DARJEELING TOO HOT FOR SOME TOURISTS
A favourite getaway from the plains, thousands have flocked to Darjeeling this year too. But to their utter disappointment, the weather played foul with them. With the mercury touching a never before 27 degrees this hilly town proved to be a surprising phenomena for the local people. Its a curious scene in these parts. Scores of tourists walk the Mall, crowd bus stands and the railway station. The hills got a touch from the plains. The only thing they talk about is the weather and most of them wish that they had a proper bus stand so that overcrowding of thousands of vehicles plying on the roads is avoided.

The temperature has risen everywhere in West Bengal. The heat wave toll in Bengal has gone upto 19. The main reason for the high temperature is lack of proper infrastructure of the township and the West Bengal Government plays an important role in worsening the weather condition. There are no strict rules and regulations when it comes to preservation of forest. The felling of trees is taking place at random and non of the government agencies are involved in taking concrete measures. If this weather continues, the sources of water would run dry. And then its only goin to be worse.

DAM PROTEST GATHERS STEAM
The Lodhoma Rimbic Janakalyan Manch organised a protest meeting recently against the diverting of two major rivers to a hydel project as water from the Rammam river is inadequate to drive the turbins. Residents said the diversion would lead to shortage of water in the areas. The Rammam Hydel Project was set up in 1972. Though 51 MW electricity is generated from the dam, which is supplied to North Bengal and Sikkim, approximately 30 villages surrounding the hydel still do not have electricity. Residents who were displaced for the project say the Government has not paid compensations as promised when they gave up their lands.

The West Bengal State Electricity Board has now decided to cut an open channel to divert water from the Lodhoma Khola and Mungmung Khola to the Forebay Tank to drive the turbines, as the water from the Rammam river is not adequate. "This open channel will not only destry the forest and environment, it will hit our livelihood," member of the manch, Zubin Waiba said. "The Lodhoma Khola and Mungmung Khola are the lifelines of the region. Nearly 50,000 to 52,000 acres agricultural land will be destroyed due to lack of water for irrigation." Residents fear a shortage of drinking water that would hit the cattle population too.

CONGRESS PLANS COMEBACK IN HILLS
The Darjeeling district Congress is trying to stage a comeback in the Hills in next year's panchayat elections. The party is making desperate effort to capture the panchayats of all three Hill subdivisions. The party is focusing on expanding its support base in tea garden areas. Allegedly weakened by continuous neglect of the AICC and PCC and lack of committed leaders, the Congress has suffered badly in the Hills, especially after the GNLF agitation in late 1980s. The erosion in the support caused by Mr Dawa Norbula's joining the Trinamul and inter party bickerings over nominations during last Lok Sabha elections has tarnished the party's image even more.

Last September the PCC reappointed Mr Norbula president of the Congress at the Hills, following his resignation from the Trinamul Congress. Mr Norbula's homecoming came as a shot in the arm for his supporters, who are trying to revive the Congress in the Hills. Recently the party selected executive committee members of the three Hill subdivisions, following which a membership drive was launched from block-level upwards. Mr Norbula said the party will henceforth hold weekly workshops in rural areas and educate its supporters there and panchayat leaders about laws, rules and regulations for development schemes in the panchayats. The party also plans to pressurise the government for a two-tier panchayat election in the Hills, focusing on irregularities in the PDS, BPL status for ration consumers of the hills, taking necessary steps agains corruption in midday meal schemes for primary schools and solving parking problems.