Military Science course virtually
defunct in Darjeeling Govt. College
Plagued by severe infrastructure inadequacies, the ambitious
military science course at the North Bengal University affiliated
Darjeeling Government College (DGC) has become virtually defunct.
Introduced in the 1999-2000 academic session, the course simply
floundered due to lack of teachers and attendant facilities. "The
National Cadet Corps and army volunteers are taking time off from
their busy schedules to cover the bits and pieces of the syllabus.
Even, teachers from other disciplines like physics are taking
some classes that is common to the military science course,"
said Dipak Ray, principal, Darjeeling Government College.
Fed up withthe pathetic state of things, desperate students are
now seeking greener pastures. Presently, the course boasts of
a paltry three students in first year, a moderate 37 in the second
year and a whopping 75 in the third year. The diminishing student
strength, thus, is a definitive pointer that there would be no
takers for this from the coming academic session. Lack of teachers
remains its biggest drawback. Though, the department was in need
of four teachers, only two posts were sanctioned for reasons best
known to the authorities. The problem seems to have compounded
because the under graduate course, till now, is offered in very
few colleges in the state. "For instance, only two other
institutions, Maulana Azad and Dinabandhu Andrew College, both
in Calcutta, offer the same course", Ray added.
Admittedly, the college authorities find themselves in a bid over
the "emergent crisis". The authorities, had urged NBU
to grant them the course. A report, too, was submitted to the
university, requesting for the same. A section of senior college
officials, now admit that the report was "grossly erroneous"
and contained "numerous false data". The principal feels
that the poor response to the course could be attributed to the
misleading name of the course that often puts off aspiring students.
Both Poona and Maharashtra universities offer a similar course,
but it is known as defence studies.
Demand for withdrawal
of cases against 68 people
Kalimpong's GNLF lawmaker, Mr Golan Lepcha, has demanded the withdrawal
of cases against 68 people implicated in murder during the 1980s
Gorkhaland agitation, prising open a 17 year old issue. The move
is significant since the 1988 DGHC Accord between the state government,
Centre and the GNLF, which spearheaded the statehood movement,
had denied amnesty to those charged with murder. This demand was
never raised before and Mr Lepcha has significantly timed his
move with GNLF sponsored Martyrs' Day, observed every year on
27 July. It was on this day in 1986 that CRPF and police fired
upon a pro-statehood rally in Kalimpong killing 11 people. The
"attempt to murder" against the 68 people pertains to
this incident. Mr Lepcha said it was the recent move by the police
to issue warrants against the accused that had provoked him to
raise the demand after such a long hiatus. "I spoke to Buddhadev
Bhattacharjee recently on the issue and he has promised to look
into the case," the legislator said.
Mr Lepcha said all these cases were of "political nature"
and should be treated accordingly. He also alleged that many of
the people implicated by the police were innocent and some of
them at that time were minors. Some have even died, he added.
Two such persons still facing trial are women. Mrs Ganga Sharma
and Miss Tika Sharma claimed that they were 12 year olds in 1986,
studying together in Class VIII and were returning from a friend's
place when they got caught in the firing. Both of them alleged
that the police still visited their places at unearthly hours
and summoned them for interrogation. Incidentally, both of them
have been given employment by the DGHC. Mr Lepcha claimed that
on his behest the DGHC chairman, Mr Subash Ghissing, had spoken
to the chief minister on the phone three months ago on the issue.
Mr Bhattacharjee has reportedly agreed to "put the past behind",
the legislator said.
State cuts down DGHC's
autonomy
DGHC feels the state government's move to limit its financial
powers is a threat to its "autonomy". An expenditure ceiling of
Rs one crore was imposed on the council in April. The state government
increased the ceiling to Rs Two crore from June after "intense
correspondence" between the government and the DGHC. The
ceiling undermines the Council's "special status", former
council officials said. The ceiling was imposed along with the
one on district treasuries. "It is unfair for the state government
to mete out equal treatment to the districts and the DGHC,"
Mr DT Tamlong, principal secretary, DGHC, said. "Not only
has it diluted the council's autonomy but it has slowed down the
council's development works," he said. The ceiling was imposed
without notifying the DGHC.
The letter notifying the relaxation on ceiling was received only
on 11 July, said Mr Tamlong. "It caused the council to lose
out Rs one crore last month." DGHC officials themselves fetched
the notice from Calcutta. "The government did not even bother
to send the letter to us," Mr Tamlong said. The state government
extended the ceiling to include the Central funds and the DGHC
is upset about this too. "This is unfair," said Mr Tamlong.
Central funds were already substantially blocked. Rural development
programmes and World Bank sponsored health projects had suffered
much because of the ceiling. Most of the Central funds were meant
for rural schemes to be implemented by the panchayat. Afforestation
and road maintenance were not progressing well. The World Bank
sponsored health projects which required funds on time had also
suffered, Mr Tamlong said.
A DGHC official said the treasury was accepting the finance department's
cheques for approved schemes. But it was not honouring the DGHC's
cheques to the executing agencies, including contractors. The
telecom department has refused to accept payments from the DGHC
by cheque. They insist on cash, said Mr Tamlong. He said the government
should waive the restriction on the Central funds. The DGHC has
held up around Rs five crore as payment.
| Back
|
|
© Darjeeling
News Service and Allied sources
|
