PHOTO : CZP sabhadhipati Mr Jnanendra Chandra Chanda addresses at the inauguration of Bhartikaran Karmosuchi while state forest minister Mr Ananta Roy and others look on. At Cooch Behar Rabindra Bhavan on Tuesday.
Bhartikaran Avijan starts in Cooch Behar
COOCH BEHAR, Aug. 1: State forest minister Mr Ananta Roy was closed shaved from being termed as a dropout in a programme that was organised to discuss means to erase out dropout problems. The programme was organised at Rabindra Bhavan in Cooch Behar. It was scheduled to start at 1 pm but the minister arrived at 2-25 pm. All had to wait for him because he had consented to inaugurate the programme.
Mr Roy inaugurated the fortnight long Bhartikaran Karmosuchi (Admittance Drive) of Sarva Shiksha Avijan in Cooch Behar district. The plan behind implementing the scheme is to enrol dropout and never enrolled children of 5-14 age group in the formal and alternate schools during 1-15 August.
Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad sabhadhipati Mr Jnanendra Chandra Chanda, additional district magistrate Mr Sankar Narayan Pal, CZP Karmadhyaksha Mr Sasadhar Barman, chairman of district primary school council Md Nuruddin Mian and district project officer of Sarva Shiksha Avijan Mr Chinmoy Sarkar and others spoke on the occasion.
During his inaugural speech the minister said that the aim of the programme is to bring all children of 5-14 age group under school education. He admitted that still there are many children who are yet to be brought under school education system. Many among those who came are going out as dropouts. Functionaries of three-tier panchayat system and others should take initiative to lower the number of dropouts, he suggested.
The minister admitted that mere delivering of lectures would bring no good. All concerned including the teachers should come forward to do their entrusted duties to make the drive successful, he opined. In his speech he pointed out the role of Mid-day Meal programme in increasing of attendance in the schools.
CZP sabhadhipati Mr Jnanendra Chandra Chanda called upon all to make the Bhartikaran Karmosuchi a success in Cooch Behar district. “Even after so many years from the Independence we are still to adopt such programmes because work was not done in the education sector upto the mark of expectation”, he regretted. People should be aware about the necessity of education. Many children of 5-14 age group are yet to be brought under school education system. They should come to schools to make a progressive society, he opined.
Mr Chanda said that majority of people should take the necessary initiative to make the drive a success. A survey is needed to identify the dropout and still-out-of-school children of 5-9 and 9-14 age groups. Mere delivering of lectures on the topic will never be able to change the situation, he opined.
The CZP sabhadhipati said that the teachers’ organisations would have to take an active role to co-operate with the programme. They have massive influence over the people especially in rural areas. They will be able to make the drive successful. The teachers should not work only to get salaries. They should work for the society too, he opined. []
An NGO’s initiative
COOCH BEHAR, August 1: HIV/AIDS is spreading in Cooch Behar. Report of AIDS death indicates the alarming situation. Side by side number of orphans is also going up. Many of them are HIV-positive. The local administration is helpless as there was no such government run home for HIV-positive orphans in any district of West Bengal.
G-NESEP, a leading NGO engaged in this region observed the gloomy situation during their social service works.
G-NESEP sources said that recently Mr Laxman Tarafdar of Aludhoa village in Tufanganj block-I and his wife died of AIDS. Their eight years old daughter Pratima is also HIV-positive. According to the concerned doctor she got it from her mother during pregnancy.
Relatives and villagers outcasted the family when they learnt about the matter. By active initiative of Maruganj Up-to-date Club and G-NESEP the situation had been improved. The couple were allowed to live in the village.
But the situation became worse after the couple’s death. Two children of them became orphan when the female child was detected as HIV-positive.
Relatives were ready to take care of the male child. But nobody agreed to give Protima any shelter, as she is a HIV-positive. At last G-NESEP took up the case. After communicating with like-minded national level NGOs that were working with HIV-positive a path was found. She was sheltered in a Home of a Kolkata based organisation named OFFER.
She will avail full medical assistance, education and shelter there, according to the director of G-NESEP Mr. Partha Pratim Sarkar. []
Mobile exchange inaugurated
COOCH BEHAR, August 1: A new mobile BTS was inaugurated at Chilakhana-II gram panchayat area in Tufanganj today. Telecom district manager, Cooch Behar, Mr MK Seth inaugurated the new facility. District engineer Mr PK Chaudhury, SDO Mr PC Roy and other distinguished persons were present on the occasion.
BSNL sources said that the new Chilakhana mobile exchange would cover villages like Ghogarkuthi, Dakshin Deocharai, Chilakhana, Jaigir Chilakhana, Dariya Balai, Chamta, Balaghat, Dwiperpar, Andaran Fulbari, Bilashi, Chhalapak, Dakshin Chhat Jaigir Chilakhana and Mugabhog. []
