Aug. 7: Calcutta High Court today said the people of Darjeeling “should not be harassed and steps should be taken against bandh supporters”, while in the hills Bimal Gurung declared that the shutdown will continue because the “public mood is against lifting” the strike.
The court said 10 guidelines set earlier this year should be followed by the Darjeeling administration so that life in the hills is not affected. But in Darjeeling, the Yuva Morcha, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s youth wing, announced a series of protests, a clear indication that the hill party was in no mood to relent.
A little after noon, Calcutta High Court, while hearing a PIL seeking an order to declare the strike illegal, today said: “The state has failed to maintain normalcy in Darjeeling. It has also failed to provide emergency services to the general people. General people should not be harassed and steps should be taken against the bandh supporters.”
The division bench of Chief Justice A.K. Mishra and Justice Joymalya Bagchi asked the state, particularly the Darjeeling administration, to follow 10 guidelines it had framed to maintain peace and normalcy on February 20 and 21 earlier this year when 11 trade unions had called a bandh to protest a fuel price hike and spiralling inflation.
“On February 14 this year, this bench had issued certain guidelines regarding a bandh. The Darjeeling administration would have to follow the guidelines,” the order said.
The bench directed the superintendent of police, Darjeeling, to file an action-taken report before August 14, when the matter would again come up for hearing. The 10 guidelines that the court had set on February 14 are:
nThe chief secretary, director-general of police and district collectors must ensure that bandh supporters do not use force or intimidation
nEnsure that public transport in the state can run without any obstruction
nTake appropriate action against the person(s) trying to obstruct rail and road traffic or free movement of common people
nEssential services like telephone and telecommunication, water supply, milk distribution, supply of power and distribution of newspapers should not be affected. The courts should function normally
Provide adequate protection to vital installations
Adequate protection for various institutions, including courts
Action to be taken against anti-socials and persons indulging in acts of violence and vandalism
Adequate police arrangement to be made outside railway stations, bus depots, main roads, main junctions, hospitals, courts, schools, colleges etc
All police control rooms to remain active for proper and timely action
Ensure that no unlawful activity takes place.
Around 12.30pm at Darjeeling’s Singamari, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Gurung said: “The strike will continue without relaxation as long as the people want it. The current public mood is against lifting the indefinite strike and hence the strike will continue. We might only relax the strike for Independence Day celebrations.” He added: “If anyone has problems with rations, they can come to me and I will provide rations to them.”
Asked if he would meet Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi, Gurung said: “I was supposed to meet him tomorrow but he seems to have a busy schedule. Our team in Delhi is working on the appointment and it should come through within the next three or four days. I will leave for Delhi once the appointment is finalised.”
The six-member Morcha team that is in Delhi met BJP leader L.K. Advani. Roshan Giri, the Morcha general secretary, said over phone from Delhi: “We have talked to him about the need to form Gorkhaland and he assured (us) that the issue would be raised by them at an appropriate time.”
The strike will enter its sixth day tomorrow. When the case came up for hearing today, government pleader Ashok Banerjee supported the contention of the petitioner, Ramaprasad Sarkar. Banerjee also said: “The government will try to carry out the court order and restore normalcy in Darjeeling.”
After Gurung’s news conference in Darjeeling, the Yuva Morcha announced a series of protests, a further indication that the Morcha was in no mood to relent now. Police sources said 32 Morcha activists were arrested from Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong last night. In Darjeeling court, 19 of the accused did not get bail. Three have been booked for arson, the rest charged with blocking highways.
The court said 10 guidelines set earlier this year should be followed by the Darjeeling administration so that life in the hills is not affected. But in Darjeeling, the Yuva Morcha, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s youth wing, announced a series of protests, a clear indication that the hill party was in no mood to relent.
A little after noon, Calcutta High Court, while hearing a PIL seeking an order to declare the strike illegal, today said: “The state has failed to maintain normalcy in Darjeeling. It has also failed to provide emergency services to the general people. General people should not be harassed and steps should be taken against the bandh supporters.”
The division bench of Chief Justice A.K. Mishra and Justice Joymalya Bagchi asked the state, particularly the Darjeeling administration, to follow 10 guidelines it had framed to maintain peace and normalcy on February 20 and 21 earlier this year when 11 trade unions had called a bandh to protest a fuel price hike and spiralling inflation.
“On February 14 this year, this bench had issued certain guidelines regarding a bandh. The Darjeeling administration would have to follow the guidelines,” the order said.
The bench directed the superintendent of police, Darjeeling, to file an action-taken report before August 14, when the matter would again come up for hearing. The 10 guidelines that the court had set on February 14 are:
nThe chief secretary, director-general of police and district collectors must ensure that bandh supporters do not use force or intimidation
nEnsure that public transport in the state can run without any obstruction
nTake appropriate action against the person(s) trying to obstruct rail and road traffic or free movement of common people
nEssential services like telephone and telecommunication, water supply, milk distribution, supply of power and distribution of newspapers should not be affected. The courts should function normally
Provide adequate protection to vital installations
Adequate protection for various institutions, including courts
Action to be taken against anti-socials and persons indulging in acts of violence and vandalism
Adequate police arrangement to be made outside railway stations, bus depots, main roads, main junctions, hospitals, courts, schools, colleges etc
All police control rooms to remain active for proper and timely action
Ensure that no unlawful activity takes place.
Around 12.30pm at Darjeeling’s Singamari, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Gurung said: “The strike will continue without relaxation as long as the people want it. The current public mood is against lifting the indefinite strike and hence the strike will continue. We might only relax the strike for Independence Day celebrations.” He added: “If anyone has problems with rations, they can come to me and I will provide rations to them.”
Asked if he would meet Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi, Gurung said: “I was supposed to meet him tomorrow but he seems to have a busy schedule. Our team in Delhi is working on the appointment and it should come through within the next three or four days. I will leave for Delhi once the appointment is finalised.”
The six-member Morcha team that is in Delhi met BJP leader L.K. Advani. Roshan Giri, the Morcha general secretary, said over phone from Delhi: “We have talked to him about the need to form Gorkhaland and he assured (us) that the issue would be raised by them at an appropriate time.”
The strike will enter its sixth day tomorrow. When the case came up for hearing today, government pleader Ashok Banerjee supported the contention of the petitioner, Ramaprasad Sarkar. Banerjee also said: “The government will try to carry out the court order and restore normalcy in Darjeeling.”
After Gurung’s news conference in Darjeeling, the Yuva Morcha announced a series of protests, a further indication that the Morcha was in no mood to relent now. Police sources said 32 Morcha activists were arrested from Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong last night. In Darjeeling court, 19 of the accused did not get bail. Three have been booked for arson, the rest charged with blocking highways.
Push for normality in hills
KINSUK BASU
Calcutta, Aug. 7: Bengal home secretary Basudeb Banerjee is scheduled to visit the headquarters of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration tomorrow to restart work at government offices in what is being described as a “symbolic step” in the strike-crippled hills.
Sources said resumption of work at the GTA’s Lal Kothi headquarters would pack a strong message. “Throwing open the doors of the GTA headquarters would be a symbolic step that would underline the presence of the government in the hills,” said a senior home department official.
Only GTA principal secretary R.D. Meena has been attending office since the protests for a Gorkhaland state began last week, the sources said. Most government offices have been deserted.
“It would also send a message that the government is in no mood for any negotiation unless the strike is withdrawn,” the official said.
Banerjee, the highest ranking state official to visit the hills since the statehood protests resumed, is scheduled to meet hoteliers and transport operators who have been counting losses as a result of the indefinite strike that began from Saturday.
Calcutta High Court today said the state had “failed to maintain normality” in Darjeeling and directed the government to ensure peace. ( )
Aware that tough administrative action could trigger a backlash, the state government is taking steps to secure key officials and properties.
In a situation report sent to the government today, Banerjee said SDOs and BDOs from the three sub-divisions — Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong — should be provided with personal security so they can attend office.
The report sought immediate despatch of at least 500 civic volunteers. Banerjee has also asked for two water cannons.
“To avoid any situation that might provoke police to open fire, we are sending water cannons as demanded by the home secretary,” a home department official said.
A source at Writers’ said the home secretary was in the hills as part of a plan drawn up after chief minister Mamata Banerjee met senior state officials last week.
“At a meeting with the chief secretary, home secretary and the director-general of police… the chief minister said the unrest would have to be tackled through an administrative decision,” the source said.
KINSUK BASU
Calcutta, Aug. 7: Bengal home secretary Basudeb Banerjee is scheduled to visit the headquarters of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration tomorrow to restart work at government offices in what is being described as a “symbolic step” in the strike-crippled hills.
Sources said resumption of work at the GTA’s Lal Kothi headquarters would pack a strong message. “Throwing open the doors of the GTA headquarters would be a symbolic step that would underline the presence of the government in the hills,” said a senior home department official.
Only GTA principal secretary R.D. Meena has been attending office since the protests for a Gorkhaland state began last week, the sources said. Most government offices have been deserted.
“It would also send a message that the government is in no mood for any negotiation unless the strike is withdrawn,” the official said.
Banerjee, the highest ranking state official to visit the hills since the statehood protests resumed, is scheduled to meet hoteliers and transport operators who have been counting losses as a result of the indefinite strike that began from Saturday.
Calcutta High Court today said the state had “failed to maintain normality” in Darjeeling and directed the government to ensure peace. ( )
Aware that tough administrative action could trigger a backlash, the state government is taking steps to secure key officials and properties.
In a situation report sent to the government today, Banerjee said SDOs and BDOs from the three sub-divisions — Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong — should be provided with personal security so they can attend office.
The report sought immediate despatch of at least 500 civic volunteers. Banerjee has also asked for two water cannons.
“To avoid any situation that might provoke police to open fire, we are sending water cannons as demanded by the home secretary,” a home department official said.
A source at Writers’ said the home secretary was in the hills as part of a plan drawn up after chief minister Mamata Banerjee met senior state officials last week.
“At a meeting with the chief secretary, home secretary and the director-general of police… the chief minister said the unrest would have to be tackled through an administrative decision,” the source said.
Strike hits drug supply to plains
“We have an acute shortage of inputs and packaging materials. We are not being able to dispatch the medicines because of the strike. The storerooms are over-stocked. We will have to shut down the production units in a week’s time as our stock of raw materials will get exhausted,” said Ravindra Chakila, the plant head of Alkem in Sikkim.
Yesterday, representatives of all 14 pharmaceutical companies submitted a memorandum to the Sikkim minister of state for commerce and industries, Neeru Sewa, requesting him to provide police protection to trucks that bring raw materials to the factories and transport the medicines to Siliguri for distribution elsewhere.
Binod Nigam, the plant head of Indchemie Health Specialities Pvt Ltd, said: “We have information from our distributors that the drugs used to treat diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and pregnancy-related drugs, including antibiotics, are running out of stock.”
According to sources, some of the bigger units in Sikkim manufacture drugs worth over Rs 30 crore a month while the smaller ones produce medicines worth around Rs 8 crore.
“Medicine flow will be hit if the matter is not taken up seriously. The pharma units are likely incur heavy loses once production is stopped,” a pharma unit head said.
Minister Sewa said the letter from the medicine factory representatives had been forwarded to the chief secretary.
“The state police department will be requested to provide additional protection (to the trucks). Arrangements can also be made for the trucks to ply along with the government buses,” a senior government official said.
“We have an acute shortage of inputs and packaging materials. We are not being able to dispatch the medicines because of the strike. The storerooms are over-stocked. We will have to shut down the production units in a week’s time as our stock of raw materials will get exhausted,” said Ravindra Chakila, the plant head of Alkem in Sikkim.
Yesterday, representatives of all 14 pharmaceutical companies submitted a memorandum to the Sikkim minister of state for commerce and industries, Neeru Sewa, requesting him to provide police protection to trucks that bring raw materials to the factories and transport the medicines to Siliguri for distribution elsewhere.
Binod Nigam, the plant head of Indchemie Health Specialities Pvt Ltd, said: “We have information from our distributors that the drugs used to treat diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and pregnancy-related drugs, including antibiotics, are running out of stock.”
According to sources, some of the bigger units in Sikkim manufacture drugs worth over Rs 30 crore a month while the smaller ones produce medicines worth around Rs 8 crore.
“Medicine flow will be hit if the matter is not taken up seriously. The pharma units are likely incur heavy loses once production is stopped,” a pharma unit head said.
Minister Sewa said the letter from the medicine factory representatives had been forwarded to the chief secretary.
“The state police department will be requested to provide additional protection (to the trucks). Arrangements can also be made for the trucks to ply along with the government buses,” a senior government official said.
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