Transport bandh in Darjeeling

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-family:="" arial="">DARJEELING: The three hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kursheong, including Mirik, are likely to be immobilized for three days from August 12 to August 14 because of a transport bandh called by all the transport associations of the Darjeeling hills.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="">The transport bandh has been called in protest against improper maintenance and lack of repair of National Highway 55, also known as the Hill Cart Road.They also want removal of additional tax on vehicles in the hills. The demands of the transport operators include setting up of proper bus and taxi stands at Darjeeling, Kursheong and Kalimpong transfer of motor vehilce department to the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council and removal of petrol pumps which are located in the heart of the town.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="">The Gorkha Hill Transport Joint Action Committee has also urged political leaders of the hills, especially Gorkha National Liberation Front president Subash Ghisingh, to ''speak a loud'' on these urgent issues.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="">At a public meeting at the Darjeeling motor stand on Sunday, GHTJAC Nim Tshering Bhutia said that the motor vehicle department collected more than Rs 8 crore from the hills every year, but not even Rs 2 crore has been spent for the maintainance of the hill roads. Hill Cart road was built in 1861 for a population of 3,000. "But today, the same road is carrying a burden of more than 1.5 lakh population," he added.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="">Bhutia said its only in the hills that the state government had implemented the system of additional tax, showing ''step-motherly attitude'' towards the hills. According to him, an additional tax of Rs 7,000 per year was collected from each vehicle of the hills . In 2003, more than Rs 1.8 lakh was collected.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="">Several months ago the Darjeeling municipality had passed a tender for the construction of a bus stand near the present motor stand, he said. "Even a map has been prepared for the construction of a bus and taxi stand in Darjeeling. The concerned authority had also given us assurance, but the work is yet to start. The money alloted for its construction is getting diverted to the plains," he alleged.</span></div> </div>