ELECTRONIC DEVICE TO IDENTIFY ZOO ANIMALS
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park authorities will now use an electronic device to identify the zoo animals.It is the first time animals of this zoo will be fitted with transponders, which will help the zoo officials to identify them. Earlier they were identified through their pet names. This system will help to conduct animal census easily. This zoo is the only one in the country, where the Himalayan fauna is bred successfully. The zoo authorities are researching on breeding possibilities of various Himalayan species and increase their number.

The zoo has 126 animals, including pheasants. A 100 have already been fitted with transponders. The Central Zoo Authority has given 35 transponders imported from Germany, said Dr BR Sharma, zoo Director. Each electronic set costs Rs 200. The transponder with a fixed number will be inserted below the animal skin. When a remote control is brought near the animal the number corresponding to it will be displayed. This system is internationally approved, said Dr Sharma. A retired veterinary expert, Mr LN Acharya, from Bhubaneshwar trained the zoo officials to use this electronic device. The zoo is trying to modernise the enclosures. A building has been constructed, where autopsy of dead animals will be done. Sophisticated veterinary equipment has been bought by the zoo authorities with financial assistance from the state and the Central government. A grant from the Central Zoo Authority and Rs 1.54 crore from the state will help the animals, said Dr Sharma.

DAWA LAMA'S SON KILLED
The CPRM called a bandh (strike) in the Darjeeling Hills on 6 July to protest against the murder of Deo Chand Lama, former gram panchayat member, and son of former Rajya Sabha member, Mr Dawa Lama, last night. Pulbazar-Bijanbari remained shut down, to protest against the killing. Mr LM Lama, a CPRM central committee member, demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits. Deo Chand Lama (48) was murdered by alleged CPI-M cadres near his residence at Gangata-Gaon in Pulbazar, 25 km from Darjeeling.

Mr Lama accused the CPI-M of killing his son and claimed that Deo Chand was "very popular in the area and the principal strength of the CPRM". "The CPI-M was trying to capture Bijanbari-Pulbazar and my son proved to be the biggest hurdle. They killed him in desperation", he said. Deo Chand Lama, who was a primary school teacher too, was returning home around 8.30 pm from a marriage party when he was waylaid and hacked to death with Khukuris. A senior police officer, said Lama had an argument with Karzung Tamang and Mani Bhujel before the two attacked him. Both have been arrested by police. Mr Nirmal Baraily, CPI-M district committee member from the hills, however, said the CPRM was trying to politicise the incident, which was committed by anti-socials. Mr Lama, a former CPI-M state minister too, had formally joined the CPRM in May. During his tenure as a minister from 1981 to 1990, Mr Lama handled Hill Affairs, Animal husbandry, and fire. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1996. It was the same year that a few CPI-M leaders from Darjeeling broke away and formed the CPRM.

GOVT AXE HOVERS ON CINCHONA GARDENS
The cinchona and other medicinal plantations of the state are in danger of being weeded out despite of West Bengal's Chief Minister's highly estimated promises to proliferate the plantation. With the cash registers drawing a blank, the government is thinking of restructuring the plantations - its largest venture in the hills and home to 40,000 workers by cutting down on crops in the area and "providing suitable alternative livelihood" to the surplus workforce. According to a senior district official, the government is trying to restructure the plantations on the lines of the report prepared by US-based consultants McKinsey. The plantation, spanning over 26,000 hectares in 1862, is facing a funds crunch with the organisation registering a loss of Rs 2.5 crore annually for the last couple of years, maybe due to less or no upgradation of the machines in the factories and due to the huge transportation expenses involved in shifting the raw materials down to the plains for the manufacture of the fianl product. Previously the product was produced and manufactured in the hills, but the final manufacturing process was shifted down to the plains giving way to unnecessary cost involved in the transportation.

The surplus workforce - 5,350 labourers, 1,057 staff and 52 officers - would probably be given a rehabilitation package, including financial support, to start cultivation of cash crops in plantation areas, but this is not a small number and it cannot be said with precision and firmness that every worker will gain a considerable amount to earn his livelihood. The State government indirectly encourages poverty despite the clamour for eradicating it.

The Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) affiliated Himalayan Plantation Workers' Union President, NK Kumai, alleged that the management was responsible for the mess and the government couldn't ditch the workers at the the last moment. It is not expected on the part of the State Government to be careless and be responsible for disrupting the homes of 40,000 workers and more.

KALIMPONG WATER PROJECT NEGLECTED
Despite the monsoon bringing plenty of rain to the hilly catchment areas, the taps in Kalimpong are dry. The people of Kalimpong, meanwhile, are being forced to purchase water from private resources at a steep price as it is prevailing in Darjeeling town due to inconvenient water supply.

Kalimpong has six reservoirs. Only one is functional. The rest are either located in sinking zones and have suffered cracks or tied in litigation. According to the estimate of PHE experts, Kalimpong requires eight to nine lakh gallons of water each day. Only the DGHC owned Civil Lake, which can accomodate 40 lakh gallons of water is operational now. But more than 5 feet of the Civil Lake is lost to siltation bringing down the lake's retaining capacity to between 25 to 30 lakh gallons. Experts from the Geological Survey of India are expected to examine the condition of all the reservoirs in Kalimpong from 9-11 July and it's the duty of the State Government to take positive measures to ease the life of the people of Kalimpong, not forgetting that it lies within the jurisdiction of the State Government.

POTA BAN ON NEPALI OUTFIT IN N BENGAL
Banned by the Center under Pota, the Akhil Bharat Nepali Ekta Samaj (ABNES) is likely to change tack and function under a separate name. The organisation has decided to alter its line of action but remain active through social and cultural functions. "We shall not operate as ABNES since the Center has banned us. But our democratic work will continue from different social platforms," former ABNES central committee executive member Mr Janardhan Thapa said from his Luksan home in the Dooars. Mr Thapa is a national steering committe member of the ABNES since the organisation, following its national conference, dissolved its central committee earlier this year to re-elect a fresh one.

"We shall now observe social ceremonies like Bhanu Diwas (after the famous Nepali poet Bhanu Bhakta), Bhasa Diwas and spread our message through social and cultural functions," Mr Thapa said. Intelligence agencies and police have often alleged that the ABNES is a front of the Nepal Maoists, while political circles believe the organisation is working for the proliferation of the greater Nepal theory. The alleged link between Nepal Maoists and ABNES gains ground following the ABNES's demands to abrogate the 1950 Indo-Nepal treaty, anti-emergency stand in Nepal, charging the Nepal government with human rights violation in the name of quelling the Maoists movement and accepting a section of Maoist leaders as their own. Though a number of ABNES activists have gone underground following the Center's declaration on 3 July, the leaders are still in the open. They are pinning their hopes on the state government's rejection of Pota. Police are not being open on the subject. "We are aware of the development and are keeping a close watch on the situation. Steps will be taken as and when required," the SPs of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts, Mr Sanjay Chander and Mr Siddhinath, said.

NEW VICE CHAIRMAN FOR DARJEELING MUNICIPALITY
Mr Gopal Sundas, councillor from ward 19 has been elected the new vice chairman of Darjeeling municipality. The GNLF Darjeeling branch committee met on 5 July and decided to appoint him as the vice chairman. After Mr DK Pradhan resigned, allegedly under party pressure, Mr Passang Bhutia was elected the new chairman of the municipality on 15 June.

The 19 other councillors, who resigned from the primary membership of the GNLF party along with Mr Pradhan, were readmitted to the party. The vice-chairman's post lay vacant since 1 June, when former chairman, Mr Pradhan, removed Mrs Mani Kala Lama from the post.

DGHC OPENS SCHOOL
A lower secondary school building and community center built by the Rural Development Department of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) at Naya Busty in the 6 Mile area was inaugurated by the Vice Chairman DGHC Shri Hangu Subba on Saturday, according to a DGHC press release today. Hangu Subba who was present as the Chief Guest said that community centres and schools were being constructed all over the Darjeeling Hills as per DGHC Chairman Shri Subash Ghissing's plan for total development of the Hills. He said that these community halls were multi-functional and could be used for educational, literary, cultural and religious spheres. "May this community hall give birth to educationists, writers and artists in future", said Mr Hangu Subba.

DGHC councillor in charge of Higher Education, Mr N K Kumai was present as the Guest of Honour. Area Councillor and DGHC councillor in charge of forests Bhanu Lama stressed on the local people's role in proper preservation and utilisation of the school and community center. On behalf of the locals he thanked Mr Ghissing for the above. A cultural programme by students from the local school and the Department of Information & Cultural Affairs, DGHC, followed.