TRIBUTE
REVIVAL FOR TENZING
It was in 1952 that Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary
made history by setting foot on Mount Everest. Coinciding with
its 50th anniversary comes the United Nations' decision of declaring
2002 the year of the mountains. In an effort to revive the memory
of the legendary Sherpa, the Himalayan Nature and Adventure
Foundation has proposed breathing life into the Tenzing Norgay
Award for mountaineering and adventure sports. The award, a
state youth affairs department initiative launched in 1986,
three years after the death of Tenzing, was , for "reasons
unknown", discontinued from 1989. The recepients of the
first award were Nawang Gombu, Tenzing Norgay's nephew, and
Dorjee Latoo, another Everester.
"Tenzing is an integral part of North Bengal and it is
important he is remembered by all," said foundation president
Animesh. In a letter to chief minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee,
the foundation stated that the re-introduction of the award
"will not only encourage the adventurers/mountaineers in
West Bengal, but also assuage the injured sentiments of all
those who feel deprived of the privilege to be associated with
the name Tenzing Norgay".
State Youth Affairs director BP Gopalika said "the matter
is being looked into". However, he could not say why the
award was discontinued. Former deputy director, Field Training,
HMI, Darjeeling, and an Everester, Nima Tashi, who had shared
the award with Amulya Sen in 1989, said: "The adventure
sport scene in West Bengal shows an upward rising trend. If
the award is re-introduced, it will do wonders to the graph".
FRAUD EATS INTO
DARJEELING HILLS FOODPILE
Irregularities in the functioning of the public distribution
system have come to light following reports of an abnormal shortage
in foodgrain stock, including rice and wheat, meant for modified
ration shops in the Darjeeling Hills. The matter came to light
following the collapse of the PDS in Darjeeling earlier this
year. Physical verification of foodgrain stock at the district
reserve center, Kurseong, conducted on March 19, revealed that
something was amiss. A short fall of stock of over 2,754 quintals
of rice and 1,921 quintals of wheat, worth over Rs 35 lakh in
the open market, was detected. This apart, a receipt and delivery
report submitted by the inspector (anchorage), DRC, Kurseong
on the same date said the center received no stock of rice of
wheat from the transport contractor during January 2002. Darjeeling
district magistrate Hridesh Mohan said: "We are aware of
such a discrepancy existing in the stock of foodgrain at Kurseong
and have ordered a special investigation. I am expecting the
report soon".
The shortfall of the stock as per the report is stated to be
3,052 quintals of rice and 1,687 quintals of wheat out of a
requirement of 4,160 quintals of rice and 2,370 quintals of
wheat. The report had also demanded that the transport contractor
be directed to meet the shortfall within the month. Sources
at the controller of food and supplies, Darjeeling, blamed the
contractors responsible for transport of foodgrain from the
Food Corporation of India (FCI) base depot at New Jalpaiguri
for the irregularities. "Unscrupulous transport contractors
sell off a part of the consignment they are required to carry
in the open market at Siliguri, pocketing a huge amount. The
usual practice of the transport contractors is to replenish
the shortfall by buying back part of the amount pilfered from
the modified ration shop dealers in the hill towns. The dealers
sell back the foodgrain that is either not claimed by the ration
card holders or make it up from the alarming number of ghost
card holders that are registered with them. In this way, the
final delivery and recepient stocks of foodgrain is maintained,"
said an official of the food and supplies department. "The
nexus between a section of unscrupulous transport contractors,
dealers and even some inspectors of the food and supplies department
cannot be ruled out", the official said. District controller
of food and supplies, PK Ghosh, admitted a huge shortfall in
foodgrain stock of the hills. "We are trying to streamline
the process of transportation to prevent such pilferage."
CHHATRAY HEALTH
ALERT
The Gorkha Liberation Organization chief, Chhatray Subba,
is being shifted to SSKM Hospital in Calcutta amid tight security.
The GLO chief was admitted to North Bengal Medical College and
Hospital yesterday after he complained of pain in the chest.
Though his condition was normal no one was ready to take any
chances. "He could be needing specialised medical attention",
hospital sources said. "Trained medical staff will escort
Chhatray Subba to Calcutta," the NBMCH superintendent,
Subir Kumar said. Chhatray Subba, believed to be the prime accused
in the lifebid on GNLF chief Subash Ghissing in February last
year, was housed in Darjeeling jail . Armed militants had ambushed
Ghissing's motorcade at Satghomtee on the Pankhabari Road under
the Kurseong sub division on February 10. While Ghissing, sustained
pallet injuries from a grenade attack, three persons including
two security personnel and an alleged militant were killed in
the encounter.
Subba, allegedly arrested by the Nepal police from a hideout
in neighbouring Jhapa district, was "clandestinely"
handed over to the Darjeeling police. The GLO chief, who is
facing several charges including sedition, had been housed at
the Kurseong sub-jail along with the other accused. He was later
shifted with the other 13 fellow accused to the Darjeeling district
jails following anonymous threats received by Kurseong jailer
and sub-divisional judicial magistrate. Thirteen other accused
including Dimple Dewan, Sharan Dewan, Ganju Lama, Arjun Lama,
Vijay Chettri, Kunal Lama, Kumar Chettri and Om Raj Kotwal were
also arrested and charge sheeted by the police. Subba was kept
in the Darjeeling jail since the case came up for hearing.
HILLS DEPRIVED OF BPL QUOTA
The GNLF legislator from Kalimpong, Mr Golan Lepcha, has accused
the state food department of withholding BPL quota for the Hills
although the Center is releasing it. Mr Lepcha said 60 percent
of the Hill population was declared below poverty line following
an agreement between the DGHC and the state government in 1997.
Accordingly, the Center had been releasing BPL quota for the
Hills to the state food department. With special rates prevailing
in the hills, Mr Lepcha said only 10-15 percent of the population
of Kalimpong sub-division were included in the BPL category.
For Darjeeling and Kurseong sub-divisions, it was nil.
The special rates have been pegged between APL and BPL and is
exclusive to the Hills. The special rates for rice is Rs 7 per
kg, and for wheat Rs 5 per kg. The APL and the BPL rates for
the same are Rs. 8.15/Rs. 6 and Rs. 6.15/Rs. 4.65 respectively.
Incidentally, the GNLF had agreed to the scheme. Mr Lepcha had
demanded that "100 percent of the Hill population"
be declared BPL. He explained that the Hills were stipulated
"non-producing cereal zone", where employment levels
were dismal and people generally poor. Mr Lepcha added that
he had raised the demand at the Assembly recently and spoke
to the chief minister, Buddhadev Bhattacharjee, and the state
food and civil supplies minister about the issues dogging the
PDS system in the Hills. He also noted that against the stipulated
distrucution of 1000 ml kerosene per head per month, only around
750 ml was being distributed.
Citing a government order 1137-FC dated 7.8.97 pertaining to
the agreement, he said the BPL card holders were to receive
1500 gm of cereals food stuff upto 6 kg per month perhead. However,
the BPL card holders receiving letter, sometimes only 500 gm,
Mr Lepcha said. He regretted that though DGHC had helped the
administration in cancelling 1,55,000 bogus cards, not a single
new card had been issued since 1995. He demanded immediate issuance
of new cards. Mr Lepcha has also pressed the state government
to increase the transport and loading allowances for hill MR
dealers "keeping in view the higher costs in the area."
