Sikkim Observer Oct 31, 2011

Bengal govt NOC needed for alternative highway: CM

Gangtok, Oct 30:  Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has requested the Mamata Banerjee government for forest clearance to construct an alternative highway from Siliguri to Gangtok.

"I have requested Mamataji for an no-objection certificate (NOC). I told her the alternative highway will be important for Sikkim as well as Darjeeling," Chamling said, a national daily reported.

"An NOC from Bengal is also necessary for the construction of a rail link to Sikkim." The necessary NOC from the Bengal government is, however, still awaited.

The State Government had earlier sent a plan for the alternative highway to the Centre since NH 31A from Siliguri to Gangtok is overused and often gets blocked due to landslides. But an NOC from the Bengal government is a must before the ministry of environment and forest gives the final approval, the report said.

The State Government wants the proposed highway to pass through Chalsa in north Bengal, connecting the existing NH 31A at Rongpo in Sikkim via Jaldhaka, passing through the Neora Valley forest in Bengal.

One-fifth of IPS officers in the country yet to submit property returns

24 IPS officers from Sikkim, including DGP Jasbir Singh, in list of defaulters

Observer News Service

New Delhi, Oct 30: Nearly one-fifth of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers in the country have not declared their annual immovable property returns (IPR) for 2010 despite three deadlines given to them by the home ministry.

These include police chiefs of Delhi, Bihar, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh. Their action will now put them in the negative list of vigilance clearance for future postings, a national daily reported.

After the latest deadline of October 10 went by, the ministry - which is the cadre controlling authority of IPS officers - recently made public the names of 864 officers who are yet to submit their IPRs.

Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, with 92 officers each, top the list of defaulters followed by Karnataka (56), Tamil Nadu (51), Maharashtra (47), Jammu & Kashmir (42) and West Bengal (37). There are nearly 4,300 IPS officers (sanctioned strength) in the country.

Many top IPS officers, including officers of the rank of DGP and Additional DG figure in the list. It includes Delhi Police commissioner B K Gupta, Bihar police chief Abhayanand, Sikkim DGP Jasbir Singh and UP police chief Brij Lal among other prominent top cops of the country.

Issuing the latest deadline in September, the Home Ministry had asked IPS officers to submit their annual IPR for 2010 before October 10 else their vigilance clearance may be denied for future postings. It also said names of defaulters would be made public on the ministry's website.

"If the IPRs for 2010 are not received within the aforesaid period, names of defaulting officers will be posted on the website of this ministry," the circular said.

The home ministry also said if the officers failed to submit their returns before October 10, action may be initiated as per the modified guidelines of the department of personnel.

It was the third deadline given by the ministry after the IPS officers failed to adhere to their first deadline of January 31 and second deadline of September 20.

IPS officers of almost all states and Union Territories have, however, become defaulters. The list of defaulters also shows 35 officers from Punjab, 30 from Jharkhand, 28 from Kerala, 28 from Chhattisgarh, 25 from Haryana, 24 from Sikkim, 22 from Orissa and 22 from Madhya Pradesh among others.

The total IPS officers in Sikkim is believed to be 32 only. According to informed sources, several Sikkim IPS officers, including the DGP, had earlier submitted their papers to the State Government’s DoP. The DoP had failed to forward the same to the Home Ministry, it is learnt.

EU status for Darjeeling tea

DARJEELING: The European Union (EU) has registered India's Darjeeling tea as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) product. Darjeeling tea is the first commodity from India to get the status.

The status implies that the brew produced only in Darjeeling can be sold as Darjeeling Tea in the EU countries.

Govt will bring out ‘white paper’ on quake funds: Chamling

Chungthang, Oct 30: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling said his government would bring out a ‘white paper’ on utilization of the relief funds for the victims of the recent earthquake that rocked the State.

During his weeklong tour of the north district, which is a part of his earlier statewide tour of the State, the Chief Minister expressed his condolences and sympathy to those affected by last month’s devastating earthquake measuring 6.9 in the Richter scale.

During his visit to Lachen, Lachung and Dzongu, Chamling personally inspected the damaged areas, including houses. He also interacted with the local people, Pipons and the panchayat.

“The Chief Minister also informed the people of various initiatives taken by the government towards relief and rehabilitation and the government decision to construct one storied building to the affected victims whose houses have been completely damaged by the  recent earth quake,” an official release said.

The Chief Minister also “informed the people that a white paper on the utilization of the relief fund will be released by the government for public information and appealed to the gathering  to extend their full participation, support and co-operation in the rebuilding and restoration process,” the release added.

Speaking at Shipgyer in upper Dzongu, the Chief Minister said the State Government will reconstruct 64 houses in Dzongu and shift 14 displaced families on the area.

It may be mentioned that the Sikkim National People’s Party (SNPP) last week demanded a “White Paper” on various issues, including distribution of funds, relating to the recent earthquake.

The Congress party, too, alleged discrimination in distribution of relief funds.

Tibet Film Festival in Dharamsala

Observer News Service

Dehradun, Oct 30: The third edition of the Tibet Film Festival will be held in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh from October 29-30, 2011. This is the first time the festival is being held in India simultaneously with its main venue in Zurich where the past two editions of the festival were held.

The festival will screen films by Tibetan filmmakers and hold roundtable on ‘What is a Tibetan Film?”  There will be a short film competition on the theme ‘Mother’. The selected entries will be screened both in India and Switzerland and will run in competition for the $500 / $300 / $200 Jury Award and the $200 Audience Award. The films in competition will be posted on the “Filming for Tibet” homepage.

The Festival is collaboration between Filming for Tibet and the Tibetan Youth Association in Europe (TYAE). The event is dedicated to the imprisoned filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen who was detained in China in 2009 shortly after completing filming on his documentary film Leaving Fear Behind.

Global Peace Vigil on Tibet in Toronto

Toronto, Oct 33:The Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (RTYC) and 5 NGOs in Toronto is organizing a massive global peace vigil at Parliament Hill, Ottawa on Nov 02, 2011, to call for multi-lateral, diplomatic intervention from world leaders to support the voice from Tibet.

 Around 10 Buses and over 25 car loads of Tibetans from Toronto alone will be participating in this Global Peace Vigil. Large number of MPs, Senators, leaders of Chinese pro-democracy Movement (FDC), China Rights network and Amnesty International, are expected to speak at the Vigil.

Speaking to the group of Tibet supporters, Trinlay Choezom, General Secretary of RTYC appealed to all the human rights activists to call on the United Nations and the world leaders, who consider human rights as their core value to break their silence to prevent further loss of lives inside Tibet by calling on China in the forthcoming G 20 summit, where President Hu Jintao is expected, to condemn its repressive measures across Tibet and to allow an independent investigation team to assess the escalating critical situation in Ngaba County, Kirti Monastery and initiate measures to de-escalate the situation.

Kunga Tsering, Coordinator of the Global Peace Vigil appeals to all those who supports the concept of Human Right as Universal, to join the Vigil at Parliament Hill on Nov 02 at 9am. He said "Let's not forget the pain and courage of those young Monks and Nun who scarified their life to achieve their dream of a Free Tibet with return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Potala Palace in Tibet".

India concerned over Chinese activities on Bhutan border

New Delhi, Oct 30: With fresh reports of Chinese activities in border areas of Bhutan, New Delhi is learnt to have taken it up with Thimphu at the highest levels. To discuss this “sensitive” issue, Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief Sanjeev K Tripathi  reportedly met the visiting Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck in the Capital last week.

During the meeting with the Bhutanese King, the RAW chief is expected to brief him on the intelligence inputs gathered by the Indian agencies of late. The meeting with the head of India’s external intelligence agency is quite unusual, media report said.

The Bhutanese King met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pratibha Patil on Monday.

New Delhi has been monitoring the situation in the border regions between Bhutan and China, especially since India and Bhutan have an almost open border — with 7,000 Indians working as “day workers” in Bhutan.

But with recent inputs of Beijing trying to gain foothold in Bhutan’s villages — spread over difficult terrains — alarm bells have been ringing in New Delhi, a national daily reported.

The landlocked Himalayan kingdom too places its friendship with India on a high priority. In fact, India is one of the few countries that Bhutan has allowed to establish a diplomatic presence in Thimphu. Neither the US nor China have diplomatic missions in Bhutan.