KING AND BUDDHADEB SHARE TERROR WORRIES
Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Nepal's King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev are believed to have discussed during a one-on-one meeting a list of 35 hardcore Maoist militants who could have sneaked into India. The Nepalese Monarch and the Chief Minister met for about 30 minutes at the Belvedere Room of Hotel Oberoi Grand on Wednesday. The leaders expressed concern over rising terrorist activity along the porous Indo-Nepalese border. The Darjeeling Corridor, the King told the Chief Minister, had become an area of concern, for Maoists were using it to cross over into India.

King Gyanendra reportedly told the CM that the Indian Government was yet to respond to the list of 35 he had submitted to New Delhi four months ago. He was referring to a band of Nepalese insurgents who had entered India after the Nepalese Army turned the heat on them. They are holed up in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and North Bengal. The CM in turn pitched for a tougher Nepalese stand against militants and saboteurs operating along the border. He told the King that it was imperative for both countries to have warm and friendly ties as they shared a common border.

TWO DIE IN KURSEONG LANDSLIDE
A mother and daughter died in their sleep when teir house was swept away during a landslide at Daragaon, five km from Kurseong town in the early hours of Sunday. The landslide was triggered by incessant rains for the past one day. Mudflows carrying stones along with it hit the village of Daragoan near Giddapahar area. Administrative sources said that Raveena Bharati, 14, and her mother Madhu Bharati, 40, died on the spot when their house came in the path of the mud stream. The house was caught in the current and was swept away into a gorge. People residing along the stretch between Ghayabari and Giddapahar said that the highway was damaged at several places and chances of a major accident were high. They said the government has strapped its mouth and has no intentions of being concerned about the dangers and lives of the people residing in the area. The added that the hills were totally neglected by the state government. "Several drains along the highway have been left unattended for a long time which have burst and the highway has been flooded by the water. This makes it difficult for the drivers to manage the sharp turns," said Mr Sambhu Kumar Chettri, a local truck driver who takes this route regularly.

The condition of the road in Darjeeling is worst. The concerned authorities are least bothered and no actions to repair the same has been taken. During the rainy seasons its hard for the vehicles and for the pedestrians to ply on this road. Traffic jams in Darjeeling occur due to the bad and unattented condition of the Highway. A thought is needed here to solve the problem and ease the life of the people.

SHIFTING OF LAB FROM DARJEELING TO SALUGARAH OPPOSED
A government order to shift the soil testing and research laboratory from the Llyod Botanical Garden, Darjeeling to Salugarah, Siliguri has created widespread resentment in the Hills. The order was issued by the conservator of forests, research wing, a few days ago. The All Gorkha Student's Union has sought the forest minister's intervention to stop the move. Locals are of the view that the State Government authorities are draining everything that the hills possesses down to the plains which makes it very inconvenient for the people of the hills. The garden started off with a 40 acre land under the guidance of Sir George King with a collection of alpine plants, arum lilies, geraniums, spectacular azaleas and rhododendrons and conifers.

The AGSU general secretary, Mr Puran Thami, said they had submitted a memorandum to the conservator of forests and the concerned department, demanding cancellation of the order. It was unfortunate that instead of expanding the laboratory the government decided to uproot it and shift it to Salugarah to get adequate soil samples for testing, he said. "Big things come in small packages and yes Darjeeling has been discriminated right from the beginning and its about time to raise a clamour against such discriminations", said a local resident of Chandmari area.

FLOOD STRICKEN JALPAIGURI
Asirul Haq of Purba Teshlima village was carried away by floodwaters. More than 1,000 people from several villages were forced to take shelter on the Chel river embankment yesterday. The Odlabari Hindi High School has become a rescue centre with nearly 1,000 people from nearby flooded areas staying there. About 130 homeless people have been shifted to a primary school in the Changmari gram panchayat.

Flood situation in Malbazar and Odlabari in Jalpaiguri, however, improved today after major rivers receded below the danger level. In Cooch Behar red signals were withdrawn from the Teesta in Mekhliganj, and the Mansai in Mathabhanga because of receding water level. Yellow signals, however, stay as water levels are near to the danger level. Weather forecast talks of moderate to heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of the rivers, so officials don’t want to take chances. The flood damaged Malbazar-Odlabari rail track, and trains were cancelled between Alipurduar-Siliguri-Changrabandha-Bamanhat-Siliguri junction. A 30 feet embankment near NH 31 was breached by flood waters. The flood disrupted electricity and telephone service in Malbazar and Odlabari.

Nearly 750 families were marooned in Mekhliganj subdivision. BSF and locals rescued 150 families from there to the Teesta embankment. Three BSF outposts in Singimari, Chandni, and Oran had to be shifted to safer places yesterday as they were submerged. Three country boats, and two speed boats are being used for rescue operations. Relief material was distributed among flood victims, an official said. Rainfall in the district was 67.4 mm in the past 24 hour and 1169.5 mm this rainy season. The SDO was no where to be seen till today morning, though the DM had asked all officers to be present in the headquarters during flood.

SIDRABONG HYDEL UNIT ALMOST READY
Renovation and modernisation of Sidrabong hydel power station is nearly complete, and it will soon start functioning. Several villages in Darjeeling and tea gardens at the foothills of the Arya tea estate, 12 km from Darjeeling, will be benefited as the power station will reduce power shortage. Sidrabong is the first hydel power station in India and reportedly the first in Asia. It was commissioned on 10 November 1897 with a 130 kw capacity. This power station was the first to be run commercially in India. The government in November 1997, declared it as the Heritage Power Station of India.

West Bengal State Electricity Board and West Bengal Renewable Energy Development agency are renovating the station. The Union Ministry of Non conventional Energy is giving financial assistance of Rs 1.10 crore. Nearly 75 of the total cost is being given by the Ministry and the rest by the WBSEB.Technical persons will look into the renovation work by mid July, said Mr Gopal Sharma, hydro superintendent, Kurseong Generation and Distribution. WBSEB will recommission a 400 kw unit and three 200 kw units by the end of July and August for the nearby tea gardens and villages. New machines have been installed. Care has been taken to preserve the heritage and antiquity of the station, said Mr Sharma.