Siliguri police stop food ..similar Nakas in Khunia and Meenglass of Duars

SNS, Siliguri, 4 July 2017: Police are allegedly stopping vehicles carrying food grains and vegetable items to the Darjeeling Hills and adjacent areas.

Police, however, said they have put up 'naka' checks at important points to maintain law and order.

Police personnel are frisking the vehicles and preventing some from going beyond Darjeeling More.

A resident of Salbari, Harendar Shah said he was carrying potatoes and onions for his home in a mini auto, but the police denied him permission to proceed further.

"Police stopped our vehicle at Darjeeling More. I was going home with potatoes and onions at Salbari. I do not know why I was prevented."

Mr Shah said. Salbari, is around 3 km away from Darjeeling More. The indefinite shutdown in the Hills called by Gorkha jan Mukti Moicha (GJMM) also prevented the vehicles carrying ration for the Hills.

The local people of Darjeeling More, where the police set up a check point, said for the past few days police are denying the entry of vehicles carrying food items.

The Darjeeling bound vehicles usually go through Darjeeling More from Siliguri. Chief coordinator of GJMM, Terai region Tshering Dahal said as part of the indefinite  strike suchvehicles were not allowed to go to the Hills.

"Usually vehicles carrying food grains are not being allowed to go to the Hills because of the indefinite shutdown.

"However, there are patients admitted at the hospitals. We came to know that sometimes the food items are being carried in the ambulances for them."Mrs Dahal said.

She said people were united for Gorkhaland and if necessary they could fight without food.

The people of the Hills are dependent on the food items from the plains.

They have been suffering because of lack of food supply and gas cylinders. Meanwhile, Siliguri Metropolitan Police commissioner Niraj Kumar Singh said police where conducting 'naka' checks.

"Web have put up naka checks at various points in Siliguri to maintain law and order situation.

'Thee has been reports of torching and ransacking of the government vehicles in the Hills.

In order to maintain peace and prevent any untoward incident police are conducting naka checks.

"Safety and security of the people and public property is of upmost importance," Mr Singh said.

A senior police officer said the food grains were looted on the roads on the way towards Hills.

`The food grains and essential commodities carrying vehicles continued to be vandalised: the vegetables and other food items were looted. The protesters are denying those vehicles to enter into the Hills. 

'Thee are possibilities of risk with the movement of those vehicles in the Hills, " he said.

KalimNews: Similar naka checks has been put up at Khunia more where Nagarkata police is is checking every passenger of vehicles which are moving in the strike observing area of Khumani, Kumai, Garibas, Rongto. Jholung, Bindu and Todey Tangta. It is alleged that police is disallowing people to take food materials with them. Another such naka is put up in Meenglass, the entry towards Lava via Bhuttabari, Gorubathan, Kuapani. Police is denying the entry of all vehicles with food items.