Sainik School: Hill team seeks Rajnath , Parja-Patta for tea workers discussed

SNS, DARJEELING, 7 AUGUST 21 : Darjeeling's BJP MP Raju Bista has requested Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for his "personal intervention" in the proposal to establish a Sainik School in Darjeeling.

According to Mr Bista, the work on the same was delayed due to the "denial by the WB Government to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in that regard.

A delegation of Gorkha representatives comprising RB Rai of the CPRM, Mann Ghisingh of the GNLF, Neeraj Zimba, the Darjeeling MLA, BP Bajgain, the Kurseong MLA and Hill BJP leader Kalyan Dewan, along with Mr Bista, today met Rajnath Singh and discussed various issues concerning the region, including the recruitment of Gorkha youths in the defence services.

"Given the inordinate delay in the establishment of Sainik School in Darjeeling, due to the denial by WB Govt to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), we have requested the Hon'ble Minister for his personal intervention, and requested him to take up this issue with the WB Govt," Mr Bista said in a release.

"We highlighted that the online recruitment system is still requiring pass percentage to be confirmed at 33 percent. We have, therefore, requested the Hon'ble Minister to kindly get the system updated so that all those who have passed their Madhyamik exams are eligible to apply; irrespective of their percentage of marks scored," he added.

According to him, the delegation reminded Mr Singh of the rich legacy and history of the Gorkha Recruitment Depot (GRD) at Jalapahar in Darjeeling, and requested him to increase the frequency of recruitment rallies at Jalapahar, so that more youths from the Hills, Terai and Dooars get opportunities to be recruited in the Indian Army.

"We also highlighted how currently the relaxations for Gorkha youths are only given to those from the GTA region in some branches of the armed forces. So we have requested him to kindly extend these relaxations for all Gorkha youths from the Terai, Dooars and rest of India," Mr Bista added.

"Given the number of confrontations concerning Army and locals villagers, with access to cantonment roads, we have requested Hon'ble Minister to kindly develop a conflict resolution mechanism, which will allow for peaceful resolution of all such issues, while keeping our national security as top priority," he said.

Also today, the delegation met the Union Minister for Labour and Employment, Bhupender Yadav, and apprised him of issues concerning the tea and cinchona garden workers.

Parja-Patta for tea workers discussed

"During the meeting, we highlighted the two major issues of the workers-delay in the implementation of the New Labour Reforms and denial of Parja Patta rights of the tea garden and cinchona garden workers," Mr Bista said.

"As such Minimum Wages Act is not applicable in the tea gardens and cinchona gardens of our region, and further delay in the implementation of New Labour Codes is causing disappointment among the workers. We have therefore requested Hon'ble Minister's intervention for immediate implementation of the newLabour Codes in West Ben gal state," he added.

According to him, they discussed the need for granting Parja Patta rights to tea and cinchona garden workers who are deprived of the rights to their own ancestral land.

"We have, therefore, requested the Hon'ble Minister to develop a National Law for Plantations-Tea and Cinchona Garden Workers Rights Act on the lines of the Forest Rights Act 2006 to ensure that workers get Parja Patta rights to their ancestral land and are granted the dignity of life which has been denied to them even 74 years after Independence by the WB Govt," Mr Bista said.

He added that the Mr Yadav told the team that the Government was already working to implement the New Labour Codes, and Ile assured us that he will examine and take appropriate steps towards resolving the Parja Patta issues.