Himalayan Times (1950)

October 1, 19c0

ifiitimlnnun 3^ lines

Thine

Jltateat 9iif JCalimpang. 3luMic

NON RESTORATION COMMUNICATIONS

iltj our ipeolii] eorreipondQiitl
Kalimpong, September 28.

General members of
the ]jnblic and represen-
tatives of various trade
interests in Kalimpong,
held a meeting at ."> p. m.
on the 27th September
at the Town Hall to
strongly protest against
the lack of progress in
the restoration of full
communications by road,
rail, and ropeway, from
Siliguri to Kalimpong
The non-restoration of
communications has caused
a rise in the prices of
essential foodstuffs and
consumer goods, and has
also seriously affected
Indo-Tibet trade on which
the economic prosperity
of Kalimpong largely do-
ponds. Sri Aribahadur
Gurung, Member of Par-
liament, presided over tho
meeting.

Tiio first speaker was
Sri G S Bhandari who
said: "It is now three
months since the June
disaster which caused the
landslides and dislocation
of communications. The
Government • has done
very little to restore
communications and it is
only through public meet
ings that the public can
express its views. Freight

between Riyangand Kalim-
pong was - (i . a maund
a^id now it is Rs. 2 - a
ma uhd."

Sri Devchand ivfintri,
a leading business man of
Kalimpong said: ''We have
written letters and sent
telegrams starting from
the District authorities
upto the Chief Minister
but in most cases these
are not even acknowledged.
Kalimpong is a business
centre dealing with peri-
shable goods like oranges
(1,8 1,000 maunds), potatoes
and cardamoms (30,000
maunds. each), including
that of Sikkira and wool
one lakh maunds. Apart
from this 6,00,000 mds.
up and down traffic is to
puss on this Tista Valley
section. How is all this
to be transported with
the Tcesta Valley Railway
being abandoned, the
in-each at Likubir, and
the non-working of the
ropetvay ? It is now 3i
months since assurances
were given that the rope-
way would function but
from enquiries no one
appears to know when it
will work—responsibility
is shifted from person to
person- this whole matter

appears to be 'secret."
Business and trade is
seriously affected."

Other speakers were
Sri Kcsaricharid, Bhatia
who pointed out that
Kalimpong was the (late-
way to Sikkim, Bhutan,
and Tibet, Dr. Boral, and
Sri Rameswar Agarwala,
President Kalimpong .Mer-
chants Association who
proposed a resolution
which was seconded by
Jjri/ G. S,, Bhandari, and
which was unanimously
supported by the meeting.
The Resolution reads :—■
This Meeting of Mer-
chants, Traders and Gene-
ral Public of Kalimpong
do record the indifference
of the Government of
West Bengal and the
Central Government of
India to restore Through.
Traffic between Siliguri
and Kalimpong and also
resumption of Ropeway
communication between
Riyang and Kalimpong
inspitp of several represen-
tations and telegrams
although three months
have elapsed since the
last disaster of 12th June
1950. Landslides and
damage to roads are not
new phenomena in this
part of India. Never be-
fore have the Government
taken so long a time to
appreciate the difficulty
arising out of the disloca-
tion of such an important

(('oiifimmrtt J age .1)