COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 12: Members of the INTUC affiliated Cooch Behar Municipality Workers’ Union (CMWU) observed a strike at the civic body today. They called the strike to mark their protest against the demolition of the six stalls that were being constructed by the Congress run Cooch Behar Municipality at Silver Jubilee Road adjacent to the Power House. The district administration of Cooch Behar had demolished the stalls on Friday.  

Today, finding the gate of the municipal office building under lock and key the non-CMWU employees reportedly marked their attendance at the office of the additional district magistrate. 

General secretary of CMWU, Mr Dipak Neogi said that they observed the strike at the municipality today to express their resentment against the demolition of the stalls. 

Meanwhile, the Cooch Behar Town Congress, INTUC and other frontal organisations of the Congress called a 12-hour bandh in the town tomorrow over the same issue. Left Front sources said that they were appealing the citizens to give a fitting reply to the bandh call. [] 

MLA Cup Football starts 

COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 12: Shibendra Narayan Choudhury Memorial Football Tournament (MLA Cup) started at Cooch Behar Stadium today. The final match will be held on 22 September. Cooch Behar District Sports Association (DSA) is the organiser of the tournament.  

On the first day of the tournament, today, Mathabhanga team defeated Cooch Behar (West) team by 5-4 goals in tiebreaker. During the scheduled time the match was goalless.  

Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad sabhadhipati Mr Jnanendra Chandra Chanda inaugurated the tournament today. Cooch Behar SP Mr Anil Kumar and Tufanganj MLA Ms Aloka Barman were also present on the occasion. Though Mathabhanga and Cooch Behar (West) teams played today, the MLAs of the concerned areas were not present at the stadium today.  

The MLA Cup is named after late Shibendra Narayan Chaudhury. Chaudhury was a MLA from Natabari in Cooch Behar district from 1977 to 1996. During the period of 1977 to 1987 he was the minister-of-state of transport department. He was also the chairman of the NBSTC from 1985 to 1996. The MLA Cup dedicated to his memory. This year the patron-MLAs are Mr Paresh Chandra Adhikary (minister), Mr Ananta Roy (minister), Mr Dipak Sarkar, Md Tamser Ali, Mr Akshoy Thakur, Dr Md Fozle Haque, Mr Ashok Mandal, Mr Harish Barman and Ms Aloka Barman.  

The MLA Cup football tournament is being held with nine teams from nine Assembly constituencies. The nine participant teams are Dinhata, Mathabhanga, Sitalkuchi, Tufanganj, Mekhliganj, Cooch Behar (North), Natabari and Cooch Behar (West). []