Weekend Lodge,Hill Cart Road

31/05/2017

These Greyhounds are waiting for a miracle... SHARING this story can change their fate!

27/06/2015

Steam, the real essence of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), is set to get its glory back with the Railways planning to introduce three separate services within a month. Once the trains start chugging, three-fourth of the 80km route between Siliguri and Darjeeling will offer the romance of steam.

"We will introduce two new steam loco trains between Siliguri and Rangtong and Kurseong and Mahanadi within the next fortnight and another steam loco service between Darjeeling and Kurseong in a month," DHR area officer Narendra Mohan told TOI.

At present, the only steam section in operation covers only 7km between Darjeeling and Ghum. The Joyride steam train starts at Darjeeling and chugs up to Ghum 7km away after a stop at the picturesque Batasia Loop before the return journey. There are three steam services daily and three more diesel-powered tourist trains on this sector.

Now, the Northeast Frontier Railway has given the green signal for more steam services on the 134-year-old route. The Himalayan on Wheels steam train will operate on the 7km Kurseong-Mahanadi stretch within a fortnight as will General Safari that will run between Siliguri and Rangtong, covering 28km. The Red Panda steam train will be introduced around July-end to cover the 31km journey from Darjeeling to Kurseong.

"Himalayan on Wheels will operate a round trip three times a week while General Safari will be a daily round trip. The Red Panda will also be a daily service but we don't see passengers opting for round trip on this section," said Mohan.

While the fare for the steam Joyride is Rs 1,095, the fare proposed for Himalayan on Wheels and General Safari is Rs 605. A decision on Red Panda has not been taken yet. The trains will soon figure in the passenger reservation system.

The official said a proposal to run the train from Siliguri to Kurseong, a 49km distance, had to be dumped following a landslide at Paglajhora earlier this month. The disruption happened barely three days after the line had been restored.

Rajendra Kumar Baid, convener of the DHR Society (a group of 1,000-strong steam fanatics, most of whom reside in the UK and visit Darjeeling every year, chartering steam trains for three-four days) welcomed the move to introduce more steam trains.

"The very sight of a steam train chugging up the mountain side sets butterflies aflutter. The steam trains will make Darjeeling more attractive to tourists and be great for the entire region," said Baid who also has a hotel in Siliguri.

Travel writer Rajen Bali is also enthused by the proposal but feels Railways needs to integrate the ride with tourism opportunities to enhance the steam experience. "Indian Railways should promote DHR as a tourist circuit involving tea, mountains, photography, cuisine, history, wildlife, ecotourism and adventure sports. Darjeeling needs to be packaged with steam at the core," said Bali.

25/09/2014

Memorandum on future tourism development plans of Kurseong and its surroundings submitted to Executive Director, Tourism, GTA, by Hill Tourism Development Association Kurseong.

Darjeeling:

26th June’2014.

Members of Hill Tourism Development Association Kurseong, meet Mr. Sonam Bhutia, The Executive Director, Tourism, GTA, today at his office at Lalkhoti.

Mr. Sonam Bhutia, gave a very positive response on the issue. He said that he has a vision of making Kurseong as next destination of the millennium. He elaborated on the development works of tourism going at Kurseong and surroundings, the widening and reparing of old military road, with cycling trails in these areas. Beautification of Eagle’s Craig, Giddha Pahar, Rohini and many other places of Kurseong areas’. He said that Ropeway (cable car) is on the go, which definitely will boost tourism in Kurseong. Signage, a map of Kurseong has been finalised.

The members of HTDAK also submitted ten page memorandum on future tourism development plans of Kurseong and its surrounding. The association is mostly into development of Kurseong in tourism sector, taking along all stakeholders like, hoteliers, driver associations, NGOs, and many other organisations.

The association emphasised on a Tourist Information Centre, at Kurseong Railway station platform,urgently needed and could add more pleasant aroma to the land of orchids. Tourists stopping here lack information about Kurseong. TIC along with brochures can help promote Kurseong.

As Kurseong doesn’t have any entertainment activities or jogging path the association suggested that “A Jogger’s Paradise” on the new road at Naya Bazar, can be converted into Jogger’s Paradsie, as this area is free from traffic and pollution, Toilet, Cafeteria, Garden, Sitting benches with shed at Baluwatar and approach paths can be constructed and maintained along the roadside with hanging and bench press at roadside for joggers.

DHR is another attraction in the hills, so the association put forward a proposal that the train track can be restored from Kurseong to Tindharia and Joy ride from Kurseong to Mahandi to start soon, as the view is more spectacular and other tracks. The Director assured that he will look into this matter.

Eco-Tree Park, A very new concept the can be promoted in Dilaram area as there are ample of forests and open space was also discussed. They are an ideal combination of fun and education, but the education is not forced. It comes from exploring the forest at a new level, being exposed to the interaction of the flora and fauna in a given environment, observing species nesting in the trees or on the ground, discovering lakes and rivers from above, The opportunities are endless. The trends for eco-tourism and increased physical activity are rapidly growing, and are at the forefront of the tourism industry. A return to nature is an instinctive need in our modern world, and Treetop Adventure Concept is perfectly poised to feed this new market.

As Kurseong is sandwiched between tea gardens and the forest, what ever small portion of land available belongs to the DHR, leaving very less option for social and economical development. It was mentioned that it was necessary to look beyond urban area for new openings into rural areas, Eco-Tourism is one of the key ingredients to boost economical status and generate self employment. The association and even Mr. Bhutia agreed more priority should be given to home stays as it has become one of the best chosen accommodation by tourists nowadays. Opening of home stays in different village around Kurseong like, Dilaram, Mamring, Bagmara, Shivkhola will definitely uplift the socioeconomic of the local people.

Certain infrastructures can be developed and leased out to village development communities with financial assistance provided through Govt. schemes, Public Private Partnership, NGO’s and Nationalized Banks. Advertisement is very much essential for promotion of Eco-tourism, The Dept. of Tourism can extend cooperation and consultation with Hill Tourism Development Association Kurseong,

Beside this many more topics like waste management, cleanliness and awareness about tourism among the people was also discussed.

25/09/2014

Setback for GTA in roads case

- High court vacates stay on state govt tender process to lay roads in Darjeeling

Calcutta, Sept. 15: Justice Nadira Patherhya of Calcutta High Court today vacated the stay she had imposed, restraining the state from proceeding with the tender process for laying of three roads in Darjeeling hills.

After today’s order, the north Bengal development department would have the liberty to allow the construction companies to continue their work.

Told about the outcome of the case, P.T. Ola, a GTA member, said the hill body will “definitely be appealing at a higher forum”. He said the larger issue was the “transgression” of the state in the GTA’s work.

Earlier, the court had issued the interim order on a plea by the GTA, claiming the tender process had violated the provisions of the GTA Act. The chief executive of GTA, Bimal Gurung, is the petitioner in the case.

On September 9, lawyer Ayanava Raha, appearing on behalf of Gurung, told the court that the north Bengal development department had floated the tenders when it had no authority to do so. Gurung’s contention was that by inviting tenders for the construction of three roads in areas that come under the jurisdiction of the GTA, the north Bengal development department of the state government had violated the provisions of the GTA Act.

Raha had said on September 9: “According to the GTA Act, only the hill body has the power to invite tenders and distribute the jobs for development work. Section 26, Section 26 (xliii) and Section 32 of the GTA Act says that neither the state government nor any of its department has the right to float such a tender.”

The three roads for which tenders were floated are stretches between Payung and Lower Dalapchand in Kalimpong subdivision (at a cost of Rs 2.51 crore), Gairygoan Pathak and Maneybara in Darjeeling subdivision (Rs 1.35 crore) and Pankhabari Road and Thapakhali in Kurseong subdivision (Rs 2.31 crore).

These roads are being constructed under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund, a centrally sponsored scheme. The funds under this scheme are channelled through the state government.

The GTA’s plea prompted the court to issue an interim stay on the tender process and ask the state government to clear its stand with regard to the petitioner’s allegation.

Today, when the case came up for hearing, Pradip Mitra, the counsel appearing for the state, informed the court that work for construction of the road had already been started and the development work would get hampered if the stay continued.

The lawyer also claimed that the GTA never made any objection while the tender process was going on.

“The GTA never raised any objection while the tender process was going on. Today, when the construction work is in full swing, they have approached the court,” the lawyer said.

The state lawyer also claimed that the north Bengal development department did not violate the GTA Act while floating the tender.

When the judge asked the GTA lawyer whether his client had raised any objection when the tender process was on, the lawyer could not produce any document to show that.

The judge vacated the stay and asked the state to file an affidavit in the last week of October to counter GTA’s allegation.

The judge, however, made it clear that the state would have to abide by the result of the case.

GTA Sabha member Ola, who filed the case, said: “This is just a stop-gap relief for the state government. The bigger issue is about the state government transgressing on the autonomous character of the GTA. We will be discussing the issue with our legal team and we will definitely be going for an appeal at a higher forum.”

25/09/2014

GTA chief speaks of going to Centre for aid
VIVEK CHHETRI
Bimal Gurung in Darjeeling on Monday. Picture by Suman Tamang

Darjeeling, Sept. 15: Bimal Gurung today said he could “not trust or believe” the state government the remark coming days after the state government held meetings with the hill body to expedite some of its demands.

The state government convened a bipartite meeting at Kalimpong on September 2 and followed it up with a meeting with the GTA’s education department at Calcutta on September 10. Basudeb Banerjee, the home secretary, chaired the Calcutta meeting, which was attended by Roshan Giri, the general secretary of the Morcha and GTA’s executive in charge of education, among others.

On September 5, the state government also restored security to Gurung, which had been removed in March.

However, despite the state’s overtures to Gurung, the GTA chief executive today made it clear that he was looking to the Centre for support in running the hill autonomous body.

“I do not trust or believe the state government. If they want to help us, it is fine, even if they don’t want to help us it’s fine,” Gurung said, while addressing engineers at a ceremony organised by the Hills Engineers’ Welfare Association at the Gorkha Rangamanch Bhavan.

Gurung said he would continue to approach the Centre for more funds.

“We will have to go to each and every department at the Centre for funds. It is our job, the elected members of the GTA, to get funds while you (engineers) will have to work hard to ensure that the projects are properly implemented,” he said.

“Recently, when I was in Delhi, I was informed by the tourism officials that there are very little chances of Bengal getting funds from the Union tourism department. I have requested them to explore the possibility of providing funds directly to the GTA as this is an autonomous body,” Gurung said.

The hill leader said that Union human resource department minister Smriti Irani would visit Kalimpong shortly. “I have also requested her to announce the setting up of a central university for the hills during her visit,” the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief said.

“I do not want to mince words. If you want us to run the GTA smoothly, allow us to do so,” he said, referring to the state government.

“There were interferences in the past and I immediately filed a case against the interference. If they do not allow us to function properly, we will go back to agitation,” he said.

Gurung, however, immediately said the GTA has to prove its worth in the next three years.

“We have three years in the GTA. In these three years, we have to prove that we can administer properly and we must be able to show that we can develop our own place.”

25/09/2014

GTA plans new guest house in Kurseong

The Statesman16 Sep 2014 |

“The set-up will not only cater to the tourists, but local people too,” Mr Thapa said. According to him, the GTA also plans to turn the present Montiviet ground into a mini-stadium. People have been complaining of a lack of a good guest house in Kurseong, unlike in Darjeeling town and Kalimpong.
Mr Thapa said that several other development projects have also been planned by the GTA, especially targeting Kurseong
region. Though Kurseong has the potential of becoming a tourist hotspot, the area has so far been neglected, local people say.
It may be mentioned that a number of projects have been taken up by the GTA to boost tourism in the Kurseong area.
A good example of the projects is the cable-car (ropeway) service between Giddha Pahar and Rohini,m the construction of which is underway.

07/07/2014

Part two of our Journey in Paris..our little explorers visit the capital of arts and literature...Paris and Euro Disney.

07/07/2014

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14/05/2014

14/05/2014

Junior railways minister Adhir Chowdhury on Saturday flagged off the resumption of the toy train service between Rung Tong to Gaya Bari via Tindharia.

The move will go a long way to neutralize the possibility of the country oldest mountain railway system losing the world heritage tag.

Chowdhury also promised to run the 87km full service from Siliguri to Darjeeling by restoring the rest of "damaged or non-existent tracks".

Earlier, Unesco had expressed concerns regarding the status of the DHR, affected by several landslides. Chowdhury said that if the railway tracks were not repaired, the DHR could be declared "endangered" by the Unesco, which would be quite humiliating.

DHR was almost declared "endangered" and ran the risk of being delisted from the list of World Heritage Sites recently because the railways had failed to send any official to a crucial meeting held at the Unesco World Heritage Centre in Paris, where it was supposed to argue its case against such a move.

The Kurseong-Siliguri section of the DHR has been non-operational since June 2010 after a landslide damaged a 500m stretch of the NH 55 at 14th Mile near Paglajhora. The DHR tracks running parallel to the highway were also swept away in the slide. Another landslide at Tindharia, 5km from Paglajhora along the highway, damaged the tracks in September 2011 and has put at risk the 100-year-old Tindharia Locomotive Works - the hill railway's workshop.

Ever since, DHR has been running a truncated service between Darjeeling and Kurseong in the hills and and between Siliguri and Rang Tong in the foothills. Concerned over the worsening condition of 132-year-old railway system, Unesco decided to provide $665,154 (Rs 42.5 crore) to the Indian Railways, which is facing an acute funds crunch, to do the job.

Since the tracks were on a National Highway, the ministry of railways approached the ministry of road transport and highways regarding this, and Rs 87 crore was sanctioned about a year ago. The fund could finally be used to restore the national highway. The railways also re-laid the tracks.

After this restoration, only 13 more kilometres are needed to be bridged to run the full length.

Meanwhile, the DHR has taken up an initiative to revamp the 14 heritage railway stations under it. Sukna railway station was first completed as a pilot project. The revamping of stations involved improving the overall infrastructure to attract more tourists, said railway official.

Interesting facts

The 132-year-old DHR is the second narrow-gauge railway in the world after Semmering Railway in Austria.

It is the first in the country to be bestowed a Unesco World Heritage Status in November 1999.

The DHR line between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling is 87 km-long.

As the Kurseong-Siliguri stretch is shut, DHR services are available only on the Kurseong-Darjeeling and Siliguri Rang Tong stretches.

It is mandatory for all Unesco heritage sites to be maintained by a comprehensive conservation and management plan (CCMP), a master-document outlining the conservation, management and sustainable development of heritage sites.

The Indian Railways sanctioned funds for preparing a CCMP for the DHR in 2009, 10 years after it got a heritage status.

The railway line from Siliguri to the beautiful hill section of Darjeeling is considered an engineering feat and passes through very picturesque country.

Out of a total of 87.48 km, 64 kms. are on the same road bench. The actual climb starts from Sukna encountering steep gradients and curves all the way long. There are some peculiar features to be marked during the journey. The train passes through dense forest from Sukna and it chugs along the hill slopes and at places where a clear path is not available.

The DHR has 5 major, 498 minor bridges and 177 unmanned level crossings. There are 14 stations including New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling with an average inter distance of 6 to 7 km. Except between Siliguri and Sukna where the distance is over 10 km.

Ghum station is the second highest railway station in the world to be reached by steam locomotive.

30/04/2014

KURSEONG

Despite Kurseong being part of the world-famous tourist destination of Darjeeling, it lags far behind as a tourist hotspot. However, with the GTA taking a number of initiatives to develop tourism in and around Kurseong, the place will soon be included in the tourism map of Darjeeling.

To woo tourists by developing Kurseong’s tourism potential, several projects planned earlier have already kick-started and are expected to be completed within two years.

GTA executive member Anit Thapa from Kurseong, who is chief of the Minority Welfare and P.H.E. Department, said he has been labouring hard to bring Kurseong under the tourism map of Darjeeling and for this, several projects of note have already been initiated and started.

Two major projects underway are the Giddhay Pahar – Rohini ropeway and a Water Kingdom at Beltar Tea Estate below Tung. Thapa said Kurseong is still backward in terms of tourism in spite of being a beautiful town.

He said, “Others too tried to develop the town’s tourism potential, but were unsuccessful. However, ever since the GTA became functional, we have been trying our level best to enhance Kurseong’s potential. As part of our initiative to develop the region, two projects are already in the construction phase.”

According to Thapa, the projects are massive ones and run into crores of rupees. He also said there are also several other projects in the pipeline, “which we believe, will ultimately benefit the people of the region”.

Notably, being one of the largest towns dotting the Darjeeling hills and being closest to the plains, Kurseong has ample scope of receiving more tourist numbers compared to Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Mirik. (EOIC)

12/12/2013

GJMM activists moving to Delhi to stage dharna for statehood cause:

Kurseong, 11 December

The GJMM activists and supporters from different places have started to visit Delhi to stage a ‘dharna’ in support of Gorkhaland.
Giving the relaxation to the third phase of Gorkhaland agitation and its trend of bandh in the Darjeeling Hills, the GJMM chief Mr Bimal Gurung had recently said that the party has now decided to stage programs in Delhi in support of a separate state of Gorkhaland.
He had also announced that he will gather lakhs of people from different states of the country in Delhi in the month of December.
Following the same announcement, for the past couple of days, the GJMM activists and its supporters have reportedly been travelling towards the capital with the intention of gathering people in huge numbers and stage a dharna for the statehood demand for the Gorkha people living in India.
The gathering of the masses from various parts of the country for the scheduled programme has already started.
They will stage the dharna at Jantar Mantar and attend other programmes in Delhi in support of Gorkhaland.
As per GJMM sources, the people from different frontal organisations of the GJMM party, including the GTA members and the councillors from four municipalities of the Hills, have already left their respective areas to visit Delhi. Meanwhile, from Kurseong municipality, out of 20 councillors, 17 councillors, including its chairman and vice chairman, have already left Kurseong yesterday and reached Delhi.
It was learnt that the councillors who have not yet left for Delhi have been stuck due to personal problems or due to some important work.
The movement of the people to Delhi is reportedly being done on their own expenses and mostly by trains and some also by flights.
The party general secretary and the GTA executive member, Mr Roshan Giri, who is already in Delhi for the past few days, said that the people have
already started to reach here in Delhi and we expect that 10,000 people are likely to attend the proposed dharna slated from 13 to 15 December.

Source: SNS