerce and industries department among others. Representative of the Consultative Committee on Plantation Associations had, however, expressed their opposition, after which the issue was not pursued. The TMC government did not hold a single meeting on this."

Giri said the Morcha would consult legal experts to see if the GTA could grant land rights to the cinchona workers.

"The GTA Act states that matters related to settling land rights and renewing lease of cinchona plantation lies with the GTA," he said.

Section 26 of the GTA Act says the hill body will have "administrative, financial and executive powers in the region in relation to cinchona plantation and settlement of land in possession of plantation inhabitants; management of lease of cinchona lands etc."

The state government has formed a committee to look into the minimum wage issue.

Meanwhile
Workers of Dooteriah tea estate, 25km from Darjeeling, have threatened to block NH55 on May 18 if the management fails to clear their dues by May 14.

"The garden is owned by Trinamul Rajya Sabha member K.D. Singh and wages have been due since January. If it is not cleared we will block NH55 at Ghoom on May 18," said Ashok Rai, a garden employee. The estate has 1,372 labourers.

Source Telegraph

READ MORE

Jana Andolan Party drivers allegedly attacked by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha

12:10 PM

•

Roshan Giri

Writes Vivek Chhetri

Darjeeling, May 3: The Jana Andolan Party today alleged that drivers of two vehicles carrying its supporters had been attacked by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha members outside the latter's office at Singamari here today at the direction of Bimal Gurung.

The party led by Harka Bahadur Chhetri also said JAP supporters had been manhandled by the employees of the GTA at Lal Kothi later in the day and denied entry to the headquarters of the hill body.

Asked about the two incidents, Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri said: "The allegations are false and they have staged this act to gain sympathy of the public."

Around 40 members of the JAP had come to Darjeeling today by vehicles to submit a memorandum to Darjeeling district magistrate and GTA principal secretary Ravi Inder Singh demanding a three-tier panchayat system in the hills. The supporters alighted from vehicles outside the DM's office along Lebong Cart Road.

Jana Andolan Party 

Sangdo Lepcha, who was driving one of the vehicles, said: "Since I did not get space to turn and park my vehicle (near the DM's office), I proceeded towards Singamari and reached near the Morcha's office. Six Morcha supporters came from the party office and attacked me. Bimal Gurung was present at the office then and the attack took place at his direction."

The other driver to be allegedly attacked by the Morcha members was Pravin Adhikari. The Telegraph couldn't independently verify if Gurung was present in the Morcha office. The JAP supporters filed an FIR at the Darjeeling Sadar police station.

Chhetri and other senior JAP leaders later went to Lal Kothi - the administrative headquarters of the GTA - to submit the memorandum.

"At Lal Kothi, our supporters were manhandled by the GTA employees manning the gates and even the media were denied entry. Is Lal Kothi a private property of the Morcha? I will definitely lodge a complaint with the hill affair's department," said Chhetri.

Only five JAP leaders were allowed to enter Lal Kothi.

The GTA staff said they were denying admission to the JAP supporters as a directive had come from GTA principal secretary.

About the attack on the drivers, the outgoing Kalimpong MLA said: "They were attacked at Singamari following the directive of Gurung. All Morcha leaders were present in the party office at that time."

Via Telegraph

READ MORE

GJM Bimal Gurung upset with leaders, might reshuffle organisation

10:58 AM

•

Roshan Giri

Darjeeling, April 29: Bimal Gurung has expressed dissatisfaction with the functioning of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's municipal councillors and GTA Sabha members and said the organisation might be reshuffled from the grassroots level, said sources in the party.

The Morcha president held a closed-door meeting with members of the party's central committee and subdivisional committees at Malidhura in Darjeeling yesterday.

Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri said it was "an internal meeting called to assess the recent election". Those who attended the session said off record that at the meeting, Gurung had not hidden his displeasure with the Morcha leaders' functioning.

"My party representatives are committing a lot of mistakes and I have to bear the brunt of your mistakes. It is time for self-correction by party leaders," Gurung was quoted to have said at the meeting by a source.

GJM chief Bimal Gurung

Gurung reminded the Morcha's municipal councillors and GTA Sabha members that their duty was to serve the people. "Don't take your chair for granted. The chair is not for earning money but to serve the people. Those who are in power are expected to do good work," Gurung reportedly said at the meeting.

The source said Gurung had specifically pointed to the collapse of a staircase connecting HD Lama Road with Chowk Bazar in Darjeeling on Tuesday. "Gurung said such incidents were bringing a bad name to the party's image and there should be no dereliction of duty by authorities concerned. He also expressed anguish at the growing congestion in town," said the source.

"Change is needed for the good of the party and also for the hill people," the source quoted Gurung as saying.

The GTA chief executive also warned that if need be, the Morcha would be reorganised from the bottom. "Gurung went to the extent of saying if needed, the party must be prepared to rebuild its organisation from the grassroots," said the source.

Gurung has also directed party workers not to wait till the election results to start a campaign to highlight the importance of the demand of granting tribal status to 10 hill communities.


Via Telegraph

READ MORE

Jan Andolan Party cannot demand three-tier panchayat system in the hills - GJM

12:17 PM

•

Roshan Giri

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today asserted that the Jan Andolan Party does not have the general mandate to take up the demand for a three-tier panchayat system in the hills as the matter is already under discussion between the GJM and concerned authorities in Delhi.

The GJM was reacting to JAP president Harka Bahadur Chhetri’s call to all political parties in the hills, including the GJM, to take forward the demand. On April 21, the JAP called an all-party meeting in Kalimpong to discuss the demand for a three-tier panchayat system, but the meet failed to yield the desired results. Another meeting is scheduled on April 29.

GJM general secretary Roshan Giri today said he was aware of the all-party meeting called by the JAP but refused to participate. “We know the JAP has called an all-party meeting later this month and we are also invited. However, we will not attend the meeting because the JAP, which was formed recently, does not have the people’s mandate to initiate such programmes,” he claimed.

GJM general secretary Roshan Giri and Harka in the past

Another contention of the GJM is that the matter of implementing a three-tier panchayat system in the hills has already been taken up by the party with the state and central governments. “We have taken up the issue in all the bipartite and tripartite meetings held so far and it is also mentioned in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration agreement and act,” Giri said.

According to the GJM general secretary, the Centre is in favour of implementing a three-tier panchayat system in the hills, but the state government is trying to skirt discussions on the matter. “We have not had a panchayat election since 2005 and the rural populace of the hills is suffering due to this. Delhi is in favour of such a system though, and we believe a constitutional amendment is required to have the system implemented in the hills. Sadly though, the state government is not serious about the issue and has not sent representatives to the tripartite meetings and this has kept the matter on hold,” Giri alleged.

During the tenure of the now defunct Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, a two-tier panchayat system was put in place in the hills as a Mahakuma Parishad was established in Siliguri sub-division of Darjeeling district. However, Subash Ghisingh and his Gorkha National Liberation Front opposed the two-tier system and allowed only the gram panchayats to function. But here too, no election has been held.

Reacting to the GJM’s refusal to attend the all-party meeting, JAP general secretary Nayan Pradhan said, “We have invited all political parties including the GJM, but it is not our problem if someone doesn’t want to attend. Our objective is to try and solve the problems being faced by the rural population because of the absence of a panchayat system in the hills.”

The April 21 meeting was attended by the Trinamool Congress, the CPM, the Congress and the Gorkha Rashtriya Congress.



Source EOI

READ MORE

GJM to complaint against development boards to Election Commission

11:28 AM

•

TMC

Morcha mulls moving EC against development boards

It’s election time and things have started heating up in the hills. For one, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has decided to lodge a complaint with the Election Commission against the community development boards formed by the state government for allegedly violating the model code of conduct.

GJM general secretary Roshan Giri yesterday said the chairmen of the Sherpa, Bhutia, Tamang, Mangar, Khambu Rai and Limbu community development boards held an indoor meeting on Friday in Darjeeling where they decided to support the Trinamool despite holding offices of profit.

On Friday, representatives and members of the six associations under the radar held a meeting to decide ways to pursue measures for safeguarding and promoting their tradition, culture and language. The contentious issue of which party to support in the election was also discussed in the meeting and the associations unanimously decided to extend support to that political party (read TMC) that had helped the communities.

However, all the six chairmen had clarified the meeting was not convened by the development boards but by the associations and that they had not forced any member to vote for the TMC or any other political party.

“We will approach the ECI and lodge complaints against the six development boards for violating the model code of conduct. How can officials of development boards that function under the state government speak for a party? These officials receive salary and vehicles and other perks from the state government,” Giri said following the public meeting held by the GJM this afternoon in support of the party’s candidate from Darjeeling.

Nonetheless, the GJM general secretary was quick to add that the development boards would not affect his party’s prospects on April 17, the day of voting. “We are more concerned about polling being fair and clean even though we are confident of winning handsomely even if the development boards support the TMC,” he said.

GJM president Bimal Gurung also echoed Giri saying the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC would taste defeat, in spite of the state government showering money worth crores to the boards ahead of the election. “She has spent crores on the development boards just to garner votes. But one must remember that when it comes to issues pertaining to identity, statehood and aspirations, the hills will always remain united even if more doles are offered,” he said.

“The state government may try to tear us apart by creating divisions. But we will keep on mending the damage until we achieve statehood,” thundered Gurung to loud applause from the crowd gathered at the Motor Stand area of town.

According to the GJM chief, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise during his April 7 speech in Siliguri that the 11 communities of the hills would be granted tribal status was a stepping stone towards achieving statehood. “Modi-ji himself told me that day that the 11 communities would be granted tribal status. I would like to remind you that he once said the dreams of the Gorkha people were his dreams too. We must remember that things are achieved one at a time,” said Gurung, adding he has invited the prime minister to Darjeeling.

Darjeeling GJM candidate Amar Singh Rai trained his guns on the TMC-JAP-GNLF ‘jote’ (alliance) saying it was temporary and that its intentions were ill. “JAP says development is its priority, the GNLF wants Sixth Schedule status and the TMC is anti-Gorkhaland. The alliance is an unholy nexus against our statehood aspiration and will be scattered when they taste defeat,” he said.

Meanwhile, the other GJM leaders who spoke at the campaign meeting appeared more interested in denouncing JAP president Harka Bahadur Chhetri than rallying for the party candidate.


Via: EOIC,

READ MORE