Kolkata, 7 June : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that the 15-year-old Darjeeling issue was “settled” but the GJM was mum on whether there was any decision on its original demand for a Gorkhaland state.
“Today is a historic day. The Darjeeling issue which has been lingering for a long period is settled at the official-level talks. I have informed Union Home Minister P Chidambaram,” Mamata Banerjee told reporters at the Writers’ Buildings.Asked about the ‘magic formula’ that clinched the agreement, Mamata Banerjee, who had earlier stated that she would solve the Darjeeling problem within three months, said, “It is our heart and good intention. The magic formula for reaching this agreement is development.”
Noting that Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh would announce details of the nitty gritties, she said, “I have asked him to talk to the Centre so that the agreement can be formalised at Darjeeling where I will be present.” Asked if a financial package will be given to Darjeeling, she retorted, “Shall I attend a wedding without a gift? We love the people of Darjeeling.”
Later GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told reporters that transfer of ‘tauji’ or the right over tea gardens and resolution of the problem of casual employees of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council were reached at the meeting. Asked about the GJM’s original demand for Gorkhaland, Roshan Giri declined to comment. န File Photos : AFP, Avijit Mondal
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Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao calls on Dipu Moni
Dhaka, 7 June : Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao called on Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni at the Foreign Ministry.
Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Tarek Karim, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Raji Mitter and high officials were present. Both the Foreign Secretaries explained to the Foreign Minister on the outcome of the consultations which covered the whole gamut of bilateral relations.
Dhaka, 7 June : Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao called on Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni at the Foreign Ministry.
Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Tarek Karim, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Raji Mitter and high officials were present. Both the Foreign Secretaries explained to the Foreign Minister on the outcome of the consultations which covered the whole gamut of bilateral relations.
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Argentine Football superstar to play in Kolkata and Dhaka
Kolkata, 7 June : Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi and his teammates are playing a FIFA official international friendly against Venezuela at Salt Lake's Yuba Bharati Krirangan on 2 September. The official confirmation came on Monday when Celebrity Management Group along with the state government, All India Football Federation and Indian Football Association made an announcement.“The Argentina Football Association had indeed signed a contract to bring in the full-strength squad including Messi and Carlos Tevez among others. So the contract guarantees their participation," said Bhaswar Goswami of CMG. The city-based sports management firm that had earlier brought football legend Diego Maradona in 2008 would also organise another international friendly match between Argentina and Nigeria in Dhaka on 6 September.
“We were given the match in condition that we have to buy another. We did not think twice and bought both the matches just to make Messi play in Kolkata," Bhaswar Goswami said. Giving brief details about the itinerary, he said Messi and Co. would stay here for four days, beginning 30 August. Tickets are to start from Rs 1,000. န File Photo : AFP
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Tripura' iconic Communist figure Baidyanath Majumder dies
IANS, Agartala, 7 June : Baidyanath Majumder, an iconic Communist father figure of Tripura, died here early Tuesday. He was 88. His death was condoled by politicians cutting across party lines.The last of Tripura's first generation Left leaders, he breathed his last at the Gobinda Ballabh Pant Medical College and Hospital here, senior physician Pradip Bhowmik told reporters Tuesday. Majumder suffered multiple brain strokes, chronic liver disease and septicemia besides other old age ailments.
A bachelor, he had a simple lifestyle and perfect political career. Majumder was regarded by all, irrespective of their political ideology. 'With the death of this legendary Communist, we have lost a real guardian,' Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said.
'Majumder was a real political monk in India. He was a role model for present generation politicians for his supreme honesty and undemanding life,' said veteran Congress leader Tapas Dey.
Popularly known as Baidyanath Da and also Sital Da, he was elected to the state assembly five times between 1977 and 1998.
CPI(M) leader Badal Chaudhury, Bijon Dhar and leaders from various parties lines expressed grief over his death. It was in the undivided Communist Party of India (CPI) that Majumder began his political career in 1942 and got the party membership the next year.
In 1993, Majumder, also a firebrand trade union leader, was inducted as the member of the CPI(M)'s central committee and became secretary of the party's Tripura unit in 1998. One of the founding members of the Communist movement in Left-ruled Tripura, Majumder supervised various portfolios in the state for several years and was the deputy chief minister of Tripura from 1993 to 1998.
Guided by legendary Communist leader and former Tripura chief minister Nripen Chakraborty, a maverick, he spent more than five years in different periods in different jails in India, including the Tihar jail in Delhi and the Hazaribagh jail in Jharkhand.
Baidyanath Babu was the fourth son of Bijoy Chandra Majumder and Sunitibala Devi. He was fluent in several languages, including Hindi and tribal language Kokborok.
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Ershad to support BD govt in abolition of caretaker system
UNB, Dhaka, 7 June : Bangladesh Jatiya Party chairman H M Ershad would stand by the government in its venture to scrap the system of caretaker government but not oppose keeping it if the grand alliance wants.The assurance from Ershad, a partner of the Awami League led grand alliance, came when he met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her parliament office this evening.
Sources close to the meeting said during the hour-long meeting from 7 pm (BDST) Hasina referred to Supreme Court verdict on the caretaker system. She told the JP chief that caretaker government system should not stay anymore.
About the observation of the court Hasina said the system could be kept for the next two elections, but the immediate past Chief Justice could not be made the chief adviser of the caretaker government.
The Prime Minister said alternative to the caretaker government system can be initiated by anyone in parliament.
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Four people killed and 10 injured in Tangail road accidents
UNB, Tangail, 7 June : Four people were killed and 10 others injured in three separate road accidents in the district early Tuesday.
Two people were killed and 10 others injured in a head-on collision between a bus and a truck at Kandila in sadar upazila on Dhaka-Tangail highway early in the morning.
UNB, Tangail, 7 June : Four people were killed and 10 others injured in three separate road accidents in the district early Tuesday.
Two people were killed and 10 others injured in a head-on collision between a bus and a truck at Kandila in sadar upazila on Dhaka-Tangail highway early in the morning.
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West Bengal minister visits Amlasole village for first time
PTI, Jhargram, 7 June : The Sabars and Bhumijs of Amlasole village, which hit the national headlines in 2004 following four starvation deaths, were surprised when a West Bengal minister dropped in for the first time in many years.West Bengal Food and Supplies Minister Jyotipriya Mullick found that the villagers did not have ration or BPL cards and no irrigation facilities were there for the small quantity of paddy grown.
Food and Supplies Minister Jyotipriya Mullick, who yesterday visited the village, surrounded by the Dalma range in remote and difficult terrain in West Midnapore district, told reporters that many of the villagers did not have ration or BPL cards.
The minister found that the nearest ration shop was three kilometre away and announced that a ration shop would be set up at Amlasole so that villagers did not have to trek three kilometre to Kankrajhore to buy essentials. န Photos : Mitul Das
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Monsoon may be delayed in West Bengal: Alipur Met office
Kolkata, 7 June : The monsoon which arrives in West Bengal between 8 June and 12 may be delayed this year with the temperature today hovering between 37 degrees and 39 degrees celsius.The humid and sultry conditions, which have added to the discomfort, would continue for some more days since rainy conditions have not yet fully developed, an official of the Regional Meteorological Centre said.
To a question, the weatherman said thundery conditions with isolated rain might develop.
Meanwhile, eight students of the Bidya Bharati Institution here were hospitalised after they became unconscious while rehearsing for a programme in the heat outside.
Guardians alleged that students were made to rehearse in the open for at least four hours each day in the heat, however school authorities were unavailable for comment. န File Photo : Reuters
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Third new Air Conditioned rake of Kolkata Metro Rail arrives
Kolkata, 7 June : The third violet coloured air conditioned rake for the Kolkata Metro Rail arrived at Noapara car shed here today fulfilling a long standing demand.
Manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Perambur, the new AC rake was claimed to befree from any technicalsnag. According to Metro Rail sources, the new AC rake would be commissioned sometimes next monthafter thorough checkup and trial run. Two more new AC rakes were expected to arrive hereby the end of July, the sources said, addingof 13 rakes to be delivered by next year, two prototype AC rakes had beeninto commercial services since October, 2010.
Kolkata, 7 June : The third violet coloured air conditioned rake for the Kolkata Metro Rail arrived at Noapara car shed here today fulfilling a long standing demand.
Manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Perambur, the new AC rake was claimed to befree from any technicalsnag. According to Metro Rail sources, the new AC rake would be commissioned sometimes next monthafter thorough checkup and trial run. Two more new AC rakes were expected to arrive hereby the end of July, the sources said, addingof 13 rakes to be delivered by next year, two prototype AC rakes had beeninto commercial services since October, 2010.
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GM Ziaur Rahman shares fourth place in Indian chess meet
UNB, Dhaka, 7 June : Bangladeshi Grand Master Ziaur Rahman shared the 4th place in the International Grand Masters Chess Tournament that concluded on Monday in the Indian city of Bhubaneshwar.He shared the 4th slot in the Indian chess meet along with 10 other players securing 7.5 points.
Two other Bangladeshi Grand Masters Niaz Murshed and Enamul Hossain Rajib shared the 5th place in the tournament along with 18 other players collecting seven points each.
Besides, Bangladeshi FM Mehedi Hasan bagged 6.5 points, FM Javed 6 points, IWM Rani Hamid, Siam and Sharif 5.5 points each, Hasan, Hafizul and Mokaddes bagged 5 points each, Joynal 4 points and Saif 3.5 points.
A total of 220 chess players, including 14 Grand Masters and 29 International Masters took part in the eleven-round Swiss League basis meet. န File Photo
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