Mamata visits earthquake hit Sikkim ,Meets Pawan Chamling

Siliguri /Gangtok, September 20 (ANI): West Bengal Chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday visited Sikkim after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake jolted the region. Banerjee, before leaving for Sikkim, spoke to mediapersons in Siliguri, elaborating on the aid given to the quake victims. The forceful earthquake has so far claimed over 70 lives across three countries India, Nepal and China, out of which over 50 people have died in India alone, most of them in Sikkim. Among the most difficult of the rescue operation is to re open National Highway 31 A which connects Sikkim to the rest of the country.


West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday met her Sikkim counterpart Pawan Kumar Chamling and offered him all assistance to meet the situation arising out of Sunday's quake.
"Sikkim is our neighbouring state and we stand by the people of Sikkim at this hour of crisis with all sorts of assistance to help them tide over the situation," Banerjee told reporters after meeting Chamling at NHPC guest house in Gangtok.

Banerjee earlier went around some of the the tremor affected villages and talked to doctors and nurses in two hospitals where the injured were receiving treatment.Expressing concern over the loss of several lives in the state due to the earthquake, she said while the Centre was extending all help, "We in West Bengal have already given some relief materials and medicines and are ready to provide more."

"What is needed is joint effort to overcome the crisis," she added

New Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Gets 600 Crore Package

Sukna (West Bengal), July 18 (IANS) A tripartite agreement on the Darjeeling hills was signed Monday between the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) and the West Bengal and central governments.

At the core of the pact is the formation of a new autonomous elected Hill Council Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA), which is armed with more powers as compared to its predecessor Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) formed in the late 1980s.
Thousands of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) supporters gathered at the Pintal Village, near Sukna, to witness and celebrate the signing of the tripartite agreement for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration today. Clad in traditional attire, the supporters, including women, gathered under the tents erected on the sprawling ground near the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council bungalow amidst heavy security.
Activists of the GJM women's wing, Gorkha Nari Morcha, took to the stage, dancing and singing to celebrate the occasion. Many of the supporters were heard shouting slogans like, 'Mamata Banerjee zindabad,' and 'Bimal Gurung zindabad,' while shouts of 'we want Gorkhaland,' 'we want a separate state,' were also heard.
"This is a turning point in our movement and not a permanent settlement. This is only a temporary settlement to address the basic problem. The separate state issue must not be a closed chapter," P Arjun, a member of the GJM think tank 16-member Study Forum, told Media.

The signing of historic Gorkhaland pact today

The stage is set for Monday's signing of the milestone agreement between the Centre, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and West Bengal government on the contentious Darjeeling issue at Pintail village near Siliguri. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday arrived in Siliguri and Union home minister P Chidambaram is scheduled to arrive on Monday to sign the treaty which will pave the way for setting up a new hill council 'Gorkhaland Tarritorial Administration'.On the eve of the signing of the agreement, Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist (CPRM), a prominent voice in the hills, accused the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha of reneging on its promise to create Gorkhaland by agreeing to be a party of the accord on Sunday.

CPRM spokesman Gobinda Chhetri said the Morcha had betrayed the cause of Gorkhaland on whose promise it had fought the last Assembly election and won. Plains-based organisations Amra Bangali, Jana Jagaran and Jana Chetana have called a 48-hour north Bengal bandh to protest against the treaty.

The Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad, which opposes inclusion of areas of Dooars and Terai regions in the GTA, has given the moral support to the bandh, its Terai unit president Nicodene Minj said. ABAVP secretary Birsa Tirkey said, "We are not against the tripartite agreement, but against inclusion of areas of Dooars and Terai in the GTA.'

On saturday, CPI-M leader Surya Kanta Mishra had complained that opposition parties had not been consulted prior to signing of the agreement.

Mishra, who is also the Opposition leader in the Assembly, said the proposed name of the new hill council 'Gorkhaland Territorial Administration' was misleading and confusing and was bound to create disunity in the Darjeeling hills.

West Bengal Chief minister Mamata Banerjee was given a warm welcome by the hills people who lined the road of his journey from Bagdogra to Sukna. She got down from her vehicle and talked to them and discussed their problems. She also visited the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary near Siliguri.

Darjeeling issue solved:CM Mamata

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday made a historic announcement that the decades-long Darjeeling issue had finally been resolved.

At the end of the second day of the official talks between the state government and the GJM, Mamata said: “Darjeeling issue is on its way to getting settled. Home Minister P Chidambaram has been informed that the Darjeeling matter has been solved. An agreement has been signed between us at the official-level. Technicalities have also been worked out at the official-level.”

The Chief Minister had promised a “way out of the Darjeeling impasse in three months” at her first press conference after assuming reigns of the state on May 20.
State Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh is expected to speak to the Centre and Banerjee wants to sit for a tripartite meeting ideally within a week.

Calling the tripartite talks among the Centre, the state and the Hill party a mere formality, Banerjee said the meeting should be held at Darjeeling itself and not in Kolkata or Delhi.

Meanwhile, GJM secretary Roshan Giri said, “All contentious issues such as transfer of Tauji (right over tea gardens), territory of Terai and Dooars, reserve forests, casual employees of DGHC and sectarian crime were discussed. We are happy today.” Critical contentious issues were claimed to have been settled in the meeting and it was decided that a new interim administrative board, comprising representatives of the Centre, the state and the GJM, would be formed within two weeks. The 9-member committee which would decide on addition of territory and control of the tea gardens would submit a report within six months.

Interestingly, whileMamata kept repeating that the Hill issue had been resolved, Giri played it safe without commenting on GJM’s original demand for a separate Gorkhaland. He said, “These were only the minutes of the meeting.” A new Hill Council would be elected democratically by the people of the region at a later date. The council would have powers to form rules but not pass laws. The two-day meeting followed GJM chief Bimal Gurung’s show of support to Banerjee

We are stepping into a new dawn for Sikkim: Pawan Chamling

A significant milestone: VP Hamid Ansari

Rangpo,October31: Mr. Hamid Ansari, Vice President of India, laid the foundation stone for Sivok-Rangpo rail link on Friday, October 30, at a Rangpo site. Those present included Mrs. Ansari, Governor of Sikkim, Mr. BP Singh, Mrs. Singh, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, Union Minister for Railways, Mr. Mukul Roy, Union Minister of State for Shipping, Dr. Pawan Chamling, Chief Minister of Sikkim, Chief Secretary and other officials, Government of Sikkim, and representatives and officials from Railways.
Speaking on the occasion Mr. Ansari said, “I am very happy to participate in today’s function and lay the foundation stone for the new broad gauge line between Sevok and Rangpo that would provide the first ever rail link to Sikkim. This is a significant milestone in providing the rail connectivity to the state”.
He hoped that the national project would be completed on time. It is also gratifying that further extension of this line from Rangpo to Gangtok is being planned and the survey for the same has been carried out, he said. He also said, establishing rail connectivity would not only lead to further economic development but also increase the number of tourists coming to the state.
Chief Minister Dr. Pawan Chamling in his address said, “Today is a red letter day for Sikkim and the Sikkimese people as the dream project that we pursued with the wholehearted support and endorsement of the Central Government has come to a full circle”.
As a Himalayan State, CM said, Sikkim is face to face with certain specific problems and hardships caused by its locational disadvantages and as a landlocked State, “we are deprived of easy access to regular communication and transportation linkages with the outside world”.
“With the only existing 31A National Highway to link Sikkim with the rest of the Country and the world, we are hard pressed to build other channel of communication for the State. Frequent disruptions due to landslides and disturbances in the neighbouring areas give us a sense of isolation and cause extreme hardships at times. However, today I feel this story belongs to the past and we are now stepping into a new dawn”. He said, “I am personally grateful to the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and convey the gratitude of my people to the Government of India and to the Ministry of Railways and the Railway Board for making our cherished dream a reality”.

Chief Minister said, “Together with the completion of the first phase of the project upto Rangpo, we would also eagerly look forward to the second phase of the project to be extended to Gangtok as part of the policy of the Ministry of Railways to provide rail link to all State Capitals. In fact, Madam Benerjee has been kind to let us know that preliminary engineering and traffic survey for extension of rail line from Sivok-Rangpo to Gangtok has been completed in March 2009. My Government will give topmost priority in helping the Railways to finalize the locational surveys, acquire land and render any assistance required”.
He further said, “I would like to share our dream and plan to extend the railway track upto Nathula border post standing at 14, 400 feet separating India with Tibet Autonomous Region of China. We are aware that countries like Switzerland has created special railway line in high altitude area over and above 14,000 feet like the Jungfraujoch (pronounced as Un-fra-yok) on top of Europe and in Mount Titlis, creating an engineering wonder”. “In the same way”, CM said, “I would like to urge upon the railway authorities to take advantage of the scenic beauty of Sikkim together with its strategic location to create another wonder of the world in the railway history surpassing all past achievements”.

Gorkhaland Memorandum to Mamta Banerjee

Gangtok,October 30: The BGP Unit of Sikkim led by its President Dr.Kamal Gurung yesterday presented a memorandum for Gorkhaland to Union Railway Minister and President,Trinamool Congress Ms. Mamta banerjee in Tourist Lodge at Rangpo. Ms. Banerjee was at Rangpo to lay oundation stone of Sikkim Rail Link along with Vice-President of India, Hamid Ansari.

Ms.  Banerjee accepted the Memorandum without any comment or reaction to it and also ceremonial scarf Khada offered to her by the BGP Sikkim delegation.The delegation compried besides Mr. gurung, Somnath Pandey -General Secretary, Prabin Khaling, Treasurer Smt.Suman Pradhan, Ganesh Chettri,

Sikkim chugs into country’s rail map

Rangpo/Sevoke, Oct. 30: Eighty-year-old Ratna Bahadur Rai wants to live for at least five more years. Reason: his half-a-century old aspiration to board a train from Sikkim to reach Siliguri.

As Vice-President M. Hamid Ansari today laid the foundation stone for a landmark railway project to connect Rangpo to Sevoke, Rai cheered along with thousands of others. The old man had trekked from Mazitar to the Mining Stadium Ground in Rangpo to witness the event which will for the first time place the Himalayan state on the railway map of India. The railway link is expected to be extended to Gangtok, around 40km from Rangpo, the town on the Sikkim-Bengal border.

“I huffed and puffed as I walked the hilly terrain, but I was determined to come to Rangpo. In the 50s, when I was a little more than 20 years old, I used to carry oranges, ginger and wool bought from Tibetan traders on bullock carts to reach Geillkhola near Kalimpong,” recollected Rai. “The goods were loaded on the little train that used to chug out of the station everyday to Siliguri. I had always wanted to board the train but could not as after some years, the service was discontinued because of landslide. It used to take 24 hours for a return journey from Geillkhola to Rangpo.”

Ansari, who considers the plan to connect Sikkim to the rest of the country by trains an engineering achievement, had a word of appreciation for the Indian Railways. “It was only recently that a train was flagged off in a similar hilly terrain in Jammu and Kashmir. The effort of the railway ministry is appreciable and we look forward for execution of this project which was a long-drawn aspiration of Sikkim residents.”

Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling, who was present at the event with governor Balmiki Prasad Singh, thanked the railways. “Today is a red letter day for Sikkim. So far, the sole means of communication was NH31A. It is good our state has now been included in the rail map and we look forward to see the route extended to Gangtok and trains leaving from our state capital in the coming years.”

Railway minister Mamata Banerjee announced in Hindi that two computerised passenger reservation centres would be set up in Rangpo and Gangtok in a month. Passing on necessary instruction to Northeast Frontier Railway officials on the stage, she said: “Introduction of railway services will not only improve communication but the economy of the region as a whole. It is a big project and we are determined to finish the first phase and then extend it up to Gangtok, unlike others who simply lay foundation stones and turn oblivious when it comes to execution.

“If we can lay railway tracks in Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh, we can do the same in Sikkim. We have come here only after passing the work orders and allocating Rs 1,400 crore for it.”

The laying of foundation stone has not only brought communication hopes but fuelled job expectations as well.

Ajit Raphel, a second year student of ITI Rangpo, was seen sitting at the venue with a group of friends. “We are being technically trained and opening of rail route will definitely help us get more job opportunities,” he said.

Foundation stone laid in Rangpo, Mamata’s convoy rushed to Sevoke to lay another foundation stone for the same project. She announced an award of Rs 10 lakh for the NFR for performing well.

Pic: Sikkim Rail Foundation Stone at Rangpo

The foundation stone for a railway link from Sevoke near Siliguri to Rangpo, a town on the Bengal-Sikkim border, was laid on Friday. The project will put Sikkim on the railway map of India. It is now linked to the rest of the country only by road, NH 31A. The tracks will cover a distance of 52.7km. Work is expected to be complete in five years.

Vice President Ansari lays foundation stone for first ever Rail line in Sikkim

Shri M. Hamid Ansari, Vice President of India at the laying of the foundation stone for the new railway line from Sivok to Rangpo on 30th October 2009 at Rangpo in Sikkim. The Governor of Sikkim, Shri Balmiki Prasad Singh and the Chief Minister of Sikkim, Dr. Pawan K. Chamling are also seen.

Gangtok,Oct 30:The Vice President Mohd. Hamid Hansari has asserted that the centre is fully aware to the need to significantly upgrade road, rail and air connectivity in the entire North-East region. He was laying the foundation stone for the first ever rail line to Sikkim at Rangpo in Sikkim on Friday. Describing the project as creating an engineering history for the railways, the vice-president said it was a "significant milestone" in providing railway connectivity to the state. He said the project would be an "eye-opener" for similar projects to be developed in the entire northeast.

"The government is fully aware of the need to significantly upgrade road, rail and air connectivity in the entire northeastern region. Many initiatives have been undertaken in this regard. The Sevoke-Rangpo broad gauge line is one such," Ansari said in his address.

The Railway Minister Ms.Mamta Banerjee said that there is a plan to connect Gangtok to Darjeeling and Mirik as well. The State Governor Mr. Balmiki Prasad Singh and the Chief Minister Mr.Pawan Chamling were also present on the occasion. AIR Gangtok correspondent reports that 1340 crore rupees rail project connecting Rangpo in Sikkim to the rest of the country via Sevoke in West Bengal will be completed by 2015. The 53 kilometer long Rangpo - Sevoke rail route will have five stations, 100 small bridges, 13 tunnels including one with a length of around 2 kilometer and four manned railway crossings. The rail project will provide a much needed alternative connectivity to this land-locked mountainous border state, the national highway 31 A get disrupted by frequent landslides particularly during the monsoon.

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said her ministry would ensure that the project was completed within the scheduled time frame of five years.

Assuring the people that the project would receive her "personal attention", Banerjee said the link will cover 52.7 km with 13 tunnels and 110 small and large bridges. More than 12 km of the link will run through tunnels, the longest of which is 1.814 km.

Mamta Banerjee stationed at Rangpo for Sikkim rail project

Sikkim will be connected with rail link in five years:Mamata Banerjee


GANGTOK, October 29: Union Railways Minister Mamta Banerjee arrived in Sikkim today evening to attend tomorrow’s foundation stone laying function of the Rs. 1339.48 crore Rangpo-Sevoke rail link project at Mining Ground, Rangpo.
Banerjee reached Rangpo at around 5:40 pm by road and headed straight towards the NHPC guest house at Balutar where arrangements had been made for her stay. However, she returned back to Rangpo tourist guest house as she did not wished to stay far away from the venue of tomorrow’s programme. State authorities and Railway officials made arrangements for her stay at Rangpo tourist guest house, which is less than 10 kms away from the venue of foundation stone laying function.
Vice President M Hamid Ansari who is currently on a three day trip of Sikkim will be laying the foundation stone of the Sevoke-Rangpo new BG railway line at the Mining Ground in presence of the Union Railways Minister, Governor BP Singh, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and a host of other dignitaries.
The project which was sanctioned during the financial year 2008-09 is estimated to cost Rs. 1339.48 crore and spans a distance of 52.7 kms between Sevoke and Rangpo. Five stations have been proposed between the rail line-Raing, Gielkhola, Teesta Bazaar, Melli and Rangpo. There will be 100 bridges constructed with four manned level crossings along the rail track.
Altogether 13 tunnels will be constructed for the project with the longest tunnel being 1814 m.
Final location survey is in progress to fix up the alignment of this route and work out detailed estimate of the project. This will provide the first ever link to Sikkim.
Indian Railway Construction Company Ltd, a public sector undertaking under Ministry of Railway is entrusted with the execution of the project which is targeted to completed in five years.
Meanwhile, in accordance with the Railway’s policy of providing rail link to all the capitals of the Northeastern States, Railway has carried out a reconnaissance survey to bring Gangtok on the railway map of the country. Another survey to provide rail connectivity from Mirik to Gangtok is in progress