Mukesh Sharma

Kalimpong 14 Dec:

indefinite

To press their several demands, under the banner of the Kalimpong District Demand Committee & Aam Janta-ko Awaz, a dharna has been started and staged at Trikone Park in Kalimpong from today, where presently more than one and half dozen people are sitting on the said dharna for an indefinite period.  

Talking to the reporters in Kalimpong, today, Kalimpong District Demand Committee, Youth, co-coordinator, Mr. Amir Chettri said that the people of Kalimpong have been facing different problems as well as also are being deprived from different basic amenities. But despite these problems, the ruling party is still not listening to the people’s demand instead the trend of remembering the people only during the period of elections are still going on by the ruling party. Hence, until and unless, their demands or the basic amenities are met, they will continue their dharna, said, Mr. Chettri.

He further informed that actually, with the demand of ‘Kalimpong District’ in mind, they (Kalimpong District Demand Committee) have travelled to different places in Kalimpong including all the 23 wards of the Kalimpong municipality. Not only in the urban areas, instead, they also visited the different places of all the 42 Gram Panchayat of Kalimpong sub division. Meanwhile, after having visited these places realization dawned upon them about the different problems faced by the people of Kalimpong and have become aware about the issues.

He also added that the ruling party has confined the public for the election purposes only instead of providing different government schemes and facilities; such political party leaderships have been busy in only securing their personal benefits. Hence, to protest against the irresponsible acts of the ruling party as well as for their different rights and demands, they have started a dharna from today in Kalimpong.

Out of their 13 point demands put by them, 5 are: 1) Kalimpong, which is the one of the biggest sub divisions in the state, should be announced and made a separate district as soon as possible.

2) Throughout the year, the people of Kalimpong have been facing different problems in fetching drinking water. But despite these problems, the department concerned has been unable to address these problem, hence, the problems of drinking water in Kalimpong should be solved, permanently.

3) The electricity dues accumulated during the time of the GJMM led Gorkhaland agitation, should be solved immediately, as people have been facing different problems regarding such dues amounts. He said that those who are responsible for the accumulated bills and having created such problems have kept mom on the issue.

4) 90 percent roads in Kalimpong are in deplorable conditions as well as the roads are yet to be constructed and link different areas and villages in Kalimpong sub division. But despite such needs, the department concerned has not been able to solve these problems.    

5) Panchayat elections in the hills, which are due for more than one decade, have created different problems. Due to lack of their proper representative, the people in the panchayat areas have been facing problems on different aspects. Hence it should also be solved immediately.

Besides these, there are also several issues and problems reportedly faced by the Kalimpong people which have been raised through their dharna in Kalimpong.