Crime, National, Politics

Sexual assault case: Will return to India and face probe, says Prajwal Revanna

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 Prajwal, 33, who is seeking re-election from his Hassan Lok Sabha constituency, had flown abroad just as the accusations against him became public, triggering allegations that he was fleeing justice
Prajwal Revanna.: File picture.

K.M. Rakesh, TT, Bengaluru, 28.05.24 : Janata Dal Secular MP Prajwal Revanna on Monday released a video announcing he would return to India and, at 10am on May 31, appear before Karnataka police’s special investigation team that is probing sexual abuse allegations against him.

Prajwal, 33, who is seeking re-election from his Hassan Lok Sabha constituency, had flown abroad just as the accusations against him became public, triggering allegations that he was fleeing justice.

“I will appear before the SIT on May 31 at 10am and fully cooperate with the investigation,” Prajwal, grandson of JDS patriarch and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, says in the video.

“I am confident of coming out clean against these false allegations through the courts, since I have complete faith in the judiciary.”

It appears unlikely that Prajwal would have the chance to appear before the SIT by himself. A city court issued an arrest warrant against him on May 18, which would enable the SIT to detain him at the airport itself.

Prajwal has not, however, revealed his flight details or his current location. His father and Holenarasipura MLA, H.D. Revanna, has said Prajwal flew to Germany on a prescheduled trip.

A former domestic help of Prajwal has accused him of sexual abuse. Father and son are also accused of having abducted her to intimidate her against accusing Prajwal.

The SIT probing Prajwal is also investigating pen drives containing 2,976 files — including video clips and pictures of suspected sexual abuse of multiple women — that were found discarded in Hassan just days before the April 26 election there. While the Opposition has alleged the man in the clip is Prajwal, the SIT hasn’t yet officially confirmed it.

Prajwal begins the nearly three-minute video message saying: “I apologise to my parents, grandfather, my Kumaranna (uncle and former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy), the people of my state and all the party workers.”

He claims he had no idea about the charges against him until a few days after leaving Bengaluru, which he did early on April 27.

“There was no case against me when the election was held on April 26. There was no SIT, either. My overseas trip on April 26 was already planned,” he says. “Three or four days after I reached overseas, I happened to see news on YouTube about this.”

He says he sought seven days from the police to respond, contacting the force from abroad through his lawyer, but slipped into depression after the allegations were widely discussed in public forums.

“But even after that (his May 1 tweet saying he had sought time from the police) Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi started discussing this issue in open forums. I slipped into depression and went into isolation,” he says.

Prajwal’s announcement comes after repeated appeals to him from Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy to return and face the law.

In a public statement on X recently, Deve Gowda had warned Prajwal that he would have to face the anger of his family if he did not return to India.
Regional, West Bengal

It came, rampaged, and went: Remal claims seven lives in Bengal, swamps city, uproots over 400 trees

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At least seven people died across south Bengal, including a father in Entally, hit by a falling piece of cornice as he stepped out to look for his son, who was at a friend’s place to watch the IPL final
Overhead cables being restored on a waterlogged Camac Street on Monday after Cyclone Remal had caused widespread destruction in the city: Bishwarup Dutta.

Debraj Mitra, TT, Calcutta, 28.05.24 : 

Cyclone Remal struck Calcutta at 91km an hour and brought up to 260mm of rain in 24 hours.

If you are wondering how much 260mm of rain means, here is a sample. Data from over 30 years say the average rainfall that Calcutta receives in May is around 120mm. In Calcutta’s rainiest month, July, the average monthly rainfall is around 370mm.
The downpour triggered a deluge and the gusts of wind brought down over 400 trees in just Calcutta and its neighbourhood.

At least seven people died across south Bengal, including a father in Entally, hit by a falling piece of cornice as he stepped out to look for his son, who was at a friend’s place to watch the IPL final.

A father and son died of electrocution in Memari, East Burdwan. An 80-year-old woman died inside her home on Mousuni Island in South-24 Parganas when a tree crashed on the house. Two more died of electrocution, at Panihati in North 24-Parganas and Maheshtala in South 24-Parganas. The seventh death was reported from Haldia.

Many parts of Calcutta faced power cuts between Sunday night and the early hours of Monday as the rain and winds peaked.

Metro services were crippl­ed till Monday afternoon as the overnight rain flooded Park Street and Esplanade stations.

Remal started making landfall — as a severe cyclonic storm — in the Sunderbans in Bangladesh around 8.30pm on Sunday. The storm was around 25km from the tip of the Indian Sunderbans, 110km from Canning and approximately 140km from Calcutta. The Sunderbans are spread over roughly 10,000sqkm, of which around 4,000sqkm are in India and the rest in Bangladesh.

Coordinates shared by the Met office suggest the point of landfall was Mandarbaria, a coastal pocket in Satkhira district of Bangladesh. It is 130km south-southwest of Mongla port in Bagerhat district of Bangladesh.

The core of the storm entered land between 10.30pm on Sunday and 12.30am on Monday, unleashing winds at 110kmph to 120kmph, with gusts clocking 135kmph.

The raging winds, storm surge and blinding rain breached several embankments and flattened homes, poles and trees in the coastal pockets of South-24 Parganas and North-24 Parganas.
A tree uprooted on Cathedral Road near the Birla Planetarium on Monday afternoon.: Bishwarup Dutta

By Monday morning, Remal had weakened from a severe cyclonic storm to a cyclone. The northward movement brought it closer to south Bengal and, around 5.30am, it was 70km northeast of Canning. Around 8.30am, Remal was 90km east of Calcutta, the closest it came to the city.

“By then, it had weakened into a cyclone. The maximum impact in Calcutta and neighbouring areas was between 11.30pm and 4.30am, when it was a severe cyclonic storm,” said H.R. Biswas, head of the weather section at the Regional Meteorological Centre, Calcutta.

The Met office recorded a maximum wind speed of 74kmph in Alipore around 12.45am. In Dum Dum, the maximum recorded wind speed was 91kmph around 12.15am.

Between 1pm on Sunday and 1pm on Monday, Ballygunge received 264mm of rain, Taratala got 206mm and Behala recorded 204mm, according to the readings at the booster pumping stations of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

The Met office recorded 190mm of rain in Alipore between 8.30pm on Sunday and 8.30pm on Monday. Alipore serves as the official record keeper for Calcutta. When Cyclone Amphan struck Calcutta on May 20, 2020, Alipore recorded 250mm of rain and windspeeds of over 100km an hour for several hours. Amphan had made landfall on Sagar Island, around 100km from Calcutta.

The rain brought by Remal continued well into Monday. The effect was visible in the fallen trees and branches, tilted poles and roads with knee-deep water.

Cyclone Remal is likely to move north-northeastwards and gradually weaken further into a deep depression by Tuesday morning.

The rain in Calcutta subsided in the evening, with the system around 150km from the city around 7.30pm.

The weather in Calcutta is likely to improve on Tuesday morning. But north Bengal is going to get drenched as the remnants of Remal move northeast. “On Tuesday, heavy (60mm and more) to very heavy rainfall (120mm and more) is likely in the districts of Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar. Heavy rain is likely in Darjeeling and Kalimpong,” said Somenath Dutta, deputy director-general at the India Meteorological Department, Calcutta. Scattered rainfall is expected in south Bengal, he added.
National, West Bengal

Flight operations at Kolkata airport resume after 21 hrs, several flights diverted

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MP, 28 May 2024, Kolkata: After remaining suspended for 21 hours due to Cyclone Remal, flight operations at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport, Kolkata resumed on Monday morning. 

The airport authorities wrote on its social media handle: “Flight operations resumed at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata at 08:59 hrs, after it was closed for flight operation yesterday in view of Cyclone Remal.” 
The first flight to depart on Monday was IndiGo’s Kolkata-Port Blair flight at 8.59 am while the first one to land in Kolkata was SpiceJet’s flight from Guwahati. It landed at 09.50 am, an Airports Authority of India (AAI) top official said. 
According to information shared by the airport officials, there were about nine flight diversions. Three Air India Kolkata bound flights were diverted to Varanasi, Bhubaneshwar, Guwahati. The authorities of Kolkata airport have decided to suspend flight operations for 21 hours from Sunday noon in view of the possible impact of cyclone Remal. 
The authorities had suspended flight operations for 21 hours from Sunday noon in view of the possible impact of cyclone Remal. 
On May 26, about 394 flights that were scheduled for arrival or departure, including domestic and international flights, were suspended from Sunday noon to Monday 9 am. This included 170 domestic tentative departures and 26 international tentative arrivals. 
According to the information shared by Kolkata airport, from 9 am to 3:30 pm on May 27, the total number of domestic flights in both arrival and departure was 77. 
The total number of international flights in both arrival and departure was 9. 
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/flight-operations-at-kolkata-airport-resume-after-21-hrs-several-flights-diverted-565549?infinitescroll=1
Health, Misc, Regional

Tourists to Darjeeling, too, will have to abide by garbage dumping rules

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EOI, DARJEELING, MAY 27, 2024 : The civic body in Darjeeling on Monday formed a committee to keep vigil on people dumping their garbage in areas outside those which had been allocated for the dumping of garbage at the stipulated time. Violations may result in penalty on the defaulters.

This step by the Darjeeling Municipality has been taken because some residents of Darjeeling are in the habit of throwing their garbage throughout the day. The conservancy department staff collect wastes and garbage on a daily basis from residential houses and shops, but only at a stipulated time. .
Darjeeling Municipality, conservancy department In-charge Nitesh Gurung said: “An order was issued by the Municipality chairman today that as per the meeting held on May 3 there will be three teams made for the purpose of inspection of all hotels, restaurants and areas in the municipal area. These three teams have been made to check if the waste and garbage being disposed of by them are being done properly or not. 
They will also check if the local people are disposing garbage at the proper time or not and in the proper place. 
”“We have made a schedule for the hotels, restaurants and the local people to dispose of their garbage. People can only dispose of their garbage after seven in the evening till five in the morning in the respective allocated place in their area. If we find the people are not throwing their garbage in the allotted time and in the proper place then a penalty will be issued on them,” he added. 
Gurung said people caught not following these rules would be fined on the spot to the tune of Rs 500 to Rs 1000. He said that the new rules also applied to the tourists who would behanded over seizure list and fined on the spot, if they were found littering wastes. “As far as the tourists are concerned, they will not know about the rules here so we are making a brochure ready which will be handed to them indifferent places, informing them about the do’s and don’ts,” he said.
“At present we are seeing that as soon as the municipality collects the garbage from different areas then people go and dispose of their garbage there. It gives the wrong impression that the civic body is not doing their work,” he said, adding that they have also received videos showing people throwing garbage soon after their waste collection vehicles have collect the wastes. 
The civic body had removed garbage vats from most places in the recent past in an effort to minimize waste being thrown there as people used to throw garbage all around the vat area, making the whole area filled with garbage.
The civic body had the vats replaced with dustbins along with the introduction of a door-to-door collection of garbage.
However, what is being seen at present is people throwing more garbage than the dustbins can hold, making the area look filthy while in some areas the dustbins are missing.“ This is also to do with the mentality of the people. The civic body is doing its work, but the people should also be conscious and think that it is their Darjeeling and it is also their duty and responsibility to keep it clean. Everyone should be involved in keeping Darjeeling clean,” said Gurung.
National, West Bengal

Cyclone Remal: 24 blocks affected, nearly 15,000 houses damaged in Bengal

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PTI, Kolkata, May 27, 2024 :  Nearly 15,000 houses in 24 blocks and 79 municipal wards, mostly in the southern coastal areas of West Bengal, were affected by Cyclone Remal, a senior official of the state government said on Monday.


At least 2,140 trees were uprooted in different parts of the state which also witnessed the falling of 337 electric poles, he added.

According to the initial evaluation, at least 14,941 houses were damaged, out of which 13,938 were partially affected while 1,003 were destroyed, he said.

“The figures will probably increase after another round of evaluation. Our officials in the districts are working and the process of evaluation is still on. The estimation of the damage is being calculated,” the official told PTI.


The administration had shifted 2,07,060 people to the 1,438 safe shelters, he said, adding that at the moment there are 77,288 people.

“There are 341 gruel kitchens being operated at the moment. We have distributed 17,738 tarpaulin to the affected people in the coastal and low-lying areas,” he said.

The affected areas included Kakdwip, Namkhana, Sagard Island, Diamond Harbour, Fraserganj, Bakkhali and Mandarmani.

At least two persons were killed in West Bengal and its coastal areas suffered extensive damage to infrastructure and property, as Cyclone Remal tore through the state and neighbouring Bangladesh with winds speeds reaching 135 km per hour, officials said.
Crime, National, Techno/ Science

Aided by technology, new criminal laws will deliver justice within 3 years: Home Minister

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 The home minister said earlier charge sheet meant submission of volumes of documents, but once the new laws come into force the charge sheet will be contained in a pen drive and the response to it can also be delivered digitally on a pen drive. 

PTI NEW DELHI: Technology will be a key enabler for the new criminal laws that come into effect July 1 as summons will be issued by SMS, 90 per cent witnesses will appear through video calls and courts will issue orders within three years of filing of an FIR, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said.

“I can tell you with confidence that after three years, our criminal justice system will be the most modern criminal justice system in the world,” he told PTI in an interview over the weekend.

Piloted by the home minister himself, the newly enacted criminal laws — the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Act will come into effect from July 1, replacing the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872 respectively.

In the interview, Shah laid out for the first time many details of the new criminal justice system, which he said are almost entirely driven by technology. For example, all court matters will become online and FIR, court diary and judgement will be digitised. Already, officials have collected finger prints data of nine crore criminals across the country in the last five years.

After lifting finger prints from a crime scene, police will be able to identify the criminal and also if the crime has been committed by a repeat offender from that data base of finger prints within seven and half minutes, Shah said.  

“We have brought very big reforms (through the new criminal laws). After the laws come into effect, 90 per cent people will not have to go to courts. The witnesses will appear online,” he added. 

Earlier, he said, summon meant physically serving it to someone at their home. 

“Many such changes have been incorporated (in new laws). Similar is the case with regards to the charge sheet too,” he said. The Home Minister said earlier charge sheet meant submission of volumes of documents, but once the new laws come into force the charge sheet will be contained in a pen drive and the response to it can also be delivered digitally on a pen drive. “All these matters will now be online. 

The FIR, court diary, judgement will also be digitised. We have made forensic evidence compulsory in cases where there is a provision for imprisonment for a period of minimum seven years,” he said. 

Asked about the preparation for rolling out the new laws, the Home Minister said it is going on full swing and training of officials is almost over. 
National, Politics, West Bengal

SC refuses to entertain BJP’s plea againstCalcutta HC order on ads during LS polls

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PTI & Agencies, New Delhi, May 27, 2024 : The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea filed by the BJP challenging a Calcutta High Court order that had refused to interfere with a single-judge verdict restraining the party from issuing advertisements that are allegedly violative of the model code during the Lok Sabha polls.


A vacation bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and K V Viswanathan refused to interfere with the high court order.

“Prima facie, the advertisement is disparaging,” the bench said.

Senior advocate P S Patwalia, appearing for the BJP, sought permission to withdraw the matter after the bench expressed disinclination to entertain the matter.

The matter was dismissed as withdrawn.

On May 22, a division bench of the high court had said it was not inclined to entertain the appeal against the interim order passed by the single-judge bench.

The single-judge bench on May 20 had restrained the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from publishing advertisements that violated the MCC until June 4, the day the Lok Sabha poll results are scheduled to be declared.

The court had also restrained the saffron party from publishing the advertisements mentioned by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, in its petition claiming unverified allegations against it and its workers.

The two-judge bench of the HC, headed by the Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, refusing to grant any relief to the BJP, directed that the party should not to publish any advertisement violating the MCC during the Lok Sabha election process.

While refusing to interfere to the single-judge bench order, the two-judge bench had observed that all political parties needed to follow healthy electoral practices, as the ultimate victim of misleading electoral campaigns was the voter.

The division bench also observed that a “Laxman Rekha” should be adhered to, and added that there should not be any personal attack on the part of any political party.

The order had been passed by the single-judge bench, after hearing a petition filed by TMC to restrain the BJP from carrying such ads. The TMC had objected to certain ads published by the BJP in certain newspapers against the Mamata Banerjee- led party.

This single-judge order was challenged by the BJP in the two-judge bench of the HC, which also refused to entertain BJP’s prayers on May 22.

A vacation bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and K V Viswanathan refused to interfere with the high court order.

“We have seen the advertisements. Prima Facie, the advertisements are disparaging. We don’t want to lend our hands to promote further acrimony,” the two-judge vacation bench of the top court, led by Justice J K Maheshwari and Justice KV Viswanathan said.

The top court further remarked that such ads will not help the voter. It asked senior advocate P S Patwalia, appearing for the appellant party (BJP) not to precipitate the matter, saying the advertisement was not in the interest of voters and the rival party was not your enemy.

After hearing these remarks and observations from the top court, Patwalia then preferred to withdraw the petition, saying he would prefer to file a reply before the High Court’s single judge bench which passed the interim order.

Earlier on, May 24, mentioning the matter before the two-judge vacation bench of the top court, led by Justice Bela M Trivedi and Justice Pankaj Mithal, senior advocate Saurabh Mishra, for the BJP, sought urgent hearing into the case.

The judges of the top court, did not fix any date to hear the case, but said, “We will see it.”

Initially, on May 20, the Calcutta HC’s single-judge bench of Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya, in its order had restrained the BJP from publishing such ads until further orders, after finding the advertisements in question to be in violation of the MCC.

Justice Bhattacharyya, in his order, had also pulled up the Election Commission of India (ECI) for “grossly failing” to address the complaints filed by the TMC against BJP advertisements that targeted the ruling party in West Bengal.
National, Regional, West Bengal

Remal devastates southern coast of state, claims 3 lives

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Flight and suburban rail services resume after temporary suspension 

PTI, Kolkata, May 27, 2024 : Nearly 15,000 houses in 24 blocks and 79 municipal wards, mostly in the southern coastal areas of West Bengal, were affected by Cyclone Remal, a senior official of the state government said on Monday. 

At least 2,140 trees were uprooted in different parts of the state which also witnessed the falling of 337 electric poles, he added. According to the initial evaluation, at least 14,941 houses were damaged, out of which 13,938 were partially affected while 1,003 were destroyed, he said. 
“The figures will probably increase after another round of evaluation. Our officials in the districts are working and the process of evaluation is still on. The estimation of the damage is being calculated,” the official told newspersons. 
The administration had shifted 2,07,060 people to the 1,438 safe shelters, he said, adding that at the moment there are 77,288 people. 
“There are 341 gruel kitchens being operated at the moment. We have distributed 17,738 tarpaulin to the affected people in the coastal and low-lying areas,” he said. The affected areas included Kakdwip, Namkhana, Sagard Island, Diamond Harbour, Fraserganj, Bakkhali and Mandarmani. 
At least three persons were killed in West Bengal and its coastal areas suffered extensive damage to infrastructure and property, as Cyclone Remal tore through the state and neighbouring Bangladesh with winds speeds reaching 135 km per hour, officials said. One person died and two others were injured in Kolkata following heavy rain triggered by Cyclone Remal that pummelled the coasts of West Bengal and neighbouring Bangladesh with devastating wind speeds, officials said on Monday. 

A man died of his injuries when a wall collapsed due to relentless downpour on Sunday at the Bibir Bagan area of Entally in central Kolkata, a state disaster management official said. Two others suffered injuries in Maniktala area after the cyclone struck, though the exact cause is yet to be known, he said. 
Kolkata recorded 150-mm rainfall in 24 hours till 8.30 am, while neighbouring Salt Lake received 110-mm rain during the period. Tarakeswar in Hooghly received the highest amount of rainfall in south Bengal at 300 mm, the Met office said. Vehicular traffic movement was disrupted in several pockets of Kolkata since Monday morning, the first working day of the week, as trees lay uprooted and streets overflowed with water on account of the incessant rain the cyclonic system brought over the city. Reports of uprooting of trees were received from Southern Avenue, Lake Place, Chetla, D L Khan Road, Dufferin Road, Ballygunge Road, New Alipore, Behala, Jadavpur, Golpark, Hatibagan, Jagat Mukherjee Park and College Street, as well as the city’s adjoining Salt Lake area, the officials said. 
Around 68 trees were uprooted in Kolkata, and another 75 in nearby Salt Lake and Rajarhat area. “Water-logging was reported from various places including Southern Avenue, Lake View Road, Pratapaditya Road, Tollygunge Phari, Alipore and Central Avenue, resulting in traffic diversion,” a senior officer of Kolkata Traffic Police said. 
Major arterial roads like Central Avenue and College Street in central Kolkata and pockets of Ballygunge, Dhakuria and Behala in the south continued to remain waterlogged during the later part of the day as well. 

Meanwhile, train services in the Sealdah South section of Eastern Railway resumed at 9 am after remaining suspended for three hours in the morning, an ER official said. 
Flight services from the Kolkata airport also resumed on Monday morning after being suspended for 21 hours in view of the cyclone, a senior Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said. Metro Railway services in the north-south corridor were disrupted in parts for four-and-a-half hours on Monday morning. 
Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim said the municipal corporation was trying to address the situation on war footing. “The situation is not that worse compared to what it was when Cyclone Amphan hit. 
The trees are being removed to make way for traffic. The drainage pumps are also operating at full strength,” Hakim told PTI. Salt Lake Mayor Krishna Chakraborty said the uprooted trees have been removed and roads are clear for traffic movement. 
Meanwhile, Governor C V Ananda Bose said in a message issued by the Raj Bhavan: 
“We are all greatly relieved that no reported casualty is there. Cyclone Remal is weakening. The people of Bengal are able to brave it with courage. We are keeping a watch on the situation. If there is any need, Raj Bhavan’s doors are open for all.” 
The Governor has also constituted a task force at the Raj Bhavan.
Regional, Sikkim

Tragic Collision in Sikkim Claims One Life and Injures Ten

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KalimNews, Kalimpong, 27 May 2024 : In a heart-wrenching incident today at approximately 11:45 AM, a small passenger vehicle with registration number SK04J 0916 collided with a truck bearing registration number SK02D 0732 at Tar Khola 10th Mile of West Bengal under Kalimpong Police Station. 

The small passenger vehicle Bolero was en route to Gangtok Sikkim from Jorethang when the collision transpired, resulting in ten passengers sustaining injuries. The injured were promptly transported to Rangpo Sikkim Hospital for urgent medical attention.
Amidst the chaos and rescue efforts, one passenger succumbed to their injuries. The deceased has been identified as Subash Pradhan, aged 38, son of Bhanu Kumar Pradhan, hailing from Tharpu, Mansara, Ratopani of West Sikkim. The driver of the Bolero along with other three seriously injured are referred to Singtam district Hospital. 
This tragic incident has sent shockwaves through the community, leaving many in mourning and praying for the swift recovery of those injured.
Authorities are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the collision to determine the root cause and prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Regional, West Bengal

Two die as Cyclone Remal ravages parts of West Bengal, heavy rain to continue

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 While several pockets of Calcutta remained waterlogged on the morning of the first working day of the week, suburban train services from the Sealdah terminal station remained partially suspended for at least three hours, adding to commuters’ woes, before operations limped back to normal
Commuters wade through a waterlogged road amid rains in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal’s landfall, in Calcutta, Monday, May 27, 2024.: PTI

PTI, Calcutta, 27.05.24 : At least two persons died in West Bengal and its coastal areas suffered extensive damage to infrastructure and property, as Cyclone Remal tore through the state and neighbouring Bangladesh with winds speeds reaching 135 km per hour, officials said Monday. A man died of his injuries when a wall collapsed due to the relentless downpour on Sunday evening at the Bibir Bagan area of Entally in Central Calcutta, a state disaster management official said.

An eldery woman in the Mousuni Island near Namkhana adjacent to the Sunderbans delta also succumbed to injuries on Monday morning, following a tree collapse on her hut that resulted in the roof caving in, the official said.

After tearing through the coasts of Bangladesh and West Bengal, Cyclone Remal left a trail of destruction with pictures of devastation becoming evident across the state’s coastal areas, with extensive damage to infrastructure and property, soon after daybreak on Monday.

Roofs of thatched huts were blown away, uprooted trees blocked roads in Calcutta as well as in the coastal districts, and electricity poles were knocked down causing significant power disruption in various parts of the state, including in the city’s outskirts, the officials said.

While several pockets of Calcutta remained waterlogged on the morning of the first working day of the week, suburban train services from the Sealdah terminal station remained partially suspended for at least three hours, adding to commuters’ woes, before operations limped back to normal.
A commuter at a railway station during rain in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal’s landfall, in Calcutta, Monday, May 27, 2024.: PTI
Flight services at the Calcutta airport resumed on Monday morning after remaining suspended for 21 hours in view of Cyclone Remal. Airport sources, however, said it will take some more time for the situation to become normal.

The cyclone ravaged adjacent coasts of the state and Bangladesh between Sagar Island and Khepupara, near the southwest of Mongla in the neighbouring country, after its landfall process began at 8.30 pm on Sunday and lasted for a good four hours.

In a later update, the Met office said ‘Remal’ weakened into a cyclonic storm at 5:30 am on Monday, about 70 km northeast of Canning and 30 km west-southwest of Mongla. The system is likely to gradually weaken further.

Efforts to restore normalcy are underway, with emergency services working to clear debris and restore power in the affected areas.

However, the relentless heavy rain is hampering these operations in most of the affected areas, the officials said.

The state government has initiated relief operations, providing food, drinking water and medical assistance to the people affected.

The authorities have urged residents to remain indoors and take necessary precaution till the heavy rain persists.

Calcutta recorded a rainfall of 146 mm in the period between 8.30 am on Sunday and 5.30 am on Monday, the weatherman said.

The metropolis logged a maximum wind speed of 74 kmph, while Dum Dum in the northern outskirts of the city recorded maximum wind speed of 91 kmph, the weather office said.

Several areas of Calcutta remained waterlogged, compounding the misery of the affected residents. Streets in significant pockets of Ballygunge, Park Circus, Dhakuria and Alipore in South Calcutta, Behala in the West and College Street, Thanthania Kali Bari, CR Avenue and Sinthi in the North remained inundated till late in the day.

Reports indicated that trees were uprooted in several areas, including Southern Avenue, Lake Place, Chetla, D L Khan Road, Dufferin Road, Ballygunge Road, New Alipore, Behala, Jadavpur, Golpark, Hatibagan, Jagat Mukherjee Park, College Street, and the adjoining Salt Lake area.

Around 68 trees were uprooted in Calcutta, with an additional 75 trees downed in the nearby Salt Lake and Rajarhat areas.

The cyclone caused rainfall with strong winds in areas such as Digha, Kakdwip and Jaynagar, which intensified on Monday morning.

Other places in south Bengal which received heavy rainfall during the period are Haldia (110 mm), Tamluk (70 mm) and Nimpith (70 mm), the Met office said.

The storm and accompanying heavy rain flooded homes and farmlands. In some regions, salt water from the adjoining Bay of Bengal breached embankments and gushed into farmlands, damaging crops.

The West Bengal government evacuated more than one lakh people from vulnerable areas ahead of the cyclone’s landfall.

The North and South 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur districts reported widespread damage. News footage from the coastal resort town of Digha showed tidal waves crashing into a seawall, with surging waters sweeping fishing boats inland and inundating mud-and-thatch houses and farmlands.
People during a storm at the Bakkhali beach in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal’s landfall, in South 24 Parganas, Monday, May 27, 2024.: PTI
The weatherman has forecast more rain in Calcutta and the southern districts including Nadia and Murshidabad, with one or two spells of intense downpour, along with gusty surface winds till Tuesday morning.

State Power Minister Aroop Biswas said the disruptions and damage to the power supply infrastructure caused by Cyclone Remal will be addressed soon.

He noted that there had been one or two incidents of power outages in the CESC area, due to fallen trees.

A total of 14 National Disaster Response Force teams were deployed for relief and restoration work across districts in south Bengal, including Calcutta, North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly.

Relief materials, including dry food and tarpaulins, have been dispatched to the coastal areas and quick response teams comprising trained civil defence volunteers and equipped vehicles are in place, the officials said.
Regional, West Bengal

Bengal forest department keeps CCTV eye on elephant movements in Kurseong division

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 In the Terai belt, elephant herds come out of forests located in Bagdogra and Naxalbari areas in search of fodder. The animals cross the four-lane highway and the railway tracks that connect Siliguri Junction with Naxalbari to move into tea gardens and villages for fodder
Wild elephants cross the railway tracks near Bagdogra.: File picture

TT, Jalpaiguri, 27.05.24 :  The Kurseong forest division of the state forest department has installed CCTV cameras across various locations of Siliguri subdivision to monitor the movement of elephants in rural areas under its ambit, on railway tracks and Asian Highway-II.

Elephant herds regularly walk up to the highway that connects Panitanki (at the India-Nepal border) with Fulbari (at the India-Bangladesh border).

“The cameras have been installed to track the movement of elephants and other wild animals in some parts of Kurseong forest division. In due course, such a mechanism will be introduced in other forest areas,” said Bhaskar J.V., the chief conservator of forests (wildlife), north Bengal.

In the Terai belt, elephant herds come out of forests located in Bagdogra and Naxalbari areas in search of fodder. The animals cross the four-lane highway and the railway tracks that connect Siliguri Junction with Naxalbari to move into tea gardens and villages for fodder.

“Over the past few years, incidents of elephant depredation have increased in Siliguri subdivision. Elephants have even moved into far-flung areas like Kharibari block. The installation of CCTV cameras along elephant corridors will help to check such incidents,” said Animesh Bose, a wildlife conservationist based in Siliguri.

The herds, which move out of forests of Bagdogra forest range, amble on the highway and enter human habitats like Ghoshpukur, Tukuriajhar, Uttamchand Chat and tea estates like Kiran Chandra and Atal.

“Because of elephant movements, traffic often gets halted on the highway. Also, there had been incidents of crop and property damage and even human casualty,” said a source.

With the CCTV cameras in place now, foresters can now have an idea about the movement of elephants from the control room opened at the range office in Bagdogra.

Along with the CCTV cameras, the department has also introduced the wireless radio telecommunication system in six forest ranges of the division to share information for prompt intervention.

The ranges are Bamanpokhri, Panighata, Bagdogra, Tukuriajhar, Ghoshpukur and the elephant squad at Taipoo.

“Usually, it takes 35 to 40 minutes for an elephant herd to reach the Asian Highway from the forests. Once their movement is tracked, all the range offices and our vehicles at these ranges can be informed of necessary steps,” said Bhupesh Biswakarma, the additional divisional forest officer of Kurseong.

The technology, he said, will be effective in curbing man-elephant conflicts. “The communication system will work even in locations without cell phone connectivity,” the forester added.

Elephant corridors apart, CCTV cameras have also been put up in Tipukhola, a popular ecotourism spot, and the Junglee Baba temple area where hundreds of people visit every day.

“For the safety of the visitors, the CCTV cameras will help us act promptly if elephants enter these locations,” Biswakarma added.
Economy, Regional, West Bengal

Tea workers’ union seeks MGNREGS safety net from Mamata Banerjee government

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In a letter to Mamata, the National Union of Plantation Workers (NUPW), which is affiliated with Intuc, has said that workers of several tea estates of the Terai and the Dooars are not getting work for six days every week because of low yield in plantations hit by inclement weather
Tea workers at a garden in the Siliguri plains.: File picture

TT, Siliguri, 27.05.24 : The distress in north Bengal tea industry has prompted a leading tea trade union to write to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, seeking jobs for tea workers under the 100 days’ work (MGNREGS) scheme.

In a letter to Mamata, the National Union of Plantation Workers (NUPW), which is affiliated with Intuc, has said that workers of several tea estates of the Terai and the Dooars are not getting work for six days every week because of low yield in plantations hit by inclement weather.
Mani Kumar Darnal, the NUPW general secretary who sent the letter to Mamata, said several tea companies these days were engaging less number of workers every week.

“Workers are losing out on wages because of the ‘no work, no pay’ system. Many tea workers are the sole breadwinners in their families. That is why we have written to the chief minister to provide jobs under MGNREGS for workers so that they can at least this loss in their earnings can be compensated,” said Darnal.

Over three lakh workers serve in the tea estates of north Bengal.

As of now, a tea worker in Bengal earns ₹250 per day. Under the MGNREGS, the daily wage rate, after the Centre’s revision in March this year, is the same.

In his letter, Darnal said that the Bengal government should create one manday per hectare of tea plantation.

A trade union leader explained it. “This means that if a garden has 1,000 hectares of plantation area, 1,000 mandays (optimally) can be created. Tea workers can work under the scheme on rotation, which means a worker who has not been engaged in the garden today can work under the MGNREGS, and tomorrow, another worker can replace him depending on the situation. This will eventually help workers earn roughly the same amount every month,” the trade union leader said.

Jobs like land development, micro and minor irrigation work, watershed management and drainage, which are stipulated under the scheme, can begin in tea gardens, he said.

In the letter, NUPW leader Darnal also said that the state government could mull over the proposal of providing jobs to one member of every family or household in a tea estate.

“As tea leaf production is low now, tea companies are in distress and cannot provide regular jobs to workers. Hence, if every household in the garden has a job card, they can tide over this crisis,” said Darnal.

Trinamool leaders, when told about the letter, said that the BJP-led Centre had stopped providing funds to Bengal for the 100 days’ job scheme.

“That is why the state government used its own funds to clear the dues of those who worked under the scheme but didn’t get their wages,” said a TMC leader based in Alipurduar, a district with over 60 tea estates.

The NUPW leaders, however, said that the Mamata Banerjee government has introduced Karmashree, a scheme to provide 50 days’ work to people. “At this time of crisis, this scheme can be extended to tea gardens,” one of them said.
National, Politics

Arvind Kejriwal moves Supreme Court, seeks extension of interim bail in money laundering case on health grounds

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The plea said the chief minister is required to undergo some medical tests and for this purpose, the interim bail, which is ending on June 1, be extended
Arvind Kejriwal: FilePTI,  New Delhi, 27.05.24 : Ahead of his scheduled return to jail on June 2, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has moved the Supreme Court seeking extension of his interim bail by seven more days on grounds that he has to undergo some medical tests, including a PET-CT scan.


The top court had on May 10 granted 21-day interim bail to the chief minister, who was arrested in a money laundering case linked to the excise policy scam, to enable him to campaign for the Lok Sabha polls.

It had directed that Kejriwal shall surrender on June 2, a day after the last phase of the seven-phase poll gets over.

The chief minister, in his fresh plea filed on May 26, has sought extension of the interim bail by seven more days on health grounds, including that he has lost seven kgs and that his ketone levels are “too high”, a possible indicator of a serious ailment.

The plea said the chief minister is required to undergo some medical tests including a PET-CT scan, and that the interim bail, which is ending on June 1, be extended. PET-CT scan shows detailed pictures of organs and tissues.

While setting him free for campaigning in the remaining phases of the Lok Sabha elections after 50 days of custody in the case, the court had barred him from visiting his office or the Delhi secretariat, and signing official files unless absolutely necessary for obtaining the lieutenant governor’s approval.

While imposing a strong of bail conditions on Kejriwal, the apex court had directed him to furnish bail bonds of Rs 50,000 with one surety of the like amount to the satisfaction of the jail superintendent.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta had rejected the argument of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) counsel that enlarging Kejriwal on interim bail to campaign in the elections will be without a precedent.

The matter relates to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22.

The Enforcement Directorate, on October 30, last year, had sent first summons to Kejriwal in the money laundering case for appearance on November 2, 2023. Several summons were also issued subsequently.

On March 21, the Delhi High Court refused to grant him protection from arrest on his petition challenging summonses issued to him. The ED arrested Kejriwal shortly after that.

The matter relates to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22.
Politics, Regional, Sikkim

Sikkim chief minister Prem Singh Tamang, GTA head Anit Thapa aim for stronger ties

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Golay and Thapa were invited by the Rai community for their Sakela Ubauli festival in Darjeeling on Sunday
Sikkim chief minister PS Tamang (Golay) greets people with folded hands, accompanied by GTA chief Anit Thapa (right) at the Kirat Khambu Rai Sanskriti Sansthan’s Sakela festival in Darjeeling on Sunday: Picture by Passang Yolmo

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, 27.05.24 : Sikkim chief minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) and the chief executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Anit Thapa shared a dais at a public forum for the first time on Sunday.

Both Nepali-speaking leaders expressed their commitment to work together on community issues, keeping aside their political differences.

While Golay is aligned with the BJP, Thapa, who also heads the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha, backs the Trinamool Congress.

Golay and Thapa were invited by the Rai community for their Sakela Ubauli festival in Darjeeling on Sunday.

The two leaders walked together in a rally from near Darjeeling railway station to Chowrasta and shared the stage where both stressed the need to work together to get tribal status for the left-out Gorkha communities.

Golay reminisced his college days in Darjeeling from 1985 to 1989, when the hills were burning during the Gorkhaland agitation. He told the crowd how he also had to flee during police raids during the middle of the night.

“Today (Sunday), I have been invited as a chief minister of Sikkim and this is a huge honour for Sikkim too…. Politics is in its own place and we would not want to interfere, but we in Sikkim and Darjeeling also share very close cultural, community ties. We must work together on raising certain community-centric issues,” said Golay.

The Sikkim chief minister specifically pointed out the tribal status issue. “We must work together on tribal issues. While there are 11 communities in Darjeeling, there are 12 communities in Sikkim (demanding Scheduled Tribe status). We must work together and take this issue forward,” said Golay.

In Darjeeling, the 11 communities demanding ST status are Bhujel, Gurung, Mangar, Newar, Jogi, Khas, Rai, Sunuwar, Thami, Yakka (Dewan) and Dhimal. The Maji community in Sikkim is its twelfth.

The Sikkim chief minister stated that issues like the inclusion of the Nepali language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution succeeded when leaders of Sikkim and Darjeeling joined hands. Sikkim MP Dil Kumari Bhandari played a pivotal role in getting Nepali recognised in 1992.

Thapa, who spoke before Golay, said that the entire Nepali-speaking community must be proud of Golay.

“He is the only chief minister from our community and we must be proud of this fact,” said Thapa.

The GTA chief executive also requested Golay to take forward the tribal issue. “Politics is in its place. We can work (together) on our own issues. I request Golay sahib to take the lead on this issue,” said Thapa.

The BJP in its 2019 Lok Sabha poll manifesto promised a tribal status to the 11 Gorkha communities but in vain. There was no mention of it in the party’s 2024 manifesto.

Golay said a help desk was being set up in Gangtok hospitals for patients from outside Sikkim.

“Sikkim’s health facilities have improved a lot. Many patients from this region are coming to Sikkim. Medical expenses are one-fourth in Sikkim compared to private nursing homes in Siliguri,” said Golay. “We are setting up help desks for patients coming from outside the state.”
Northeast, Regional, Sikkim, West Bengal

Severe cyclonic storm ‘Remal’ weakens into cyclonic storm, more rain likely in several Bengal districts

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Flights services from the Calcutta airport resumed on Tuesday after remaining suspended for 21 hours in view of the cyclone Remal, an official said on Monday
An NDRF personnel removes an uprooted tree from a road after the landfall of Cyclone ‘Remal’, in South 24 Parganas district.: File

PTI, Calcutta, 27.05.24 :  Severe cyclonic storm ‘Remal’ weakened into a cyclonic storm on Monday morning, sustaining wind speeds of 80-90 kilometres per hour, following landfall around midnight of Sunday, the Met Department said.

The weather system, which lay 150 km northeast of Sagar Island at 5.30 am, brought torrential rain in Calcutta and the coastal districts of West Bengal overnight, it said.
It is likely to move northeastwards and weaken further, the department said in a bulletin.

Calcutta recorded a rainfall of 146 mm in the period between 8.30 am on Sunday and 5.30 am of Monday, it said.

The metropolis logged a maximum wind speed of 74 kmph, while Dum Dum in the northern outskirts of the city recorded maximum wind speed of 91 kmph, the weather office said.

Other places in south Bengal which received heavy rainfall during the period are Haldia (110 mm), Tamluk (70 mm) and Nimpith (70 mm), it said.

NDRF personnel remove an uprooted tree from a road after the landfall of Cyclone ‘Remal’ at Sagar Island
The weatherman has forecast more rain in Calcutta and the southern districts including Nadia and Murshidabad, with one or two spells of intense downpour, along with gusty surface winds till Tuesday morning.

Scenes of widespread devastation were evident across West Bengal’s coastal areas, with extensive damage to infrastructure and property, a day after Cyclone Remal tore through the coasts of Bangladesh and West Bengal with winds reaching speeds of 135 km per hour.

The cyclone ravaged adjacent coasts of the state and Bangladesh between Sagar Island and Khepupara, near the southwest of Mongla in the neighbouring country, after its landfall process began at 8.30 pm on Sunday, officials said.

Efforts to restore normality are underway, with emergency services working to clear debris and restore power in the affected areas.

The cyclone has led to significant disruptions in air, rail and road transportation in Calcutta and other parts of southern Bengal, they said.

Several suburban trains were cancelled in the Sealdah South section of Eastern Railway (ER), owing to the cyclone.

Train services in the section resumed at 9 am, an ER official said.

Flight services resume

Flights services from the Calcutta airport resumed on Tuesday after remaining suspended for 21 hours in view of the cyclone Remal, an official said on Monday.

The first plane to depart on Monday was IndiGo’s Calcutta-Port Blair flight at 8.59 am, while the first one to land in Calcutta was SpiceJet’s flight from Guwahati. It landed at 09.50 am, an Airports Authority of India (AAI) top official said.

Check-in was on for some other flights, the official said.

The last flight to depart from Calcutta airport on Sunday was at 12.16 pm.

Though the process of resuming flight operations has begun, it will take some more time for the situation to become normal, sources at the airport said.
National, Northeast, Regional, West Bengal

Cyclone Remal leaves devastation in its wake as it makes landfall in coastal West Bengal

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‘Remal’ flattened fragile dwellings, uprooted trees and knocked down electric poles. One person was injured after being hit by debris in the Gosaba area of the Sundarbans

PTI, Calcutta, 27.05.24 : With winds gusting up to 135 kilometres per hour, severe cyclonic storm ‘Remal’ made landfall between the coasts of Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal, bringing heavy rains that flooded homes and farmland, and leaving a trail of destruction.

The landfall process began at 8:30 pm on Sunday over the adjacent coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh between Sagar Island and Khepupara, near the southwest of Mongla in the neighbouring country.
‘Remal’ flattened fragile dwellings, uprooted trees and knocked down electric poles. One person was injured after being hit by debris in the Gosaba area of the Sundarbans.

More than one lakh people were evacuated from vulnerable areas in West Bengal before the cyclone struck.

“Severe cyclonic storm Remal made landfall between Sagar Island in West Bengal and Khepupara in Bangladesh on Sunday night with wind speeds reaching up to 135 kmph,” the meteorological office said.
News footage showed gigantic tidal waves crashing into a seawall in coastal resort town of Digha.

The vast coastline was blurred by thick sheets of rain as the cyclone made landfall, with surging waters sweeping fishing boats inland and inundating mud-and-thatch houses and farmlands in low-lying areas.

In Kolkata’s Bibir Bagan area, one person was injured when a wall collapsed due to a heavy downpour.

Reports from North and South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts stated roofs of thatched houses were blown away, electric poles twisted and trees uprooted in several areas.

Streets and homes in low-lying areas adjoining Kolkata were inundated.

1.10 lakh people moved to cyclone shelters

The West Bengal government shifted around 1.10 lakh people from coastal and vulnerable areas to cyclone shelters, schools and colleges by Sunday late afternoon.

Evacuation efforts focused on relocating people from South 24 Parganas district, especially Sagar Island, Sundarbans and Kakdwip, according to an official.

PM chairs review meeting

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting to review the response and preparedness for the storm, while West Bengal Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose monitored the situation closely.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged people to stay at home and assuring them of her government’s support.

KMC swings into action

Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) authorities evacuated people from high-rises and dilapidated buildings, according to Mayor Firhad Hakim.

Hakim mentioned that 15,000 civic employees were mobilised to address post-cyclone scenarios, with equipment ready for quick removal of large uprooted trees.

The cyclone caused light rains and winds in areas like Digha, Kakdwip and Jaynagar, which is expected to intensify on Monday.

Note from IMD

The India Meteorological Department’s eastern regional head Somnath Dutta indicated that southern Bengal districts would experience increasing winds and rainfall.

Fourteen National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams were deployed across districts in south Bengal, including Kolkata. The state government has readied SDRF teams and worked with the KMC. Relief materials and quick response teams were in place.

Flights, trains disrupted

Cyclone Remal has caused significant disruptions in air, rail and road transportation in Kolkata and other parts of southern Bengal.

The Eastern and South Eastern Railways cancelled some trains, and the Kolkata airport suspended flight operations for 21 hours, affecting 394 flights.

The Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata has also suspended operations.

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ensured no loss of life or property at sea, with remote operating stations alerting vessels and ships. Nine disaster relief teams were on standby.

Indian Navy keeps an eye out

The Indian Navy has readied two ships equipped with Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and medical supplies, with aviation assets on standby for rapid response. Specialised diving teams and flood relief teams have also been prepared for deployment.

Red alert in Assam

A ‘red alert’ was issued for extremely heavy rainfall in seven districts of Assam, and an ‘orange alert’ in 11 districts, according to an official release.

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has alerted residents and authorities, emphasising safety measures as the cyclone, after hitting West Bengal and Bangladesh on May 26, is predicted to move towards the Northeast.

Bangladesh evacuates over 8 lakh people

On Sunday night, Bangladesh authorities evacuated over 800,000 people from vulnerable areas of the country’s low-lying southwestern coastlines to shelters.

“The cyclone has made landfall and started crossing the West Bengal coast in India through the south-west side of Mongla and Khepupara coast of Bangladesh around 8:30 pm (local time),” a met office spokesman told reporters.

Calcutta airport deserted

The terminal building of Calcutta airport wore a deserted look following the suspension of flight operations shortly after noon on Sunday due to the looming threat of ‘Remal’.

Such a sight was unprecedented, as the airport, typically teeming with activity like any other international hub, now stood deserted, save for security personnel, Airports Authority of India staff, and a handful of airline employees.

Saturday saw the airport authorities making the decision to halt flight operations for 21 hours starting from Sunday noon.
Economy, Sikkim

No footfall dip, visitors choosing rural homestays over Gangtok hotels: Sikkim government

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Tourism stakeholders, in recent months, have been stating that the poor condition of arterial highway NH10 and its frequent closures, as well as the closure of important tourist spots like Gurudongmar in north Sikkim and steep cab fares are deterrents to tourism in Sikkim at the moment
The Temi Tea Garden in Namchi district of Sikkim, a tourist destination famed for its pine trees and view of the mountains: Sourced by The Telegraph

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, 27.05.24 :  The Sikkim tourism department has argued that homestays and other smaller accommodations in rural areas are attracting tourists over Gangtok hotels to counter those claiming a steep decline in visitors to the Himalayan state.

Data available from hotels based in Gangtok suggested that tourist footfall declined this year compared to earlier years.
Negating the inference of Gangtok hoteliers, a senior Sikkim tourism official said: “During the first quarter (of 2024), 2.94 lakh tourists visited Sikkim. One should not think like the earlier days when tourists would come to Gangtok hotels first and from there go to other places in the state like Geysing and Namchi.”

“Because of good transport facilities, they (tourists) are nowadays going directly to Yumthang valley and other places through various other entry points (to Sikkim) like Melli, Rangpo, Ramman and Reshi, and not necessarily touching Gangtok,” the official added.

The official said he had recently spoken to elected rural representatives in Zuluk and adjoining areas about tourism. “They said homestays were attracting big crowds and doing evergreen business,” the official added.

According to the Sikkim official, these homestays only charged around ₹1,000 per head for food and accommodation. Homestays are making small profits but earning all year round. Honestly, homestay owners are happy…. It is their business strategy,” the official added.

Tourism stakeholders, however, refused to fully endorse the government’s argument that tourism had not dwindled and had shifted focus from hotels to homestays.

“While a lot of homestays have come up in Sikkim and the Darjeeling hills, we do not think Gangtok hotels are not doing well because of homestays. The flow of tourists in Darjeeling town is much higher at the moment than Gangtok. Although Darjeeling has as many homestays, its hotels are also doing well, which is not the case with Sikkim,” said a hotelier with properties both in Sikkim and Darjeeling.

There are some 1,700 registered homestays in Darjeeling hills and almost an equal number in Sikkim. Many homestays are not registered in both places.

Tourism stakeholders, in recent months, have been stating that the poor condition of arterial highway NH10 and its frequent closures, as well as the closure of important tourist spots like Gurudongmar in north Sikkim and steep cab fares are deterrents to tourism in Sikkim at the moment.

As recently as on May 13, the Union ministry of tourism had written to the Sikkim tourism and civil aviation department, expressing concerns that tourists visiting the state had complaints of “exploitative” cab and permit rates and lack of amenities for visitors, among other things.

The Sikkim government had then formed a high-level panel to look into the complaints.

On Friday, Sikkim tourism department issued an order stating that luxury cabs taking tourists to Nathula, Tsomgo and Baba Mandir from Gangtok cannot charge more than ₹7,000 and normal vehicles not more than ₹6,500, both inclusive of permit fees.
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